History of the Index.
Back in May 2021, we launched the original Freespace Index to help organizations better understand office usage and workplace trends. At the time, insights were limited, relying primarily on occupancy data from a smaller number of client offices. Fast forward nearly 5 years, and the volume and richness of workplace data has grown exponentially. Today, organizations track everything from desk and meeting room utilization to attendance patterns and return-to-office behaviours – providing a far more detailed picture of how offices are performing across regions.
The original Freespace Index launched in 2021
A New Era of Insights.
Building on this evolution, we are proud to introduce the Freespace IQ: Global Workplace Insights Report. Combining insights from over 185,000 managed office spaces and more than 8 million annual bookings, the report provides a comprehensive view of workplace occupancy and utilization plus hybrid data at global, regional, and city levels, paired with practical recommendations from Freespace’s Head of Business Intelligence.
Key Insights from the First Edition.
- Workplace trends and peak occupancy patterns at a global and regional level
- City-level comparison across major hubs, including London and New York
- Global RTO trends and hybrid attendance patterns
- Practical strategies for office consolidation, optimization, rebalancing, or redesign
- Data-driven recommendations from Freespace’s Head of Business Intelligence
About the IQ Report.
What sets the Freespace IQ Report apart from previous workplace research?
This global workplace insights report goes beyond traditional utilization metrics. By leveraging proprietary Freespace data from over 185,000 managed spaces and over 8 million annual bookings, we’re able to provide a much richer, behaviour-led view of how workplaces are evolving worldwide. It gives leaders a clearer and more actionable understanding of what’s really happening in today’s workplace and inform their own 2026 strategies with practical recommendations provided by an expert at optimizing real estate portfolios for Fortune 500 companies – Freespace Head of Business Intelligence, John Cowx.”
What are some of the most important trends revealed?
The first edition of the IQ report unveils that hybrid work is firmly embedded, occupancy is gradually rising year over year, and attendance patterns remain consistent, concentrated around the mid-week window where offices are busiest across regions. Yet beneath this stability lies complexity: persistent peaks, underused capacity during much of the week, and inefficiencies that affect real estate costs, performance, and employee experience.
- Global peak occupancy rose +5% from 2024: AMER +5%, EMEA +4–5%, APAC slightly down (-1%) but still highest overall. Averages mask operational reality: many buildings face high peak-day pressure even when overall averages hover around ~50%, creating challenges for space planning, scheduling, and portfolio decisions.
- City hubs show wide building-to-building variation: London and New York exhibit similar patterns—some buildings run 20–30% on average, others approach ~80%, underscoring portfolio management challenges.
- Hybrid office attendance remains steady: 2–3 visits per week is dominant, with most employees attending no more than twice weekly, highlighting the need for purposeful, flexible design rather than a uniform daily model.
Understand how space popularity changes over time by region
How can workplace leaders and CRE professionals use these insights?
The insights can help organizations inform their own workplace strategy, when it comes to smarter and more effective space management for hybrid work and / or making design decisions for workplace and real estate optimization.
Who is the Report for?
The report is intended for corporate real estate leaders, workplace strategists, and industry professionals seeking reliable insights and practical guidance to inform their workplace strategies.
While the report is based on aggregate data across Freespace clients and global markets, the insights and recommendations can help organizations evaluate their own space usage, benchmark performance, and guide office design or hybrid work strategies.
Please note, this report is not an evaluation of your specific workplace. If you want to understand how your own office is performing, we recommend conducting a dedicated analysis – our free occupancy trial is a good place to start, with no commitment required.
Access the First Edition and Additional Resources.
Start leveraging the Freespace IQ Report insights to uncover the trends shaping modern workplaces and guide your organisation’s strategy for 2026 and beyond.
In addition, we’re hosting a live webinar on 19 February 2026, where the report’s author, John Cowx, will provide an in-depth discussion of the global workplace insights revealed in the report. Attendees will gain exclusive strategic recommendations for CRE and Workplace Leaders.
