We’ve just had our busiest month ever for serviced office and meeting space enquiries – and it seems as if that trend is a nationwide one.
Results from a new survey have revealed almost half of mid-to-large sized companies were planning to move offices in the next three years.
The findings in the survey by law firm Gowling WLG and the British Property Federation also found that just 3% of those companies surveyed were moving to a full-time remote working arrangement in the wake of the pandemic.
A bumper month for enquiries
Across our four Bournemouth town centre office buildings, we had our most enquires ever in May, with visitors to its website also trebling compared with February before lockdown restrictions began to ease.
Sarah Munro, Head of Bourne Space, said: “We’ve been incredibly busy since the winter lockdown lifting began in March – and May was the busiest month we’ve had in terms of enquiries and new members moving into our offices.
“Many of the companies coming to us are looking for a way to combine remote working with the benefits that come with face-to-face time in an office environment.
“So, we’re seeing companies that are currently renting large offices downsizing or looking to hire regular meeting space for staff to get together for development and as a benefit to their mental health.
“But we’re also having companies approach us because they’re looking for more space or better facilities for their staff, who have been forced to work from home for such a long period of time.
“Across the board, we’re seeing a real shift in demand towards serviced offices as companies look for convenience and flexibility for their staff.”
More firms considering serviced offices
A huge 84% of respondents in the Gowling WLG survey said they viewed serviced offices as a ‘viable option’ and were either already using them or considering moving to one in the near future.
Authors Dan Gwilliam and Felicity Lindsay, of Gowling WLG, said: “The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change, literally forcing companies and their employees out of their offices and into their homes during successive lockdowns.
“Decision makers at office occupiers will start looking for office space which is flexible and able to adapt to meet their changing needs, potentially as soon as the end of the summer.”
