6 Trends That Could Make Office Investors Rejoice

Office investing has been a somewhat scary proposition for a while now. The pandemic sent so many workers home, and uncertainty about how many will ultimately return and in what capacity has yet to be fully resolved.

Fortunately, companies and office space owners are making serious strides toward ensuring offices will continue to have a place in our world for a long time to come. Let's look at a few of the trends that are helping to give offices a bright future.

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Working in a cubicle surrounded by coworkers may have been fine before the pandemic, but an increasing number of offices are now leaving those setups behind.

More open office designs are giving workers the space they'll need to feel comfortable. Flexible working spaces don't confine workers to one specific area for the day but offer a variety of areas in the office where they can carry their laptops and get work done in different locations throughout the day.

ALSO READ: A Tale of Two Office Buildings: Quality Is the Key to Enticing Employees to Return to the Office

One place where those workers can increasingly go to get some work done is outside. Offices are beginning to prioritize outdoor space like never before. While many have always had a small outdoor break area, new office design is incorporating the outdoors into the flow of the building and providing comfortable areas for getting work done outside, having meetings, or eating lunch together.

Touchless technology is nothing new, but many older offices weren't prioritizing it. They are now. From toilets and faucets to exterior and interior doors, if it wasn't touchless before, it is now. Offices are also installing high-quality ventilation systems so workers can feel confident the air they're breathing is safe.

Some companies are even taking advantage of technology that uses sensors to monitor how their office space is being used, so they can decide going forward whether they might need more or less space.

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Prior to the pandemic, working from home had long been the dream of many. But once it was forced upon them, the reality wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for everyone. From yelling kids to talkative neighbors and all the chores around them that needed doing, it was hard for many workers to fully focus and be as productive as they were at the office.

It didn't help matters that not everyone had room for a dedicated office in their home. Some found it lonely and missed having somewhere to go every day. The number of coworking offices springing up is a testament to the fact that working from home doesn't work for everyone.

The leadership of many companies remains skeptical that the same level of collaboration possible in offices can be recreated virtually. From impromptu hallway conversations to grabbing lunch together or even playing table tennis on break, more spontaneous interaction among colleagues has led to many surprising ideas and even breakthroughs.

While offering at least some sort of hybrid arrangement may be necessary to be competitive going forward, much of corporate America remains resistant to the idea of going fully remote.

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While there are many trends taking place that could help keep more workers in offices, the fact remains that some companies are allowing at least some of their workforce to stay remote. But some of those companies are finding other ways to make use of this extra real estate they're freeing up.

That includes creating training centers for technicians who repair or maintain their products or showrooms where customers can interact with the products in person.

ALSO READ: 7 Ways Real Estate Has Been Repurposed During the Pandemic

It's easy to see how investors could be scared away from office space. But a lot of office design trends are making the office a more comfortable, healthier place to be. And from the organic collaboration that takes place there to the separation of work and home that many people still need, it's hard to imagine offices going away anytime soon. It might even be a good time to include them in your portfolio if you haven't already.

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