Economic Uncertainty Made Miami The Next Major Coworking Hub

Miami is known for its annual warm weather, laid-back attitude, and now, coworking.   

According to new data from JLL, Miami has become the number one coworking and flexible office hub in the U.S. as remote workers and corporations alike flock to the bustling city. 

“You have companies that are calling us that are saying, ‘Hey, I’m not there now, but I know I want to expand in Miami, can I get an office?’” said Melissa Bessler, regional director of the Southeast-Midwest region at Industrious. “And they’re signing without even seeing a location.”   

Currently, the city’s coworking footprint has amassed to 1.6 million square feet across 59 locations. With a 143% increase in demand last year, the city’s offerings will only expand from here.   

It’s quite the whiplash from the state of the industry in 2021, which saw operators practically begging companies to maintain their coworking memberships. Now, some firms can’t even keep up with the demand. 

“Literally, it seemed like overnight where we were literally speaking to people trying to do anything just to help them stay in business and stay with us, to then just floodgates,” said Laura Kozelouzek, CEO of Quest Workspaces.   

Leasing activity in the city grew by 48% from its pre-pandemic average last year, making it one of two cities (including Atlanta) to see their leasing rates fully recover from the pandemic. 

According to Kozelouzek, economic uncertainty has actually accelerated demand as companies avoid making long-term commitments and turn to coworking for more flexibility.