United Talent Agency Consolidates to 101K SF at ESRT’s Empire State Building – Commercial Observer

Los Angeles-based United Talent Agency (UTA), known for its high-profile clients, has aptly selected New York City’s most famous office building for its new East Coast headquarters. 

UTA leased 100,948 square feet at the Empire State Building in a move that will consolidate its various office locations across Manhattan, the company announced Monday. The New York Post first reported the news. 

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The new headquarters will occupy the 32nd through 35th floors of the 1,454-foot-tall tower at 20 West 34th Street owned  by Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT). Asking rent was $96 per square foot.

UTA and its partners, including Klutch Sports Group and digital influencer management firm DBA, represent a vast roster of celebrity clients, from Timothée Chalamet and Bad Bunny to Anderson Cooper and LeBron James. When it comes to real estate, however, the agency left it up to the professionals.

JLL‘s Mitchell Konsker, Benjamin Bass and Harrison Potter were tapped to represent UTA in the negotiations. Bass said in a statement that the new lease gives the agency room to grow and a desirable work environment. 

“Beyond the prestige of the address, the Empire State Building provides them with an incredible range of amenities and flexible floor plates that can adapt as they evolve,” Bass said.

ESRT’s Jordan Berger, Shanae Ursini and Kerry Lavelle negotiated in-house on behalf of the landlord, alongside a Newmark team of Scott Klau, Erik Harris, Neil Rubin, Brent Ozarowski, Zachary Weil and Cole Gendels. Spokespeople for JLL, ESRT and Newmark did not respond to requests for comment.

The move to the Empire State Building, slated for next summer, will be a consolidation and an expansion for UTA. The agency is currently spread across three Manhattan offices spanning 81,000 square feet, the Post reported. UTA’s website currently lists office locations at 888 Seventh Avenue and 27 West 24th Street. 

Bob Roback, UTA’s chief operating officer, said in a statement that the new lease reflects “the scale of our ambitions.” 

“As we’ve expanded our integrated talent representation and brand advisory businesses, New York has become an increasingly important center for our clients and our company,” Roback said.

ESRT’s decades-long, $650 million renovation of the 102-story tower has attracted a diverse array of office tenants, including law firms Hecker Fink and Elsberg Baker & Maruri, management consulting firm Kearney and human resources platform Workday. LinkedIn, ESRT’s anchor tenant, occupied 540,000 square feet in the historic tower as of February. 

The landlord said in a statement that it has two large office blocks remaining in 2026, one each at One Grand Central Place and 501 Seventh Avenue. 

ESRT recently hailed its 19th straight quarter of positive leasing spreads in its first-quarter earnings call, which celebrated several large retail acquisitions in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and marquee leasing deals at other ESRT properties signed with J.P. Morgan Chase and footwear designer Steve Madden. But, despite its leasing successes, the Empire State Building’s observatory continued to be a pain point for the REIT, with a $3.5 million year-over-year decline in visitations in the first quarter. Company leaders said a recovery is expected in the latter quarters of this year. 

Spokespeople for Newmark did not respond to requests for comment.

Emily Davis can be reached at edavis@commercialobserver.com.