More than half of office occupiers around the world use coworking and other flexible office solutions, and many plan to increase their adoption, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s newly released Global Flexible Office Trends 2025 report.
Drawing on a survey of over 235 CRE leaders worldwide, conducted with CoreNet Global, the report finds that 55% of respondents utilize flexible office as part of their current space strategy. Of that group, 17% plan to increase flex office usage, while 8% plan to decrease or eliminate it.
Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) is the leading region for adoption, with 61% of occupiers reporting they incorporate flex office in their overall office space, followed by the Americas where 58% of occupiers are flex users.
While Asia-Pacific (APAC) trails in adoption, growth has been rapid in India, where annual uptake by flex operators has more than tripled in five years, surging from 4.3 million square feet in 2020 to 15.4 million square feet in 2024. Enterprise demand measured by number of seats has grown six-fold in the same period.
The report cites an influx of GCCs (“global capability centers” or offshore business centers) and other new companies entering India as a demand driver, shifting the focus towards “immediate, effective and flexible solutions” for office needs.
In the U.S., flexible office inventory grew 11% year-over-year as of the second quarter of 2025, according to CoWorking Café data. Leasing activity by the top 50 flex office providers in the U.S. has also rebounded after a pandemic-era pullback, Cushman & Wakefield.
The rise of hybrid work in recent years is driving interest in flexible office strategies. Research cited by global workspace provider IWG suggests that about 40% of white-collar employees work in the hybrid model and will continue to do so in the future.
Moreover, there is reason to believe that flex offices will remain popular despite the ongoing push by corporate America (and the federal government) to have employees back in the proverbial cubicle farms. “As return-to-office gains momentum, many occupiers have been able to use flexible office to fill in space gaps as more of their workforce is required to be in the office,” according to Cushman & Wakefield.
The report also notes that the office construction pipeline in the Americas region has been shrinking over the last few years, with just 44 million square feet of construction activity at present – a quarter of the 176 million square feet seen in the Q1 2020. Decreasing new inventory will leave occupiers with fewer options for premium office space, which could elevate the importance of well-amenitized flex spaces as an alternative.
Flexible offices are generally defined as versatile workspaces that are available for shorter and more flexible terms than a traditional office lease. Most flex offices feature a “plug-and-play” setup for employees rather than fixed workstations. The flex office category includes coworking spaces, serviced offices, hybrid flexible workspaces, and managed offices.