AI Is Changing How Companies Search for Office Space – And Managed Offices Are Changing What They Choose

The way companies search for office space is changing rapidly. Before contacting a broker, many occupiers now consult AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude to understand the different workspace solutions available. At the same time, managed offices are opening flexible workspaces to a whole new category of occupiers.

In a recent conversation, Jean-Yves Huwart, founder of Coworking Europe, spoke with Sophie Lloung, Head of Sales France at Workaround, one of Europe’s leading flex workspace brokers. Operating across Stockholm, Paris, Munich, Berlin, and London, Workaround has a unique view of how occupier expectations are evolving across the continent.

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AI Is Creating Better-Informed Occupiers

Just a few years ago, many companies were only beginning to discover coworking as an alternative to traditional office leases. Today, the situation is very different.

According to Sophie, many occupiers now research their options using AI before they even speak to a broker.

“Tenants really want to know what solutions they can expect before contacting us,” she explains. “They compare different products first, and then they come to us already knowing what they are looking for.”

Rather than asking what flexible workspace is, companies increasingly arrive requesting specific products such as managed offices, private offices, serviced suites, or sublease opportunities.

“They almost call me saying, ‘I want a managed office solution.'”

This represents a significant shift for brokers. The conversation is no longer about introducing flexible workspace—it is about refining the client’s understanding of the options available.

The Broker’s Role Is Evolving

Does better-informed customers make brokers less relevant? Quite the opposite. While AI helps occupiers understand the market, brokers still play a crucial advisory role.

“When tenants are looking for the right solution, everything becomes much easier,” Sophie says. “But when we know there is a better solution than the one they’ve identified, then we have to explain why.”

Rather than replacing brokers, AI is changing the nature of their work. Less time is spent explaining the basics of coworking. More time is dedicated to matching occupiers with the most suitable workspace strategy.

Managed Offices: The Missing Link

Perhaps the biggest change Sophie observes is the rapid rise of managed offices. For years, traditional industries such as finance, legal services, and banking often rejected coworking because they required greater privacy, stronger IT security, and dedicated branded environments.

Managed offices have changed that.

“They have your own space, your own branding, your own layout, but with all the flexibility of coworking,” Sophie explains.

The result is a product that combines the best elements of both worlds:

• private, dedicated workspace,
• fully serviced operations,
• flexible lease terms,
• customized design,
• and a single contract.

“I really think managed office was the missing link in the whole flex narrative.”

No Longer Just for Large Corporates

Managed offices were once primarily associated with companies of 50, 100, or even several hundred employees. That is changing rapidly.

“Since about a year ago, new operators have started offering managed offices for teams of five, eight, or ten people,” says Sophie.

This dramatically expands the addressable market. Small professional firms, consultancies, creative agencies, and growing startups can now access premium managed workspace solutions that previously only existed for much larger occupiers.

Paris and London Lead—But Others Are Catching Up

From her international perspective, Sophie sees clear differences between European markets.

“London and Paris are much more mature today,” she says.

Both cities have rapidly embraced managed offices, while Amsterdam is quickly catching up. Scandinavian markets remain more focused on traditional coworking and private offices, but Sophie believes the same evolution is only a matter of time.

“We have the same kinds of tenants with the same needs. As soon as managed office products become widely available, I’m quite sure the demand will follow.”

A More Mature Flex Market

Perhaps the most important takeaway from the discussion is that the flexible workspace industry has entered a new stage of maturity.

Occupiers understand the market better.

Brokers have become strategic advisors.

And operators have expanded beyond coworking to provide a much broader spectrum of workspace solutions.

Managed offices are no longer a niche product—they are becoming one of the industry’s strongest growth drivers.

Final Thought

Artificial intelligence may be changing how occupiers search for office space. But managed offices are changing what they ultimately choose.

Together, these two trends are reshaping the relationship between occupiers, brokers, landlords, and operators—and helping flexible workspace move further into the mainstream of corporate real estate.

As Sophie Lloung concludes, managed offices combine “the advantages of coworking and traditional leasing”—offering companies the flexibility they want without sacrificing privacy, branding, or control.

For Europe’s flex workspace industry, that may prove to be the missing piece that unlocks the next wave of growth.