The nature of the office has changed significantly in the past five years, adapting to the needs and expectations of tenants during a period of disruption and change. The preferences of today’s employees – particularly younger generations – mean companies want premium, thoughtfully designed spaces to support talent attraction, retention and productivity.

Five key trends have shaped commercial tenants’ office space requirements over the past five years – and will continue to influence them in the future. These are:

• Workplace health and wellness. Tenants seek to boost employee productivity and retention by prioritising wellbeing in their office strategies.
• Environmental sustainability. Occupiers expect strong environmental and energy efficiency credentials.
• A changing landlord-tenant dynamic. Landlords are working more closely with their clients to improve workplaces.
• A shift to prime, ultra prime and character. Businesses increasingly want premium, amenity-rich and characterful office spaces that provide a high-quality experience for employees.
• The evolution of hybrid working. Employers are adapting their hybrid working policies in response to differing regional and generational preferences. New best practices are emerging as businesses look to harness the benefits of hybrid working, while managing the practicalities of full capacity in-office days.

1. Promoting workplace health and wellness

We are seeing a clear global shift towards office buildings that incorporate health and wellness as a core design principle.

In part, this shift is driven by changing demographics. In 2019, Baby Boomers and Generation X comprised about 60% of the global workforce. But by 2034, Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha will make up about 80% in advance economies. As these younger generations join the workforce, they are prioritising their health and mental wellbeing – and they expect their workplace to support it.

Tenants are now looking for offices with features such as natural and circadian lighting, ergonomic furniture, high-quality breakout spaces, active design to encourage less sedentary working, and wellness rooms. Spaces that offer outdoor access and emphasise light, open, airy or biophilic design (using plants and other natural features) are high on occupiers’ wish-lists.

“The physical workspace can support mental wellbeing by providing quality break-out areas to help increase social connections and support downtime, as well as better access to daylight and good air quality,” says Michelle Needles, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Enterprise Solutions, at Savills Global Occupier Services.

The focus on wellbeing is reflected by the number of buildings seeking accreditation from the WELL Building Standards programme, which certifies spaces that advance human health and wellbeing. Since 2020, there has been around a 300% increase in real estate enrolled in one or more WELL programmes.

Similar certifications are also becoming more popular and well-recognised. These include Fitwel, which focuses on how buildings support wellbeing, and Reset, which includes a standard for indoor air quality.

The rise of WELL Building Standards

*Total area of real estate enrolled in one or more WELL programs (billion sqft)

Source: Savills Research using International WELL Building Institute data

Since the pandemic, indoor air quality has become a priority for occupiers. There is growing awareness of the role good ventilation can play in reducing the transmission of airborne viruses and boosting productivity. High-quality, oxygen-rich air can also enhance performance, while the inhalation of common indoor pollutants can cause fatigue, headaches and impaired cognitive function.

In regions where outdoor pollution is a significant health issue, like in China and India, indoor air quality has become an essential feature of prime office space as it can be up to ten times better than outside. Advanced filtration systems, sensors and certifications are now standard.

2. Making buildings more sustainable

With the climate crisis escalating in recent years, occupiers are prioritising the environmental sustainability of their buildings. Driven by changing regulation and the expectations of consumers, employees and other stakeholders, many companies have set ambitious net-zero emissions targets for their operations.

As a result, occupiers now expect prime offices to incorporate strong environmental credentials. This includes energy-efficient systems, environmentally -friendly designs and certifications such as LEED, BREEAM and Energy Star.

“In Europe, sustainability is a key factor in leasing decisions,” says Ellen Waals, Head of Occupier Services at Savills Amsterdam. “In the Netherlands, office buildings with a BREEAM certification of Excellent or Outstanding command rents up to 15% higher when compared with rents for lower or non-rated buildings.”

“But it’s not just about sustainability. Tenants need the whole business case to add up, and will also evaluate requirements such as high-quality amenities, support for health and wellbeing and the size of the space.”

In Asia Pacific, sustainability efforts are evolving rapidly, especially in China, Japan and South Korea, where environmental sustainability is increasingly integrated into corporate strategies. However, the level of adoption and focus varies greatly across the region. As such, green premiums vary significantly between markets, but tend to average around 10% for green-certified class A stock.

In the US, while landlords tend not to market office buildings explicitly as “green”, tenants with near-term corporate sustainability targets increasingly view energy efficiency and related building performance as key criteria.

3. The landlord-tenant dynamic is evolving

The third major development we’ve seen over the past five years has been a change in the relationship between office landlords and their tenants. This started during the pandemic, when challenging conditions saw landlords and occupiers move away from a mostly transactional relationship to increased communication and collaboration.

Today, office occupiers are interested in less but better-quality space. Leasing activity has softened and tenant incentives have increased, particularly in the US and Europe. This has signalled a shift in the balance of power, from landlord-friendly to a more tenant-friendly market.

