88% of businesses are planning for physical space needs just one year or less in advance
Woodbridge, N.J. – February 22,2023 — Visual Lease, the #1 lease optimization software provider, today unveiled its 2023 Commercial Real Estate & Leasing Trend Report, which reveals that businesses are changing how and why they enter into new leases in response to the evolving workplace and economy.
Visual Lease found that while 70% of senior real estate executives reported that their businesses are looking to add space as a part of their 2023 real estate strategy, 88% are planning for physical space needs just one year or less in advance – a significant increase from 2022, when only 35% of companies reported planning physical space needs with the same timeline in mind. This change illustrates organizations’ desire to protect their ability to pivot should any unforeseen circumstances arise – a lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, senior real estate executives identified the ability to sublease and flexible lease termination as top factors to negotiate into future leases.
This study also found more than half (52%) of senior real estate executives report that their companies are planning to add new satellite locations and 28% are looking to downsize existing spaces. The growing interest in satellite locations and alternate spaces is indicative of how businesses are working to meet the needs of a reimagined workplace – one with flexibility as a core component, embracing hybrid work arrangements, fully remote hires and shared workspaces. In fact, this year 46% of senior real estate executives report that shared desks or offices (booked as needed by workers) provide the best office working environment for their companies.
“In today’s macro-economic environment, business leaders have to be even more strategic with resource allocation,” said Robert Michlewicz, Visual Lease’s CEO. “As a result, companies are changing how they view their real estate and equipment leases. Once a widely overlooked area of the business, lease portfolios are now helping companies remain agile by providing opportunities for significant hard- and soft-dollar savings. The key, however, to accessing these many benefits is first implementing a strong lease controls framework.”
Further highlighting the power of proper lease management, 45% of surveyed senior real estate executives report their companies have overpaid rent or expenses due to inadequate lease controls. These costly errors can be attributed to the fact that 83% of real estate executives also share that their companies are not prioritizing an investment in the dedicated technology, people and processes required to successfully manage their lease-related expenses, which is typically the second largest line item for businesses.
“Without the right technology and processes in place, leases can very quickly turn into substantial liabilities, exposing businesses to compliance risks, failed audits, fees, damaged credibility and wasted resources,” continues Mr. Michlewicz. “There is a major opportunity available to companies across all industries to safeguard themselves against these risks, and also, use their lease data to make better-informed decisions and successfully anticipate future needs.”
The report also revealed a clear correlation between leases and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) programs and reporting:
- There is a lot of progress to be made in developing ESG initiatives – 95% of companies do not have a fully established ESG program with 41% reporting they have not begun any ESG initiatives yet.
- Leasing decisions can support – or undermine – an organization’s environmental sustainability efforts – 99% of those surveyed believe it is important for their company’s future leases to reduce its carbon footprint.
- Real estate teams need a seat at the table – Despite having access to all the details within a company’s lease portfolio, 55% of senior real estate executives have little to no involvement currently in ESG reporting at their organization.
Visual Lease surveyed 200 U.S. senior real estate executives at companies with more than 1,000 employees. For full study results, download here.
About the Visual Lease Data Institute
The Visual Lease Data Institute is a collection of market-leading data, trends and insights on lease accounting, management and optimization created and curated by Visual Lease, provider of the #1 lease optimization software. The Institute was founded on 35 years’ experience managing lease data and financials and was created to arm organizations with the knowledge required to achieve and maintain lease accounting compliance and leverage their leases as strategic business assets.
About Visual Lease
Visual Lease, the #1 lease optimization software provider, empowers organizations to leverage their lease portfolio as a strategic asset. Our platform is uniquely designed to meet the needs of every team that interacts with a company’s lease portfolio to reduce risk, drive confident and sustained lease accounting compliance and provide the visibility required to make agile business decisions. Informed by nearly three decades of experience, our solutions help companies easily sustain compliance with FASB, IFRS and GASB lease accounting standards and implement proper lease controls to improve the financial, legal and operational performance of their leases. Our award-winning software is used by 1,000+ organizations to manage 500,000+ real estate, equipment and other leased assets globally. For more information, visit visuallease.com.
Media Contact:
Erica Bonavitacola
Visual Lease
T+1 732 860 4838
ebonavitacola@visuallease.com
