Manova Partners - Hybrid working models are establishing themselves in the long term, companies are holding on to office space

Manova Partners: Hybrid working models are becoming established in the long term – companies are holding on to office space

Hybrid working has established itself internationally as an integral part of modern working environments. This is shown by a global survey by Manova Partners among 73 office tenants surveyed. According to the survey, 70 percent of companies continue to rely on hybrid working models with a combination of office and home office work. At the same time, the demand for office space remains largely stable: 59 percent of companies state that their requirements for office space have not changed. While 14 percent will need less space in the future, 15 percent even report an increasing demand.

"The results underline a structural change in the office market: hybrid working is no longer just a passing trend, but the new basis for the workplace strategy. At the same time, companies are not turning away from the office – they are becoming more selective," says Dimitri Maillard, Co-Head of Asset Management Europe at Manova Partners. "In European markets, demand is increasingly focused on well-located, high-quality and flexible spaces that promote collaboration and employee satisfaction and comply with the latest ESG requirements. For owners and investors, this underlines the importance of adaptable space concepts that can respond to changing user needs."

Compared to the 2021 survey (69 percent), the development remains stable overall. At the same time, however, regional differences are apparent. While the prevalence of hybrid working models has increased significantly in Latin America from 74 to 93 percent and in Western Europe from 74 to 80 percent, the CEE region has recorded a decline from 74 to 61 percent. Only 19 percent of respondents work completely without a hybrid model.

According to the survey, there are currently hardly any signs of a return to much stricter attendance obligations. 76 percent of companies with hybrid working models are not planning to reduce the number of home office days. This attitude is particularly pronounced in the CEE region and Western Europe.
The results make it clear that companies have increasingly established long-term and flexible working models that are intended to meet both the requirements of employees and operational needs.

Despite the ongoing trend towards hybrid forms of work, the demand for office space remains stable overall. The majority of respondents (59 percent) currently see no reason to significantly adjust their space requirements. At the same time, some companies (15 percent) continue to report additional space requirements.

In Latin America, 71 percent of companies do not see any change in the need for space, while 21 percent report additional demand there. In the CEE region, 61 percent report unchanged requirements, while only 11 percent require less space. In Western Europe, on the other hand, half of the companies surveyed say they will need less office space in the future.

The survey was conducted between December 19, 2025 and February 20, 2026. A total of 1,015 tenants of the Manova properties were contacted. There were 108 returns, including 73 representatives of office tenants. The responses were clustered by the following geographical regions: CEE, Western Europe. Latin America, DACH region and the Netherlands as well as Nordics.