Finding the right office space is one of the most critical decisions a growing business can make. For decades, global real estate giants like CBRE have dominated the market. CBRE is the largest commercial real estate services firm in the world, managing billions of square feet of property. However, while CBRE is an excellent fit for multinational corporations looking for massive, long-term headquarters, their model often falls short for modern, fast-growing hybrid teams.
Many growth-stage startups and scale-ups find that traditional corporate brokers move too slowly, focus heavily on rigid multi-year leases, and lack the agility required for today’s dynamic workforces. If your team has between 10 and 250 people, you need a provider that understands flexible working, acts fast, and does the heavy lifting for you.
In this guide, we break down the best five CBRE alternatives for office space search, highlighting why they might be a better fit for your business.
Why Look for a CBRE Alternative?
Traditional commercial real estate brokers are built for a different era of work. Here is why many modern companies are looking elsewhere:
- Enterprise Bias: Because global brokers earn commissions based on deal size, their attention naturally gravitates toward enterprise clients signing ten-year leases for entire buildings. Smaller requirements can sometimes feel deprioritised.
- Rigid Lease Structures: Traditional leases require massive upfront capital, legal negotiations, and long-term commitments. Growth-stage companies need the flexibility to scale up or down as headcount changes.
- Slow Response Times: Navigating a massive global corporate structure to get a simple shortlist of available offices can take weeks. In a fast-moving market, you could lose your ideal space before you even get a viewing.
- Lack of Hybrid Integration: Modern teams do not just need a physical office. They often need a mix of a central hub, regional meeting rooms, and ad-hoc coworking access for distributed employees. Traditional brokers rarely offer this unified approach.
The 5 Best CBRE Alternatives for Office Space Providers
1. Flowspace
Flowspace is the leading modern, concierge-led workspace marketplace built specifically for hybrid teams. Unlike traditional brokers who simply pass your details to landlords, Flowspace acts as your dedicated workspace partner, handling everything from search to negotiation.
With a database of over 10,000 available offices across the UK and Europe, Flowspace gives you access to thousands of workspaces in one platform. Whether you need a permanent private office, a part-time team hub, or on-demand meeting rooms, Flowspace does the legwork for you.
How Flowspace works: You share your team size, budget, and preferred location. The Flowspace team curates a tailored shortlist of the best spaces, arranges viewings, and negotiates the rates on your behalf. Because Flowspace has deep relationships with top operators, they secure better deals than you would find going direct.
Key features:
- Access to 10,000+ available offices across the UK and Europe.
- Book desks, meeting rooms, and offices by the hour or day alongside your permanent office.
- A dedicated human concierge team that negotiates the rates so you do not have to.
- Perfect for hybrid teams of 10 to 250 people looking for flexible terms.
2. Hubble
Hubble is a well-known platform in the London flexible office market. They offer an online directory where businesses can search for coworking spaces and serviced offices. They also provide a hybrid work pass for on-demand desk bookings.
While Hubble is a strong option for companies wanting to browse listings online, they lack the deep, high-touch concierge service and extensive European negotiation support that Flowspace provides. Hubble is highly focused on self-service search, which means your team may still spend significant time managing broker communications and comparing options manually. If you want a partner who will actively negotiate rates and handle the administrative hassle, Hubble may leave you doing more work than expected.
3. Instant Offices
Instant Offices is one of the largest global aggregators of flexible office space. They have a massive inventory of serviced offices worldwide and operate a traditional broker model. If you need a wide net cast globally, they are a viable alternative.
However, because of their massive scale, the experience can often feel highly transactional. Many users report receiving a high volume of automated emails and calls from multiple agents once they submit an enquiry. If you prefer a curated, calm, and highly personalised search experience where you work with a single dedicated advisor, a boutique concierge service like Flowspace is usually a better choice.
4. Office Freedom
Established in 1993, Office Freedom is one of the oldest flexible office brokers in the UK. They have helped thousands of businesses find serviced offices and coworking spaces. They have a deep understanding of the London market and strong relationships with landlords.
The main drawback is that Office Freedom operates on a traditional brokerage model. They do not offer integrated hybrid working solutions, such as on-demand coworking passes or unified booking platforms for distributed teams. For companies that want to combine a physical office with flexible remote working tools, their offering can feel a bit dated and disconnected from modern hybrid working patterns.
5. Cushman & Wakefield / JLL
If you still require a global real estate agent but want to explore options outside of CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield and JLL are the two primary competitors. Like CBRE, they have dedicated flexible space departments (such as JLL’s Flex team) that help companies find serviced offices.
While they have excellent market data and global reach, they still suffer from the same corporate overhead and enterprise bias as CBRE. They are best suited for large corporate entities that require complex real estate advisory services, rather than agile startups looking to secure a flexible office quickly and cost-effectively. Their processes can be slow, and their focus remains heavily on traditional, long-term leases.
How to Choose the Right Office Space Provider
When comparing these alternatives, consider the following factors to make the best decision for your business:
- Level of Support: Do you want to spend hours browsing directories and managing landlord emails, or do you want a dedicated concierge to handle the entire process?
- Geographic Coverage: If you have employees across the UK and Europe, choose a provider like Flowspace that can support you across multiple countries under one platform.
- Negotiation Power: Landlords rarely offer their best rates upfront. Working with an intermediary who negotiates on your behalf can save you thousands of pounds annually.
- Hybrid Flexibility: Look for a provider that allows you to combine a fixed office lease with on-demand coworking and meeting room access for remote team members.
Find Your Next Office with Flowspace
Do not let office search drain your team’s time and energy. Let the experts do the legwork. Flowspace helps growth-stage companies find and secure the perfect workspace on flexible terms, negotiating the best rates so you do not have to.
Ready to find your next workspace? Explore our curated database of flexible office spaces and let our concierge team build your perfect shortlist today.
FAQ
What makes Flowspace different from traditional brokers like CBRE?
Traditional brokers like CBRE are built for large corporate clients signing long-term, rigid leases. Flowspace is designed specifically for hybrid, fast-growing teams. We provide a dedicated concierge service that does all the legwork, curates shortlists from over 10,000 offices across Europe, and negotiates the best flexible rates on your behalf. Additionally, we offer integrated on-demand coworking and meeting room bookings for your distributed team members.
Do I have to pay a fee to use Flowspace for my office search?
No, our office search and concierge service is entirely free for businesses looking for space. We partner directly with workspace operators and landlords, who pay us a standard industry fee when we successfully find you a space. This means you get expert negotiation, curated shortlists, and dedicated support at zero cost to your business.
Can Flowspace help find offices outside of London and the UK?
Yes, Flowspace has a truly European footprint. Our database includes thousands of premium workspaces across major European cities. Whether you need an office in London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, or beyond, our team can build a tailored shortlist and negotiate terms across multiple countries under one unified platform.
What is the typical lease length for flexible offices through these alternatives?
Unlike traditional CBRE leases that often require a 5 to 10-year commitment, flexible offices secured through Flowspace typically offer terms ranging from 1 to 24 months. This allows your business to remain agile, scaling your office footprint up or down as your team grows or your hybrid work strategy evolves.
How does the concierge service work?
It is simple and hassle-free. First, you tell us your requirements, including team size, budget, preferred locations, and must-have amenities. Our team then searches our database of 10,000+ offices to build a curated shortlist. We arrange all your viewings in one go, and once you find a space you love, we negotiate the pricing and contract terms to ensure you get the absolute best deal.