Bespoke Blends of Traditional Office Space With Flexible Occupation Options, Plus Tailored Services.

Managed office space in London is making up a larger proportion of the growing flexible workspace sector, which in turn is an increasingly more significant segment of the office space market within the UK capital.

Relative to the rest of the world, landlords, office providers, and workspace operators in London are offering occupiers a wider range of workspace options, including managed offices that blend the flexible benefits of a fully serviced office with the security, autonomy and customisation of a more traditional office space arrangement.

In response to growing demand, London’s managed flexible office space market has significantly grown post-2020.

Demand has increased from tenants of all sizes from diverse sectors, including large corporate organisations taking some flexible managed space on a smaller scale as part of their hybrid-working models.

The advantages are clear. Managed office space provides greater flexibility in occupational agreements, minimising potential liabilities from committing to a longer lease. It also allows tenants to opt for high-quality space with premium amenities customised for them, allowing them to stamp their culture and identity on their workplace in the most efficient manner.

It provides turnkey office space with its own front door, minimal upfront CAPEX for the fit-out at entry, and no dilapidation costs at exit.

Managed space also provides accounting and operational efficiencies as the management of the space and the building has been outsourced to the managed office provider or landlord.

Today, many organisations recognise the importance of flexibility in their real estate arrangements. This can be for various reasons, such as allowing for future growth or contraction, adapting business model canvases, controlling overheads, and continually providing high-quality space that matches evolving environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

Real estate is most often a top-three expense for a business, so it is critical to get it right. With conversations over working from home and hybrid working, it is important to provide the best space that attracts and retains the best talent, and managed offices often provide that solution.

Whilst there is still demand for traditional leased office space, many landlords and providers have evolved to incorporate elements of serviced offices into their portfolios, allowing occupiers to benefit from the best of both products.

Managed office space solutions are bespoke plug-and-play solutions that allow clients to cherry-pick the best flexibility elements from the serviced office world to create a hybrid of traditionally leased office space and new-world flexibility options.

Managed office space solutions provide the privacy, brand identity, and security of leasehold office space with a choice of flexible benefits, such as agile lease terms, all-inclusive rents covering utilities, cleaning, property maintenance, and management, and upgraded options such as reception, business support, hospitality and concierge services.

What Is a Managed Office?

Some managed offices are available directly from well-established landlords through all-inclusive managed leases or flexible leases, as well as through specialised managed office providers.

Managed offices are available on relatively short-term contracts compared to leased offices, and the flexible agreements allow for extensions to terms and expansion into larger suites.

Managed offices are available in a range of sizes, suiting teams that require space for between 20 and 2,000 desks or more.

These can be suites, clusters of suites, floors, several floors, or whole buildings, all offering secure, branded space with its own front door.

Managed office spaces are ready-fitted in terms of cabling and infrastructure, expediting move-in times.

However, as managed offices are created to a client’s specification, the client directs the furnishing and fit-out process, with a team of architects, surveyors, designers, and building and facilities managers working on their behalf.

Bespoke offices can include private reception areas, meeting rooms, executive suites, break-out areas, open-plan working areas, hot-desking zones, kitchens, bathrooms, shower facilities, and other tailored elements.

Managed offices are available with all-inclusive pricing. The monthly rent covers utilities, daily cleaning, furnishings, security and other overheads that would be paid for and managed separately under a traditional leasehold arrangement.

Clients have control over the IT and communications within their space. Working alongside the technical teams, they can specify systems with banking-grade security and enterprise-grade speeds. Many clients opt for private networks, dedicated rack space, and 24/7 technical support.

Clients also control the service level required, working with the business support, customer service, and hospitality teams.

Clients can choose a fully staffed reception that provides front desk services such as client greeting, call and mail handling, appointment setting, and business administration support services.

Managed office space buildings in London are hospitality-driven, with many employing client service professionals from the world’s best hotels. Clients can work with these teams to ensure five-star service by stocking kitchens, catering for meetings and events, and managing other event management requirements.

Using Managed Offices To Achieve ESG Credentials

There has been some flight to quality within the London office space market as businesses and organisations recognise the need to provide best-in-class office space to justify commuting to the office.

However, they also need to remain efficient and competitive in ever-changing economic conditions. Managed offices provide solutions for many by offering exceptional workspace in terms of design and operations.

Managed office space is offered by forward-thinking and progressive landlords, office providers and workspace operators at the cutting edge of the world of work.

This means that the high-quality managed offices are within design-led, amenity-rich, and wellness-focused buildings that have been developed or refurbished in an environmentally friendly way and are managed sustainably.

Therefore, the best-managed offices in London are in buildings that meet exceptionally high standards in terms of build, management, and amenities and have achieved accreditations from bodies, including Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS), WiredScore, and WELL.

For example, the sustainable buildings offering managed offices in London provide end-of-journey facilities such as bicycle storage, showers, lockers, changing rooms and EV chargers for self-powered commuters.

Many also incorporate rainwater harvesting, facilitate recycling, have solar panels and green roofs where possible, and use green energy companies to help offset carbon emissions.

How To Acquire a Managed Office Space in London

Managed offices are available in an eclectic range of buildings in London, including brand-new Grade A office buildings and prestigious and characterful buildings that have been comprehensively renovated and elegantly retrofitted to provide premium contemporary space with first-class amenities that can be occupied in a modern and progressive manner.

Managed office space options are available in the majority of Central London districts, in locations within the City of London, in districts such as Covent Garden and Mayfair in the West End, areas such as Bloomsbury and Holborn in Midtown, and in districts close to major public transportation termini such as Kings Cross, Paddington, and Victoria.

The Prestige Offices Managed Office Space Team is excited to learn of your bespoke requirements and will assist you in tailoring the ideal solution to your unique real estate needs.

For a no-obligation consultation, please get in touch.