Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
In 2025, portfolio optimization has overtaken improved reporting and cost reduction as the leading occupancy planning goal for corporate real estate leaders. According to JLL’s Global Occupancy Planning Benchmark Report 2025, 73% of respondents named it their primary focus, reflecting a growing maturity in workplace strategies.
Top Occupancy Planning Priorities
- Portfolio optimization: 73%
- Reduce cost of portfolio: 71%
- Improve space data accuracy: 68%
- Improve reporting: 64%
- Increase employee presence on-site: 59%
- Increase utilization data use in planning: 59%
- Adopt hybrid programs: 55%
- Improve headcount forecasting: 45%
- Reduce environmental impact: 40%
The rise of portfolio optimization shows companies moving from understanding their real estate portfolios to actively leveraging data and insights to maximize value. Recent geopolitical and economic uncertainty has heightened the need to balance growth and caution, driving focus on optimizing costs and space use.
Sustainability and Real Estate
Sustainability remains a key priority for CRE leaders. 74% of organizations report having sustainability programs integrated into their real estate planning, focusing on carbon reduction and net zero goals. Many programs aim to reduce environmental impact while delivering operational savings and improving space efficiency.
Occupancy Data and Utilization
Utilization rate is the most important occupancy metric for the third year running. The number of organizations tracking utilization data increased from 62% in 2019 to 74% in 2025. Similarly, applying utilization data for space planning rose from 60% to 70% over the same period.
Office utilization rates have increased globally to 54% in 2025, up from 49% in 2024 and 41% in 2023. This is still below the pre-pandemic rate of 61%. Latin America and EMEA show the largest improvements while North America lags at 48% utilization.
Utilization targets have also risen from 74% to 79%, highlighting efforts to close the gap between actual and desired use in hybrid work environments.
Data Challenges and Opportunities
Despite growing awareness, data capability remains uneven. Only 7% of organizations rate their data skills as excellent and 45% as good. 28% say their capabilities are average and 20% report poor or no data capability. Many still rely on manual updates to floorplans, limiting accuracy and update frequency.
Organizations with advanced data tools gain advantages in space allocation and portfolio optimization, emphasizing the need for improved data management.
Hybrid Work and Office Attendance
Hybrid work adoption is slowing. The share of organizations with hybrid programs dropped from 87% to 77% in 2025. Only 34% plan to expand their hybrid programs, down from 49% last year, and 9% plan to reduce them.
Most organizations are increasing office attendance expectations. 49% require a defined number of in-office days, up from 46%, and 19% designate specific days, compared to 15% in 2024. About 51% of employees come to the office three to five days per week, stable from last year.
Space Allocation and Design
Organizations are moving toward flexible seating. Shared open workstations, touchdown spaces, and bench seating have grown, while dedicated offices have declined. Seat sharing is targeted to increase from 1.1 to 1.3 people per seat, and average space per person is planned to shrink from 165 to 132 square feet.
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Most organizations have standards for office and workstation sizes but many have yet to fully implement them. For enclosed offices, 65% aim for 125 square feet or less compared to 42% currently.
Support for Collaboration and Wellness
Collaboration spaces are expanding, with 35% of organizations increasing these areas. Small huddle rooms are also growing in 22% of workplaces. To support focus and privacy, 35% added phone rooms and 28% created focus rooms.
Wellness areas such as mothers’ rooms, prayer spaces, and ergonomic furniture are becoming more common. Sit-to-stand desks are now standard in 77% of new buildouts.
Technical Spaces and Sustainability
Technical spaces like data centers, labs, manufacturing, and warehousing make up a large portion of many portfolios. 83% of companies have technical spaces totaling 188 million square feet. Many outsource planning for these areas and 63% track utilization through badging, sensors, or software.
Sustainability programs for technical spaces are growing. 43% have such programs focusing on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and design efficiency.
What Corporate Real Estate Leaders Are Focusing On In 2025
Corporate real estate leaders in 2025 are prioritizing portfolio optimization through better data, sustainability, and flexible work strategies. Increased utilization and space efficiency will be key as companies balance cost control with employee experience in advancing workplace models.
