A third of corporate occupiers in the EMEA region anticipate a material decrease in the amount of office space per person they will need in the future, according to a new report from Colliers.
The firm’s ‘Global Occupier Outlook 2023: Navigating the Future of Change’ report also found 66% of corporate occupiers in EMEA anticipate that up to 20% of their commercial real estate portfolio will move from traditional to flex leases in the next five years.
The report, which draws on multiple data sources, Colliers’ own insights and interviews with global corporate occupiers with a presence in EMEA, found that post-pandemic companies are increasingly looking to be more flexible and build resilience in their real estate portfolio and workplace strategy.
Andrew Hallissey, executive managing director – occupier services EMEA at Colliers, said: “We’re in an intense period of transformation for the workforce and the workplace. Multiple complex factors, from inflation to geopolitical tensions and climate and energy crises, have combined to create the most challenging environment that companies have faced in decades.
“This uncertainty is impacting decision making too. There’s no real clarity on what office occupancy levels will look like and the competition for talent is getting fiercer as employees place more emphasis on flexibility. Occupiers need an agile approach to both their workplace and their workforce and many are now looking to shorter lease terms and flexible space as they look to drive efficiency and construct diverse, resilient portfolios that cater for different ways of working.
“We’re encouraging all corporate occupiers to remain flexible and ready to adapt in this uncertain climate.”
