Flexible Workspace Management FAQ

Flexible workspace management is an operating model in which a professional workspace management company provides flexible workspace management services for a flexible office or coworking operation on behalf of property ownership.

The management company can oversee staffing, sales, marketing, operations, member experience, pricing, technology, billing, and financial performance while ownership maintains control of the underlying real estate.

Under a flexible workspace management agreement, the property owner retains ownership and strategic oversight of the real estate, while FWS manages day-to-day operations under an agreed fee or performance-aligned structure. Specific terms, operational budgets, and incentive alignments are tailored directly to ownership’s financial and leasing objectives. (Speak with our team to discuss customized agreement structures for your asset.)

Staffing structures can be configured based on ownership preference and asset requirements. FWS can recruit, train, and manage onsite teams directly, or provide centralized operational, sales, and hospitality oversight to support ownership-employed staff. (Explore our coworking management staffing models tailored to your property.)

Staffing depends on the size, occupancy, service level, and product mix of the workspace.

Roles can include community management, sales, operations, hospitality, and event support. Centralized management can also reduce the number of functions that need to be handled entirely onsite.

A professional management platform should provide a defined sales process covering lead response, qualification, tours, proposals, follow-up, closing, and ongoing pipeline management.

FWS combines onsite execution with centralized sales oversight to help opportunities move consistently through the sales process.

Marketing can be managed as part of the flexible workspace operation.

Depending on the strategy, this may include search marketing, digital advertising, local listings, website optimization, email marketing, broker relationships, referral programs, events, and local partnerships.

It doesn't have to. When designed correctly, flexible workspace can complement traditional leasing.

It allows the property to serve companies that aren't ready for a traditional lease while creating a potential pipeline of growing businesses that may eventually transition into conventional space.

Yes. Flexible workspace can function as an incubator within the building.

Companies can begin with a smaller flexible footprint and expand as their needs grow. Keeping those companies within the property creates an opportunity for ownership and leasing teams to develop relationships with future traditional tenants.

Our office vacancy reduction strategies use flexible workspace to monetize vacant space and capture companies that don't fit traditional lease structures.

It can be particularly useful for smaller requirements, growing companies, temporary workspace needs, and companies seeking move-in-ready offices.

There is no universal minimum. The appropriate size depends on the building, market demand, floorplate, available amenities, competitive inventory, and ownership objectives.

FWS evaluates opportunities individually rather than applying the same footprint to every property.

Yes. Existing office space can often be repositioned into a combination of private offices, team suites, meeting rooms, coworking areas, and shared amenities.

The feasibility depends on the existing layout, infrastructure, capital requirements, and local demand.

Not always. Some properties require significant buildout, while others can launch using existing office configurations with targeted improvements to furniture, technology, branding, common areas, and amenities.

The goal should be to invest where it materially improves the customer experience or operating potential.

Common amenities include meeting rooms, high-speed internet, printing, coffee, kitchens, lounges, phone rooms, and event or collaboration areas.

However, amenities should be selected based on actual customer and tenant demand rather than simply added because competing coworking spaces offer them.

Yes—and this can be one of its biggest advantages.

Traditional tenants can potentially access meeting rooms, coworking areas, event space, temporary offices, or overflow workspace. That allows the flexible workspace to function as both a revenue-generating business and a building activation amenity.

Yes. Landlord-owned flexible workspace can be structured to serve external members while providing additional benefits to traditional building tenants.

This can improve the overall workplace experience without requiring every tenant to build duplicate meeting, event, or collaboration space within its own suite.

Flexible workspace gives tenants access to resources beyond their leased premises.

A tenant may need a large meeting room one day, temporary offices for a project team the next month, or event space for a company gathering. Providing those options within the building creates convenience and flexibility.

Yes. Potential revenue streams can include meeting rooms, day offices, virtual offices, event rentals, training rooms, coworking memberships, and other workspace services.

The appropriate mix depends on the property and market.

No. Flexible workspace models can be adapted to different property sizes and strategies.

The important question isn't simply how large the building is. It's whether there is demand and a viable operating model for the available space.

Yes. Flexible workspace can be particularly valuable in mixed-use environments because it introduces daytime activity and provides workspace, meeting, and event options for residents, businesses, visitors, and surrounding communities.

It can also complement retail, hospitality, residential, and other uses within the development.

Yes. Involving an experienced flexible workspace operator during planning can help developers evaluate layout, office mix, meeting-room ratios, amenities, technology, staffing, and operating assumptions before construction begins.

This can prevent expensive design decisions that don't align with how flexible workspace actually operates.

Some owners choose to build internal operating teams.

However, flexible workspace requires capabilities that differ from traditional property management, including membership sales, hospitality, digital marketing, short-term agreements, community management, pricing, technology, and high-frequency customer service.

A management partner allows ownership to participate in the business without building those capabilities from scratch.

Under a traditional lease, a coworking operator leases space from the property and operates its own business.

Under a management model, ownership generally retains greater involvement in the economics and strategy of the workspace while hiring a management company to operate it.

The management approach can provide ownership with more control over branding, tenant integration, operating strategy, and the role flexible workspace plays within the broader asset.

Yes. Existing operations can be evaluated and repositioned under a landlord-owned or professionally managed structure.

The transition may include changes to branding, staffing, pricing, marketing, technology, membership agreements, operating procedures, and financial controls.

Timing depends on the condition of the space, construction requirements, furniture, technology, staffing, branding, and operational readiness.

A second-generation office with much of the necessary infrastructure may require substantially less time than a ground-up flexible workspace buildout.

The decision should be based on more than simply having vacant space.

FWS evaluates factors including local demand, competitive supply, traditional leasing activity, building location, demographics, existing tenants, floorplate, capital requirements, pricing potential, and ownership objectives.

Owners should evaluate more than the operator's brand. Look for experience across operations, sales, marketing, staffing, pricing, financial management, technology, reporting, tenant experience, and real estate strategy.

Most importantly, the management company's incentives and strategy should align with the performance objectives of the asset.

Start with the property—not the coworking concept.

Evaluate existing vacancy, tenant demand, competitive inventory, available amenities, building positioning, capital requirements, and long-term ownership objectives.

From there, determine whether flexible workspace can strengthen the property's leasing strategy, tenant experience, revenue, or overall performance. Through our coworking consulting services, FWS helps owners evaluate these factors before deciding what model makes sense.