Business demand for office space is on the up across UK cities
Majority (83%) of UK cities are interested in acquiring office space, indicating an increased demand in returning to the physical workplace, according to insights from Orega Offices. The findings were based on data obtained from 18 cities across the UK, analysing average keyword monthly search data to reveal ‘the cities where office space is most-in demand’.
The data is based on a comparison in search trend data from April 2019 to April 2021 to show the change in demand for office space pre-pandemic to present day. Overall, 83% of locations analysed showed an increased interest in finding office space, even when compared with searches in 2019, pre-COVID.
In this, Sunderland, Portsmouth and Swansea are amongst the locations with the biggest increase in demand for office space. With office space in Sunderland showing the greatest increase, up by 72.73%.
Further insights reveal:
A number of other cities also indicated a growing interest in office space. For instance, Newcastle shows a healthy appetite for getting 'back to work', with office space searches up by 15% from pre-lockdown.
Meanwhile searches in cities like London showed a slow but steady recovery, with searches only 2% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Laura Walker, Sales & Marketing Director of Orega, commented: “As we ease out of lockdown, Orega has seen a sharp increase in demand for flexible office space all over the UK. Our clients and partners are telling us their teams are keen to get back into the office for collaborative working and are tired from Zoom fatigue. They’re missing the ability to pull up a chair and have a quick chat with colleagues on small matters, which actually make a big difference to productivity, performance and overall commercial success.”
"The future still remains uncertain for some types of businesses, which are now increasingly turning to flexible workspaces which provide the ability to grow or reduce workstations based on business performance.
"Many employers are finding themselves with increased office capacity as they shift to hybrid working and are turning to flexible serviced offices to get better value, compared to traditional long term leases.”
