Stating that the commercial real estate industry has taken a major hit due to the pandemic is an understatement. However, while the typical office space footprint might have changed forever, there is a niche that’s currently thriving.
Despite disruptions and the initial reluctance from experts during the early days of the pandemic, coworking is rapidly emerging as a safe solution to working spaces for both independent workers and established companies. This is primarily due to the segment’s increased flexibility and reduced costs — a great benefit considering today’s challenges, such as skyrocketing inflation and rising economic concerns.
At the same time, after years of safe distancing and working from home, workers are becoming more open to the idea of sharing space with their peers and even people from completely different backgrounds. In fact, this concept was reinforced by our recent report conducted in collaboration with our sister division CommercialEdge.
Industry Giants Report Consistent Increase in Demand for Coworking Spaces
The rising demand for shared working spaces and people’s openness to it is clearly seen in the case of major coworking operators: industry giant WeWork reported a whopping 72% increase in its occupancy rates in the second quarter — matching pre-pandemic levels last seen in late 2019. What’s more, interest in the company’s shared spaces listings is clear: it recorded a 33% year-over-year (Y-o-Y) increase in memberships, which have now reached an all-time high. Similarly, IWG — parent company of Regus, Spaces and other brands — reported that the rising demand for hybrid work systems had driven its revenue up across the board for a 22% Y-o-Y increase.
Manhattan Leads with 15 Million Square Feet of Coworking Space, Doubling Los Angeles
The study stated that there are currently 117.5 million square feet of shared office spaces across the nation. This accounts for 1.7% of all office spaces currently on the market. More precisely, more than one-third of the total inventory is concentrated in the top five markets; Perhaps unsurprisingly, Manhattan is the ultimate hotspot for coworking, logging an estimated 15 million square feet of coworking space. That’s nearly double that of the runner-up, Los Angeles, where coworking spaces account for 7.9 million square feet. Rounding out the top five are Chicago (7.1 million square feet), Washington, D.C. (6.5 million) and Dallas (5.1 million).
Meanwhile, the top markets with the greatest estimated square footage as a percentage of the total office inventory are led by Brooklyn, N.Y. Here, 4.6% of the borough’s total office inventory is represented by coworking spaces. Brooklyn is followed by Miami (3.3%), Manhattan (3.1%), Los Angeles (2.2%) and Nashville (2.4%).
Coworking Segment Expected to Continue Upward Trajectory
As employees and companies increasingly find themselves in need of additional flexibility and lower costs in coming years, the coworking niche is expected to continue its growth. Fortunately, trading traditional office spaces for flex spaces can be a cheaper alternative, with the added benefit of potentially driving more remote workers to the office. Apart from the lower costs, employers who have embraced hybrid work in the last couple of years are also being driven by workers’ need for flexible working models and schedules, meeting spaces, private work areas and that perfect blend of work amenities and an open, social environment.
Visit the CommercialEdge blog for the full August National Office Report and more insightful commercial real estate resources.