As a result, landlords are prioritising getting closer to their tenants as they seek to boost retention in a challenging leasing environment. By engaging with tenants, understanding space requirements and incorporating services that improve human experiences and support office attendance levels, landlords are becoming more aligned to the priorities of employers.

While tenant-friendly market conditions won’t last forever, these strengthened relationships look set to endure. There is a recognition among landlords that having a tenant-centric mindset – cultivating stronger long-term relationships and acting as more of a service provider – is the way forward.

4. Occupiers shift to a new concept of prime office

What companies and their people want from offices has changed profoundly in the past five years. Today, businesses demand premium workplaces that get the best from their people and drive company culture. These spaces need to provide a hub for collaboration and connection, while also supporting diverse workforces.

Key to the success of the modern prime office is amenity, both in the building and the immediate local area. Vibrant offices in attractive urban centres are increasingly important to broader human resource strategy, helping organisations to create workplaces that foster satisfaction, productivity and loyalty.

Businesses also increasingly expect prime offices to support diversity, equity and inclusion strategies by providing spaces where everyone can thrive. This includes private areas such as prayer rooms and mothers’ rooms, as well as thoughtful designs that support accessibility needs and neurodiverse workers.

This shift to prime office looks set to stay, alongside a growing global demand for best-in-class office space – also known as trophy or ultra prime. This trend is particularly noticeable in the US, where the premium for trophy assets averages around 60%, but can exceed 100%.

“In Asia Pacific there is increasing demand for ‘ultra-prime work resorts’ with elevated levels of amenities, including features such as fitness centres, childcare and curated workspaces,” says Simon Raper, Director, Head of Design, Asia Pacific.

“Tenants want people to have a reason to come into the office; to genuinely see the value of a space and do good work there. Occupiers don’t want to go to just a really good building, they want to go to the best.”

At the ultra-prime end of the market, there is also an emerging shift to character buildings as businesses utilise unique offices to differentiate against the competition. Demand for modern office space in refurbished heritage buildings, for example, has increased in recent years, particularly in European and Asia Pacific markets. Architectural character is also being achieved via unique design and the use of materials in purpose-built prime offices.

In the mid- to long-term, the bifurcation of the market between prime, including “ultra-prime” offices, and wider Grade A is expected to become more structural, particularly as demographic shifts, environmental factors, working patterns and technology reshape the traditional office and redefine premium space.

5. Hybrid working hasn’t gone away – but it is changing

Hybrid working policies have evolved significantly in the past five years and are still changing. While many businesses have embraced flexible working models, the balance of in-office and remote work varies according to factors such as local-market preferences, infrastructure and housing affordability.

According to a January 2025 poll of the Savills global network, almost 90% of respondents anticipate that companies will increase daily office attendance requirements this year, although there are clear regional differences.

In Asia Pacific, around half of the markets analysed did not expect changes to office attendance policies this year. In fact, 11% of survey respondents anticipated businesses would start to offer more flexible hybrid arrangements – although this is partly due to the relatively strict office-attendance models currently in place.

Do you expect to see employers increasing or decreasing office daily attendance mandates in the next 12 months?

Source: Savills Research, survey of global network

Across EMEA and the US, the pendulum is swinging back in favour of more days in the office. It’s a trend that’s particularly marked in North America, where the return to office has been slowest to date.

Office attendance mandates by sector

Source: Savills Research using company announcements. Note: Based on a sample of the top 50 companies in each sector by revenue, with the exception of the legal sector which was based on a sample of the top 50 firms as ranked by The American Lawyer in the Global 200.

Financial services businesses are among the sectors leading this drive. JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, for example, have all asked employees to return to the office five days a week. In the tech sector, Amazon and Dell have made the same demand.

Office attendance by region

Source: Savills Research

Our research across 32 markets reveals that the practice of three to four days in the workplace has become the norm for most businesses globally, with actual office attendance exceeding mandates in all regions. This trend is most significant in Asian cities, demonstrating a strong commitment to workplace presence.

Office attendance by generation

Source: Savills research

As a global average, Gen Z spends 12% more time working from the office compared to older cohorts. This generation tends to view the opportunities for learning, connection and mentorship that the office provides as essential to career progression.

Office attendance continues to be uneven throughout the week, with Tuesdays to Thursdays still the most popular in-office days, and attendance dropping off markedly on Mondays and particularly Fridays.

Local governments and transport bodies are exploring innovative approaches to increase commuting overall and travel on quieter days. In Paris, for example, private-sector employers are obliged to cover a minimum of 50% of their employees’ costs of commuting on public transport.

In London, the city’s transport authority, Transport for London ran a trial in May 2024 to incentivise tube and rail travel on Fridays by charging cheaper off-peak fares all day. Lack of public awareness was a critical factor in the performance of this trial. However, where commuters were aware of the programme, it did have an impact, particularly for younger workers.

Across European and US markets, organisations looking to boost office attendance need to strike the right balance between accommodating full-capacity days with the need for office designs that support varied work activities and positive human experiences.