Article
Before the Lease: Why Informed Workplace Decisions Are Good Business
February 4, 2026 4 Minute Read
With office mandates increasing and vacancy rates finally decreasing, tenants are faced with a brand new landscape of challenges and opportunities.
“Real estate decision making is not what it used to be,” says CBRE Workplace Strategy Director Brianna Van Der Mark-Roy. “While return to office might be grabbing headlines right now, we are laser focused on helping our clients make truly informed real estate decisions that are driven by the actual needs of their business and employees – not by headlines.”
Leasing agreements now represent much more than a necessary financial outlay for an organization. They represent a critical decision that impacts talent acquisition, productivity and business performance, says Van Der Mark-Roy, noting that, unfortunately, some less-informed organizations are still making leasing decisions based on cost-per-square foot alone.
“The last thing we want our clients to do is sign a lease with hesitancy, not knowing if the space will work for them two years, five years down the line.” she says. “We’re here to analyze the realities of our clients’ business and talent, and ensure that any leasing decisions are data-informed and offer the flexibility required.”
Shifting Office Landscape
Office as an asset class experienced a big comeback in 2025. Downtown vacancy declined across all segments in the fourth quarter, only the second time since 2020 where all classes of office space had vacancy fall nationally in the same quarter, according to CBRE Canada’s Q4 2025 Office Figures.
Spurred by return-to-office mandates, demand is continuing to strengthen in 2026. And the workplace landscape is rapidly evolving with that growing demand, notes CBRE Workplace Strategy Director Sarah Stanford.
“The businesses that will have the most success with their return-to-office push are the ones that find the right balance between the needs of their people and the needs of their business.”
Uncertainty around hybrid models and in-office mandates, evolving market conditions, rising capital costs and unprecedented competition for talent all underscore the need for companies to make data-driven real estate decisions versus educated guesses.
“By being strategic about how your real estate needs to perform to best support your people, the space itself becomes a magnet, and return-to-office conversations become irrelevant” Stanford says, “Instead, mandates are replaced by the desire to work from a space that inherently enhances productivity and brings people together in a thoughtful way.”
Value of Integrated Workplace Strategy
When workplace strategy is integrated directly into real estate decision-making, the advantages are significant. A workplace that reflects evidence-based needs becomes right-sized, right-located, and right-serviced. Decision-making becomes faster and more confident, and brokers gain stronger strategic leverage in negotiations by grounding their approach in behavioural and organizational insights.
People outcomes improve just as meaningfully. When a space supports the realities of how work happens, office attendance increases organically. Productivity rises because environments are intentionally designed around work patterns and task diversity.
“The time spent up-front with our clients is invaluable,” says Stanford. “No two businesses are alike, and understanding unique priorities allows us to build in the flexibility to evolve—because their workplace is built with real behaviours, not assumptions, in mind.”
“Anyone can appreciate a beautiful office space, but that’s not the secret sauce anymore. We can translate your business goals into comprehensive real estate decisions that will stand the test of time,” adds Van Der Mark-Roy.
For organizations seeking clarity, confidence, and long-term value, the formula is simple: make workplace strategy part of the real estate discussion, make real estate part of the workplace discussion—and ensure both are serving the broader business strategy.
Recent Insights
-
CBRE recently brokered the sale of 150 Slater St., a 447,448 sq. ft., Class A office tower in the heart of the capital’s financial district.
-
Article
CBRE Canada CEO Jon Ramscar: Investors Have a Golden Opportunity to Access Vancouver Real Estate
Jon Ramscar told the Vancouver Real Estate Forum today that there is a compelling reason to have renewed confidence in the city’s prospects: Access.
-
The seven-storey office building is being built on top of a restored former 100+ year old warehouse, combining the aesthetic of a century-old brick and beam structure with the functionality and sleekness of new, state-of-the-art office space.
Stay In The Know
Subscribe today and join hundreds of professionals who get the latest blogs delivered straight to their inbox.