Coworking Trends

Explored at YASC Global

By Joel Nelson on Mar 28, 2022 in Events

Yardi sought insight into a key office property management trend – flexible workspace arrangements – from a panel of clients at YASC Global.

The three panelists, including Yael Urman, chief information officer for New York City-based commercial property developer Silverstein Properties, spelled out why the changing landscape requires greater flexibility. The days of the simple 15-year-lease-and-renew are over, Urman said, having been superseded by demands for work arrangement flexibility that can encompass everything from personalized work area coloring and furnishings to private offices.

“We’re in the productivity, flexibility and well-being business now, not just providing four walls,” Urman said. “Our priority now is to offer any option that enables cooperation and enhances productivity for our clients.”

Panelist Willie Gutierrez, COO/CFO of Premier Workspaces, an Irvine, Calif., coworking company that owns and leases flex office space, agreed that “it’s the experience, not the four walls” that matters for tenants in today’s office work environment. Gutierrez, whose company’s offerings include offices and conference rooms for as little as an hour, added that private offices for small and medium size businesses is Premier’s most popular offering.

The third panelist, Brandon Van Orden, senior vice president and CIO for Atlanta office REIT Cousins Properties, senses a desire among workers to “get back in the office, collaborate in person and enjoy the social aspects of work. They still want big conference rooms for in-person meetings.” Accordingly, Van Orden and his Cousins colleagues describe their offerings as “flexible,” rather than “hybrid,” which implies that some workers remain permanently remote while others are permanently in the office. Cousins is also piloting technologies that create a seamless visitor experience that extends from the parking deck to the building entrance to the office, Van Orden said.

Another key trend noted by the panelists is the increasing engagement by property managers of management service companies to manage flex space. That relieves them of the responsibility for IT setups and other aspects of the customer experience that lie outside their core expertise.

Gutierrez spoke to the group in saying, “Our goal is to make sure our clients succeed with spaces that help create unity.”

Rob Teel, Yardi senior vice president of global solutions, moderated the discussion.

Learn about Yardi’s solution for an all-in-one platform for operating, marketing and developing a coworking business or shared workspace.