The Outlook for Office Space: Are We Seeing More Professional Office Space?

Originally posted on https://masscommercialproperties.com/the-outlook-for-office-space-are-we-seeing-more-professional-offices/

When many of us think of an office space, we picture a cube farm. Rows and rows of gray felt walls with ringing telephones echoing over the low partitions. But that’s not what the office space of today looks like.

Today’s employees want their workplace to feel less like an office and more like home. If you own or invest in commercial property, knowing what modern employers and their workers are looking for in an office space can help increase your property value. Read on to discover how office spaces today work and what you can do to keep your’s current.

With the rise of the gig economy and the age of the internet, it seems like more and more people are telecommuting for their jobs. But only 4 million Americans currently work from home, meaning the other 98 percent still work at least part-time in an office.

There has been a change in the idea of work-life balance and what that looks like. People work longer hours now, and they want their office to feel like a home, not just another bland corporate space. Their office is their home away from home, and they want it to feel that way.

Tenants in your building may be looking for ways to make their employees feel more at home in their workspace. Employees value fringe benefits over even pay raises, and 80 percent of employees said they would stay in a job that offered such benefits.

For many employees, having a meditation or relaxation space in the office is a huge benefit. They also enjoy having a beautiful space filled with plants, art, and lots of natural light. And amenities like gyms, coffee bars, and lactation rooms can motivate employees to stay at their jobs longer, work harder, and be more invested in their company.

If you’re looking to keep your building up to date, a great first step is to open up larger windows. With the right windows, you can maintain all the energy efficiency of a wall while still letting in more natural light.

It’s also a good idea to look into dividing large, open spaces into some smaller rooms. Most employees prefer private offices to open floor plans, and some of these rooms can be repurposed into lactation rooms, meditation spaces, or even game lounges.

The modern office space doesn’t look remotely like the grey-walled cube farms of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Employees want to bring the amenities of home into the office, and modern spaces are making that possible. Beautiful decorations, multifunctional spaces, and private offices are helping to create an environment where employees can be comfortable and productive.

If you’d like to get advice on how to improve the value of your office space, get in touch with us at MANSARD Commercial Properties. At MANSARD, we are on a mission to find the right buyer for your property and provide a smooth transition of ownership. Request a consultation today and get the most out of your property.