For decades, long leases were the gold standard of commercial real estate. They gave landlords security and investors peace of mind.
But the world of work has changed faster than anyone could have predicted. Hybrid working, flexible models, and shifting business priorities have rewritten the rules – and landlords are now under huge pressure to adapt.
In leasing terms, the office and workspace market is far more diverse than it was five years ago. Some landlords continue to prioritise long-term commitments, offering space on five-, seven- or ten-year leases. Meanwhile, other landlords are implementing ultra-flexible “pay-as-you-go” models, where space can be booked by the day or hour. The problem with going ‘all in’ on one option or the other? Neither model, on its own, quite fits how businesses want to work today.
This mismatch is leaving buildings underutilised, unable to cater to the wants and needs of organisations seeking their next workspace due to leasing terms that are at odds with their demands. In other words, landlords face vacant floors and unpredictable demand, while occupiers struggle with rigid contracts that don’t align with their changing headcounts. It’s not that anyone’s doing anything wrong – it’s simply that the market has evolved, and quickly, so now it’s time that the industry’s attitudes towards leasing models evolve too.
Landlords are not the problem - they are the solution
Let’s be clear: landlords aren’t to blame for wanting long leases. Predictable income is fundamental when you’re managing cashflow, debt, stakeholder interests, and long-term asset plans. Stability has always been the cornerstone of sound real estate strategy.
But the occupier mindset has shifted. Businesses want flexibility. They want to be able to grow, downsize, or reconfigure their space without unnecessary friction. And they’re no longer just looking for four walls and a desk – they expect hospitality, community, and technology as part of the experience.
That’s a tough balance to strike. You can’t just rip up your leasing model overnight, but you can start blending the best of both worlds.
Blending stability with flexibility
At infinitSpace, we believe the future of the office isn’t about choosing between ten-year leases and ultra-flexible coworking – it’s about combining these two ends of the market.
Imagine a single building where every floor serves a different kind of occupier: open coworking on the ground floor for freelancers and startups, flexible private offices for scaling teams, and larger customisable suites on longer commitments for enterprise tenants. The mix creates a vibrant, resilient ecosystem. Long-term tenants bring dependable income; flexible users create buzz, activity, and a pipeline of future clients.
It’s a model that makes financial and operational sense. And it’s a model that keeps landlords in control of their assets, not at the mercy of market swings.
How infinitSpace can help
This is exactly where infinitSpace comes in. We partner with landlords to transform traditional offices into thriving flexible workspaces – all under the landlord’s own brand (with the option of using our premium workspace brand, beyond, should the landlord prefer).
Our white-label model means landlords retain ownership, identity, and control. We handle the rest: workspace design, community management, operations, finance, legals, technology, sales and marketing. We make your building work harder for you by enabling occupiers to rent space on super flexible short-term leases, or longer multi-year leases that give them greater input to customise a space (e.g. an entire floor of a building) to their particular needs. It’s all about empowering the landlords by ensuring that, within a single flexible workspace, there are still different options to cater to different demands.
Building for the next decade
In the years to come, the most successful landlords will be those who offer choice, agility, and great service, while still maintaining the predictability that underpins strong investments.
At infinitSpace, we’re here to make that transition simple, sustainable, and profitable. We believe the future of work belongs to those who can flex – and with the right partner, landlords can do exactly that.
Because when your building adapts to the way people really want to work, everyone wins.