Hybrid working has become an embedded and settled feature of how organisations operate, not a temporary arrangement, and is reshaping demand across the UK office market, reports Remit Consulting.
The firm's latest monthly report, five years on from the end of lockdown, draws on long-term occupancy data, productivity analysis and direct insight from office workers to identify a market it says has stabilised, but at a structurally lower level of utilisation than before the COVID-19 pandemic. “The post-pandemic debate about whether office workers would return in full is over,” said Lorna Landells, partner, Remit Consulting.
Office attendance across the UK has stabilised at just over three days per week, with few workers viewing a return to five days as optimal, Remit finds. When attendance rises, it concentrates mid-week (Tuesday to Thursday) rather than extending across more days. Remit argues in its report that the result is more intensive use on fewer days, shifting pressure toward "congestion management, space efficiency and amenity quality rather than overall weekly capacity".
“The question is no longer whether offices will recover; it's what role they play when presence is selective and intentional. Offices that answer that question clearly are performing well. Those that don’t are increasingly at risk,” said Landells.
Return-to-office mandates, which increased through 2024 and 2025, have lifted attendance. But Remit says the effect has limits. The firm’s research shows that mandates tend to raise the floor of presence without raising the ceiling. It writes: "Attendance driven by obligation rather than value is unlikely to sustain productivity or engagement over time."
For real estate investors, the research identifies a "structural polarisation". Remit says capital is concentrating in high-quality, well-located assets that actively support modern working patterns, while secondary stock faces rising obsolescence risk and weaker demand. Office risk, the report argues, is now asset-specific rather than sector-wide.
Remit’s research also highlights the growing role of policy in shaping office demand. It argues: "Commute cost, reliability and journey time are among the biggest deterrents to office attendance, alongside poor on-site experience. Affordable childcare, transport investment and flexible working legislation all influence whether and how people engage with office-based work, making office productivity, in part, a policy outcome."
The Return Report data is compiled by Remit Consulting weekly and is based on data provided by building managers from office buildings in major cities around the UK, many in central and prime locations. The data is obtained from the buildings’ access control systems, providing an overview of the number of staff and visitors entering a property on weekdays. This is presented as a percentage of the capacity of each building.