Flexible Office Demand Will Accelerate Into 2022 With An Experience-based Approach

A team of Colliers analysts expects the “work from anywhere” trend to accelerate forward throughout 2022. 

However, there will be variations in demand between suburbs reliant on cars, and urban areas accessible by various forms of transportation and walking.  

 For instance, office occupancy in cities such as Dallas and Houston have already reached over 40%, while these numbers remain in the 15% to 20% range in regions like Manhattan and San Francisco. 

Overall though, this is good news for the flexible workspace sector, which has been able to reaffirm itself as a solution to working woes experienced in this era of living alongside the pandemic. 

“While operators have largely regeared their agreements with landlords over the last 18 months, user interest in flexible workspace has expanded as firms reassess their occupational portfolio needs in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing shifts in work patterns,” the report states. “Owners are being much more creative in their approach to delivering flexible workspace solutions by carefully looking at their product mix and delivery models. Concurrently, increased institutional interest is creating more transparency, which will aid in the maturity of the sector.”  

Moving forward, operators are predicted to focus heavily on the user experience, offering high-quality amenities that ensure tenants are able to get everything they need in one place.  

This will likely include fitness facilities, wellness programs, hospitable design, modern technology, and flexibility. 

In terms of flexibility, this factor will play a leading role in how operators bring in new members. With this, the lines between traditional offices and flexible workspaces will blur.