Seattle Office Investment Sale Case Study: Gibraltar Tower

Mission Accomplished: Gibraltar Tower | Value-Add / Owner-User Investment

Gibraltar Tower, 1513 3rd Avenue, Seattle, Lee & Associates Pacific Northwest

OVERVIEW

  • 1518 Third Ave, Seattle, WA
  • Office / Retail Building
  • 41,705 SF / 6,970 SF / 0.16 AC
  • Seller Representation
  • Sale Price $2,750,000

“Lee & Associates’ diligent and proactive approach ensured broad exposure and competitive bidding, resulting in a highly satisfactory outcome.”

 

- Erin Short
Vice President, J.P. Morgan

The Challenge

Gibraltar Tower entered the market as an 85% vacant Class B office building on 3rd Ave between Pike and Pine, an area heavily impacted by ongoing street disorder. The property lacks dedicated parking, and
the easement providing access from 4th Ave is set to expire within three years, creating potential long-term access concerns. Compounding the asset-specific challenges, a wave of distressed, vacant office assets across Seattle were trading below $100/SF, establishing a difficult pricing ceiling.

Our Approach

We launched the property with an initial list price of $2,500,000 to drive engagement and cast as wide a net as possible. From the outset, we targeted every credible buyer profile, including local HNW groups, value-add investors, owner-users, and developers looking for conversion or long-term redevelopment opportunities, recognizing that each group would view the opportunity differently. The campaign was highly proactive  and tailored, ensuring the deal reached groups willing to underwrite complexity and create value through occupancy or repositioning.

This approach generated 17 signed CAs, 10 tours, and ultimately 4 offers over the course of 1 month. After going under contract, the buyer faced financing challenges, and we structured non-refundable extension payments that generated an additional $197,500 of proceeds for our client. We also worked through a structure that allowed the buyer to capture excise tax savings tied to their affordable housing component. We ultimately closed at a price of $2,750,000, 10% above the original list price, while also delivering additional proceeds through the extension structure.

Outcome

Listed: July 25, 2025                       Competing Offers: 4 Offers                         Under Contract: September 26, 2025                         Closed: April 7, 2026

 

For more information regarding this case study, please contact:

STUART WILLIAMS

Principal
D 
(206) 219.1281
[email protected]

ALEX MUIR

Senior Vice President
D  (206) 219.1283
[email protected]

MCCALLUM MEAD

Associate
D  (425) 818.2656
[email protected]

SCOTTY ROWE

Associate
D  (425) 818.2655
[email protected]