Operated offices

Over the past few months, a new trend has been reshaping the real estate market: the operated office. Sitting at the crossroads between traditional office space and coworking, the operated office is winning over companies that want flexible solutions without sacrificing a full range of services.

The last two years have pushed us to rethink our models and how we organise work, and flexibility is now the watchword in real estate strategy. To adjust occupancy costs in real time, it is now possible to sublet part of your workspace.

Here we offer a state of the art and a market analysis. Welcome to the era of the operated office!

What is an operated office?

Non-traditional workspaces are booming! The phenomenon began in the 2000s with the rise of coworking, but the global health crisis of recent years has accelerated it exponentially. William Willems, Brand Director for coworking brand Regus in Belgium, told La Libre in December 2021 that “flexible spaces now account for 3.2% of office floor space, with the potential to reach 10% within five years.”

Among these flexible solutions, the obvious ones are coworking spaces, third places, and now operated offices, corpoworking spaces and turnkey offices — many terms for one and the same concept.

These spaces combine the flexibility of coworking with the service benefits that companies enjoy. Companies that own independent, private professional premises can now rent out part of their space by offering a flexible pricing and service package through a service agreement. The spaces must be easily configurable to meet the needs of tenant companies.

Some operators go even further by offering a fully bespoke service: a company looking for flexible offices finds space under a conventional lease but does not want to commit to more than 3 years — the operator takes on the lease directly on the client’s behalf and then carries out all the fit-out and interior works. The client pays no CAPEX and benefits from a single all-inclusive rent under a service agreement. Pretty smart, right?

Browse all turnkey office listings in Paris

How searching for an operated office works

Here is an example we encounter every week at workin.space:

• A company is looking for around 400 m² of office space for 40 workstations.
• If the spaces currently available on the market (coworking, turnkey offices or subletting) do not meet its needs, we explore the option of finding space under a conventional lease that fits the brief. Through our partner network across France, we find the right fit quickly.
• Depending on the property chosen, and in discussion with the landlord, bespoke works and fit-out are carried out: you choose the furniture, flooring, paint, and so on.
• All service charges, taxes and services are included: premises maintenance, reprographics, coffee machine, access management, and more. In some cases, an outsourced office manager is included in the package.
• With an operated office, the minimum commitment is typically 18 months, though depending on the property and the sector it is always possible to negotiate this down to 12 months where feasible.
• The company therefore obtains independent premises that reflect its identity — plug-and-play, with a fixed rent.

Workin.space draws on a partner network throughout France to offer the best solutions to the companies we work with: coworking spaces, turnkey office or operated office providers, and commercial real estate agents.

After a phone call or a visit to your current premises to get to know you, understand how you work and identify your needs, we will explore every option available in your target area.

Our online tool lets you browse in real time the full range of offers on the market: location, photos, budgets, services, transport links, 3D tours — everything you need to choose the spaces you want to visit together.

A recent report put the available supply of coworking spaces on the market at nearly 3,000 listings, including around 250 operated offices in Paris ranging from 10 to 2,700 m². Other major regional cities such as Lille, Lyon and Marseille are also beginning to embrace the trend: 65% of the flexible office supply is now located outside the Île-de-France region — proof that this is more than a passing market trend.

Companies today are increasingly pursuing a strategy of reducing their real estate footprint. This does not mean they are abandoning their property assets, but rather that they are enhancing their value through complementary services and greater space flexibility.

The rise of remote working and the health crisis have not called the office model into question — they have reinvented it. As employees spend more time working remotely, this naturally opens up available spaces to third-party companies.

Who are operated offices for?

The agile organisation is taking shape at different scales across the country, and is gaining ground among businesses of all sizes.

Young companies without dedicated facilities management resources are today the most likely to turn to turnkey offices. Their leaders, focused on core business activities, generally have little time to spend sourcing associated services. Accustomed to coworking spaces and other flexible environments, they favour turnkey solutions where the full service offering amounts to a single line on the monthly invoice.

It is also worth noting that among requests, a new type of need is emerging: providing flexible, high-performing workspaces for employees who are travelling or have recently relocated. This accounts for around 4% of enquiries received.

What makes this model special? It is the feeling of having a professional home that is truly tailored to your needs.

Would you like personalised support in your search for operated offices?