Top 3 flexible office space trends in 2025—what landlords need to know

The way organisations use office space has fundamentally changed, and there’s no going back. The days of companies committing to 20-year leases for half-empty offices are over. Businesses have realised they don’t need – or want – fixed, long-term commitments when their teams aren’t even in the office full-time. Instead, they’re looking for flexibility – something traditional office leases were never designed for.

For landlords, this shift brings both challenges and massive opportunities. The companies willing to sign conventional leases are shrinking, while demand for adaptable, short-term solutions is growing fast. If a building isn’t offering what tenants need, it risks sitting half-empty, struggling to justify its costs.

Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium wrote this in January 2024.

In 2025, three key flexible office space trends are reshaping the market.

• A surge in demand for corporate event spaces as businesses bring people together more deliberately.
• Both mature and large companies are moving into flexible offices as the old “only for startups” stereotype disappears.
• A rise in sector-specific workspaces designed for industries with unique needs.

If you’re the owner of a commercial building, it’s time you reconsider your office leasing strategy. The longer you wait, the higher chance your occupancy rates continue to plummet. The landlords who adapt now will be the ones attracting the best tenants and keeping occupancy high. Office space demand is changing, so read on, and we’ll let you into a few secrets and tell you how you can make the most of this massive opportunity. 

1. Corporate event spaces are becoming a key revenue driver

Remember when companies tried to move everything online? Turns out, we’re still social creatures who prefer actual face-to-face interactions (shocking, we know). Businesses are doubling down on in-person meetings, and they need high-quality event spaces to make them happen. According to the American Express Global Travel Business Report, 82% of European meeting organisers plan to host events with an in-person component in 2025, and 65% expect their meeting budgets to increase.

The UK corporate events market is booming, bringing in £33.6 billion annually, with meetings and conferences accounting for £16.3 billion of that. 

Spacemade’s own data backs this up – we’ve had over 250 external enquiries for meeting and event spaces in the last six months alone, with an average deal value of £1,153 per booking. 

For building owners, this is a wake-up call. A well-designed event space can mean serious revenue generation for landlords. Businesses want bookable spaces for networking, team-building and schmoozing clients. If your building doesn’t have them, tenants will find one that does.

2. Larger enterprises are looking for flex office solutions

For years, flexible offices were seen as the domain of freelancers and startups – people hunched over MacBooks, nursing oat milk lattes. Not anymore. Enterprise flex space adoption is on the rise with large corporations now the dominant occupiers in this space. According to CBRE, 70% of their closed flex transactions in 2024 were for organisations with over 1,000 employees. Instant Offices also reports that 60% of all flex deals now involve private offices for 26 or more people.

JLL’s latest survey confirms this shift, with 43% of corporate real estate decision-makers planning to expand their flex space footprint by 2025. 

We’ve seen this at Spacemade too – over 27% of our customers have been in business for more than 20 years, and another 25% for 6 to 11 years. Our client base spans 27 industries, with top sectors including professional services, IT and tech, and administrative support.

What does this mean for landlords? Bigger businesses expect more than just a desk and Wi-Fi. They need private office suites, robust infrastructure and premium, hospitality-led services. Unlike startups that might vacate after a year, enterprise tenants bring stability, longer commitments and increased property value. In short – landlords who cater to this market stand to win big.

3. The rise of sector-specific workspaces

London has always had industry hubs – Hatton Garden for jewellers, Soho for media types, the City for finance. But now, flexible office operators are applying the same model to coworking. Instead of generic spaces that try to please everyone, businesses are hunting for workspaces tailored to their specific needs.

For landlords, this is an opportunity to stand out in an increasingly crowded market. By designing workspaces around industry needs – whether that’s soundproof studios for media professionals or secure facilities for legal firms – landlords can attract high-value tenants willing to pay a premium for tailored office solutions.

At Spacemade, we’re already doing this with spaces like Studio Y and Hale House.

Studio Y, opening in June 2025, will offer over 20,000 sq ft of workspace at Notting Dale Campus in West London, designed specifically for fashion and fashion-adjacent businesses. From PR agencies to beauty brands, the space will provide flexible offices and a creative lounge within a campus known for its contemporary art collection and high-profile tenants like Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo.

