November 6, 2026 – As the pipeline of new office development across the Americas continues to shrink, flexible office providers are playing an increasingly important role in helping occupiers access high-quality workspace and owners reposition existing assets, according to global commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield’s Global Trends in Flexible Office 2026 report.
The research found the Americas office construction pipeline has fallen to just under 32 million square feet, an 82% decline from its recent peak of 175 million square feet in the first quarter of 2020. Conversely, flexible office inventory continues to expand in the United States, increasing 18% year-over-year (YOY) as of the second quarter of 2026. Flexible office space now accounts for 3.1% of total office inventory nationally, up from 2.6% in Q2 2025 and 2.3% in Q2 2024. Across the nation’s 25 largest flexible office markets, flexible office inventory accounts for 3.2% of office stock and increased 17% YOY.
Flexible office has moved beyond its role as a short-term solution and is increasingly becoming part of the office market’s long-term infrastructure. As development of office inventory slows, occ...