London leads as firms take more flexible office space

London companies are taking more flexible space, not less. WeWork's Business Intelligence Mid-Year Snapshot, published on 6 October and based on its own membership data for the first half of 2026, found that the average company footprint in its London locations grew by 26% on a year earlier. That was the biggest rise of WeWork's 20 major markets, ahead of Buenos Aires at 21% and Paris at 19%. The headline numbers Across the whole network, the average company footprint rose 9.9%. Small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) grew their average footprint by 14.8%. Enterprises grew theirs by 5.6%. Of the companies present in both periods, 81% kept or added to their space. London was the busiest market for on-demand desks and rooms, averaging about 10,700 bookings a month. The size and length of new deals barely moved year on year. The growth came from companies staying put and adding seats as they went, which is rather the point of flexible space. How to grow inside a flex office If your team is outgrowing its desks, a move is not the only answer. A few questions worth putting to your operator before the next renewal: Can we add desks where we are? Many centres can add a few desks to an existing office or offer a larger suite on the same floor. What expansion options are written into the agreement? Ask whether you have first refusal on neighbouring space and what notice is needed to take it. Can overflow use day desks or meeting rooms? Useful for a busy quarter or new starters, before you commit to a bigger office. Is it time to move from serviced to managed? Serviced offices typically allow, as a rough guide, around 35 sq ft per person on terms of 1 to 36 months. Once a London team reaches roughly 20 to 100 people, a managed office (around 70 sq ft per person, usually 1 to 5 years) can give you your own branded floor without taking on a conventional lease. Before making that move, weigh up what a serviced centre already gives you: more shared amenity space, wellness rooms and breakout areas, on-site community and front-of-house staff, regular community and networking events that can help a growing business, and in some cases access to other buildings nationally. For hybrid teams on a rota, serviced space can also flex day to day, with day passes, extra desks or, with some operators, day offices that can be hired ad hoc when more of the team is in. WeWork in London on FlexWorkspace You can browse every WeWork centre on FlexWorkspace . A few London options offering private offices alongside dedicated desks include WeWork 145 City Road near Old Street, WeWork 30 Churchill Place in Canary Wharf and WeWork 1 St Katharine's Way by Tower Bridge. FlexWorkspace is free for occupiers to search and enquire. We can shortlist buildings against your headcount and budget in minutes, whether you need room to grow where you are or a bigger home altogether.