Brave Ideas Season 17, Episode 9
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AI Is Reshaping Office Search
In this episode of Brave Ideas, Caleb Parker is joined by Zoe Ellis-Moore, CEO of Space to Places, and co-host Eyal Lasker, CEO of Flexspace AI, to explore how AI is beginning to influence office search, and why better data, greater transparency, and clearer market information will become more important as companies use new tools to discover and compare office options.
Don’t worry if you’re not a techie…
This is a conversation about the information layer the office market needs if AI-enabled discovery is going to work properly.
Zoe explains why the flex office market is still difficult for customers to navigate. With coworking, serviced offices, managed offices, enterprise suites, landlord-led flex, and hybrid models all competing for attention, the terminology is often confusing and the data is inconsistent.
That becomes even more important as companies begin using LLMs and AI tools to search for office space.
If customers are asking:
“Where is the best office for my team?”
or
“Which workplace fits our culture, budget, and location?”,
then, the industry needs cleaner, more trusted, and more structured data.
Zoe shares her vision for Office Tier List, an independent information layer designed to help end users compare workplace options with greater confidence, based on verified information rather than marketing claims or opaque incentives.
The conversation also covers brand differentiation, managed office growth, service quality, workplace culture, and why the next phase of flex will depend on better information as much as better product.
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What You’ll Learn in This Episode
How companies are beginning to use AI tools to search for office space
Why the flex office market is still difficult for customers to understand
How LLMs and AI assistants are beginning to reshape workplace discovery
Why clean, structured, trusted data will become more important in flex
Why brand differentiation needs to be backed by substance, not just design
How managed office is blurring the lines between traditional office and flex
Why customers need better terminology, clearer comparisons, and better market education
How operators can improve discoverability in an AI-enabled search environment
Why better data can help landlords understand the operator landscape and different flex models available to them
Key Takeaways for Operators
AI discovery will reward operators with better data.
As customers begin using AI tools to search for office space, operators will need accurate, structured, trustworthy information about their locations, amenities, services, availability, customer fit, and product positioning. Generic marketing language will become less useful if it cannot be understood, verified, and compared.Brand needs to be clear, not just attractive.
Zoe makes the point that brand is not just about style, logos, or interiors. Operators need to clearly communicate who they serve, what they offer, how their service differs, and why a customer should choose them over another option.The customer is still confused.
The industry uses too many overlapping terms, including coworking, serviced office, managed office, flex, enterprise suites, landlord-led flex, and traditional office with service layers. Operators that simplify the decision-making process will have an advantage.Verified information will become more valuable than marketing claims.
Zoe argues that the sector needs more factual, independent, high-quality data. That includes real location information, actual amenities, verified services, accurate imagery, and clearer comparisons across the market.Managed office is raising the bar for differentiation.
As more operators and landlords offer managed solutions, the winners will not just be those with fitted space. They will be the ones that can demonstrate service quality, responsiveness, cultural fit, and clear value for the customer.
Key Takeaways for Real Estate Investors and Landlords
AI is beginning to change how demand discovers supply.
If companies increasingly begin their office search through AI tools, landlords will need to think differently about how their buildings, flex products, and operator partners are represented in structured data environments.Flex strategy cannot be based on guesswork.
Zoe explains that landlords are using different models, including leases, management agreements, hybrid structures, franchises, and in-house platforms. The right model depends on the building, location, hold period, target customer, and asset strategy.Data will become a leasing and asset management advantage.
The landlords and operators with clearer information about product, service, amenities, customer fit, and performance will be better positioned as the market becomes more transparent and AI-enabled.Managed office is not just fitted space.
Landlords moving into managed office need to understand the service layer, the customer experience, the operational requirements, and the brand expectations that come with the product. Furniture and flexible terms alone will not create a defensible offer.Better transparency should improve market understanding.
As more independent data becomes available, landlords should be able to better understand the operator landscape, the range of flex models available, and the different ways flexible office can be delivered within an asset.
Behind The Scenes
We want to give a special shoutout to Nat and the team at Work.Life, where this episode was recorded, for their brilliant podcast studio and hospitality throughout the season. Tap here to book their podcast studio yourself!
The next day the trio joined the Flex Tribes event, where Zoe & Eyal were in the Yield Management discussion.
Season 17 of Brave Ideas explores one of the most important questions in office real estate today, how to build a more profitable flex business. Across the season, Caleb Parker speaks with industry leaders about the real commercial drivers behind Space-as-a-Service.