Then, over in Central London, Hale House caters to the HealthTech sector with dedicated workspaces like dry lab, an on-site café run by Humdingers and a 90-person event space ideal for networking, workshops and product launches.

Rather than your standard plug-and-play offices, these spaces are built to enhance productivity, foster collaboration and give businesses an environment that works for them.

We’re doing this because we know business leaders want sector specific hubs as they put their people in the right environment – surrounded by industry peers, potential partners and opportunities they wouldn’t find in a generic office. In fact, research shows networking is a bigger priority than cost or location when choosing a coworking space, and 74% of coworkers say interactions in their space have directly improved their business ideas.

How landlords can capitalise on flex office trends

Being aware of flex office trends is great, but if you don’t know how to cash in on it, what’s the point? It’s like knowing avo on toast is the go-to brunch but still trying to sell bowls of cereal. The landlords making real money are using these flexible office space trends to attract better tenants, create new revenue streams and future-proof their investments, and you can do the same.

Redesign underutilised spaces

Every building has wasted space – floors that sit empty, oversized lobbies no one uses, awkward corners that serve no purpose. That’s money going nowhere. Instead of letting them gather dust, turn them into something tenants will pay for. Meeting rooms, event spaces or private offices don’t need a full-scale fit-out to be valuable. Simple changes – modular walls, soundproofing, decent lighting – can transform a dead zone into a profitable space.

Invest in premium workspace amenities

A good office setup needs to factor in more than location. Slow Wi-Fi, noisy neighbours and cheap furniture make businesses look elsewhere. High-speed internet that actually works, proper soundproofing and ergonomic workspaces aren’t “nice extras” – they’re the bare minimum tenants expect. If an office feels like a budget hotel, they’ll move to one that doesn’t. The spaces that invest in quality over “good enough” keep tenants longer and attract businesses that are willing to pay more for the right setup.

Genuinely flexible agreements

Traditional leases often tie businesses into rigid terms that quickly become a bad fit. A workspace that worked for 20 people last year might be too big – or too small – six months later. That’s why more businesses are moving away from conventional leases in favour of flexible licence agreements.

Licence agreements give members the ability to scale up or down, switch to different types of spaces, or change locations without long negotiations or legal hurdles. Rolling terms, shorter notice periods and all-inclusive setups mean businesses can make decisions based on what they actually need – not what they signed up for years ago. It’s this level of flexibility that helps retain tenants and keeps occupancy rates steady, even when market conditions shift.

Use technology to enhance user experience

If tenants have to call reception to book a meeting room or dig through emails for an invoice, something’s wrong. Modern workspaces run on automation, not admin headaches. Smart access systems, app-based booking and automated billing make a building easier to use and easier to manage. As important as fancy furniture and decorations are, if things don’t work smoothly it makes everything feel outdated.

Cater to sustainability demands

Companies looking for office space actively prioritise buildings with lower energy consumption, sustainable materials and responsible waste management. If a building isn’t meeting ESG standards, it’s falling behind. Regulations will only get stricter, and businesses will only become more selective. Making green upgrades now keeps properties competitive and future-proofs investments. Tenants are looking – make sure they like what they see.

The smartest way to make empty space a profitable revenue stream

Keeping up with changing tenant expectations isn’t easy. It’s one thing to know what businesses are looking for, but flex space investment and adapting your building to meet those needs is a different challenge. Property management, office space customisation, workspace optimisation, managing bookings, attracting the right tenants and keeping occupancy high – it’s a full-time job.

That’s where a flex space creator like Spacemade can become your saving grace. We help landlords optimise their buildings to stay ahead of market demand, ensuring spaces remain profitable and competitive. We’ve worked with landlords across the UK to transform underused properties into high-performing, flexible workspaces that attract enterprise tenants and future-proof investments by generating consistent revenue.

Instead of guessing what tenants want, we provide real data and real solutions – from meeting room design to licence agreements that work. And because we operate and manage the space, landlords get the benefits without the hassle.

If you’re serious about unlocking the full potential of your building, we’ve put together a detailed infographic on what tenants want in 2025. Or, if you’d rather talk through your options, get in touch with us, and let’s see how we can turn your space into a long-term success.