Study shows shifting trends in global office demand
WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES — A new study by the Urban Land Institute and workspace provider The Instant Group surveyed 285 corporate real estate occupiers and landlords worldwide to assess how remote work trends are impacting office demand.
The results reveal significant uncertainty, with just 14% of occupiers saying their existing property alignments fully match current business needs.
However, most agreed offices will remain vital for conveying corporate culture, enabling collaboration, and mentoring younger staff.
Structural changes have triggered sharp drops in global office investment, now claiming only 23% of total real estate capital flows versus 34% in 2019.
Although average office occupancy still lags pre-pandemic levels by 15-20 percentage points, companies increasingly desire flexible, activity-based workspaces.
Targeted communal areas for spurring creativity have doubled from 20-30% of space to 40-50%.
Over 80% of landlords and 75% of occupiers expect more adaptable leasing terms over the next five years to enable scaling up or down. But 62% of landlords predict lower asset values under current valuation models that reward long leases over flexible agreements.
The search results provide additional context about office trends and real estate market conditions globally and in specific regions like Europe, Asia, and the United States.
