The UK has retained its position as the most mature flexible office market in the EMEA region for a second consecutive year, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Trends in Flexible Office 2026 report.
The UK achieved a flexible office maturity score of 94%, closely followed by France (92%), with the Netherlands (82%) and UAE (77%) recording the region’s strongest year-on-year improvements, driven by the strong relationship between flexible offices and AI businesses.
The global report covers 16 EMEA markets and evaluates factors including flexible workspace as a share of total office stock, operator numbers, leasing volumes, landlord participation and management agreement adoption, alongside two new AI-focused indicators introduced this year.
The research found two-thirds of EMEA markets now report meaningful levels of management agreement activity, compared with just over one-third a year ago, while 71% report high levels of landlord-operated flexible workspace offerings – up from 53% in 2025.
The proportion of EMEA markets reporting high levels of flexible office take-up increased from 23% to 36% over the past year, while the proportion reporting low levels of activity also rose from 38% to 43%, highlighting growing polarisation between the region’s strongest and weakest markets.
Kiran Patel, head of office sector research BDS, EMEA at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “The flexible office market across EMEA continues to mature and evolve. High quality offerings, novel operating models and a structural supply shortage of traditional office space are all contributing to robust demand for flexible offices. But it’s the relationship between flex and AI that’s the most exciting part of the market, with the sector playing a critical role in supporting the scaling-up of AI firms as well as helping other businesses navigate through uncertainty during the adoption process.”
Arron Browne, head of flexible offices London at Cushman & Wakefield, added: “AI businesses often need to grow quickly and establish themselves close to talent, innovation and investment. Flexible workspace is uniquely positioned to support that growth by providing immediate access to high quality space in the heart of key tech clusters with the ability to jump from five desks to 50 overnight. Propagating these smaller businesses also helps to feed the pipeline for traditional office leasing down the line – a win for the whole market.”
