New York, NY – July 28, 2026 – WeWork, a leading global real estate provider, released a new report with data demonstrating how some of the world’s largest companies are incorporating flexible workspace into their long-term real estate strategies.
The Global Fortune 500 Flex Space Report analyzed the workspace activity of the 124 Global Fortune 500 companies using WeWork as of May 2026. The research found that flexible workspace is no longer a temporary alternative to a traditional office, but an established component of the modern corporate real estate portfolio.
Two-thirds of the companies in this study maintained or expanded their WeWork footprint between May 2025 and May 2026. Companies that expanded increased their footprint by an average of 21%, while the total number of seats occupied by Global Fortune 500 companies across WeWork rose 5.6% to more than 83,000.
The findings come as corporate leaders contend with economic uncertainty, geopolitical volatility, advances in artificial intelligence, and rapidly changing workforce requirements. Together, these external forces are making it increasingly difficult for companies to predict exactly how much and what type space they will need, where they will need it, and for how long.
“Companies are being asked to make consequential real estate decisions in an environment where their business needs can change almost overnight,” said John Santora, Chief Executive Officer of WeWork. “The world’s largest organizations still need dedicated, flagship offices, but they also need the ability to move quickly, enter new markets, and adjust as their workforce evolves. Quality flexible workspace gives them another strategic lever to do that.”
Dedicated offices drive enterprise demand
The report also challenges the perception that large companies primarily use flexible workspace for individual employees, temporary projects, or occasional access.
Among the Global Fortune 500 companies analyzed, 92% use dedicated WeWork offices. These spaces account for approximately 90% of all seats held by the group, indicating that major corporations are using WeWork to support established teams and core business operations.
One global provider for an increasingly distributed workforce
More than 6 in 10 companies occupy space across multiple WeWork buildings, while 53% use WeWork in more than one country. For global businesses managing increasingly distributed workforces, WeWork provides a single workspace partner across markets, helping companies quickly adapt to changing business needs and support employees wherever they are. It also enables them to establish regional offices or temporary headquarters, consolidate locations, accommodate project teams and enter new markets without creating a separate real estate solution in each location.
Speed is becoming a strategic advantage in enterprise real estate
Across more than 1,000 new Global Fortune 500 agreements signed since 2023, companies moved into their WeWork space approximately 95 days after their initial inquiry, on average. That period included roughly 59 days to reach a signed agreement and another 36 days until occupancy. Even offices built for 100 or more employees were occupied within approximately four months. By comparison, completing a traditional lease and moving into the space can often take 12 to 18 months – or longer.
For companies operating across multiple markets, that speed can reduce the time and operational burden associated with sourcing, designing, building, and managing a conventional office. It can also allow teams to begin operating while a company assesses its longer-term workforce or real estate needs.
North America records the strongest expansion
The use of WeWork differed by region, reflecting local business conditions and corporate real estate practices.
North America recorded the most significant growth, with Global Fortune 500 seats increasing 24.3% year over year and the average company footprint rising 33.5%. Three-quarters of the region’s companies maintained or expanded their space, while new agreements moved from inquiry to occupancy in approximately 80 days.
Latin America recorded one of the strongest retention rates, with 76% of companies maintaining or increasing their footprint. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, total occupancy remained largely stable, while the average company footprint increased. The average footprint in Asia-Pacific was also broadly consistent year over year, with companies in the region showing greater adoption of fully managed workspace solutions.
Across the global portfolio, technology and financial services companies represented the largest share of Global Fortune 500 members using WeWork, followed by consumer, manufacturing, and healthcare businesses.
Flexible workspace becomes integral to global real estate portfolios
There’s been a structural shift in how large, multinational corporations use real estate today, and the report’s findings paint a clear picture to a broader evolution in leaders at these companies are leveraging flexible workspace strategies to balance their portfolios. Rather than choosing between conventional leases and flexible workspace, major companies are increasingly combining the two.
Long-term leases can continue to support major headquarters and permanent hubs, while flexible workspace can help companies respond to growth, consolidation, market entry, project-based demand, and workforce uncertainty.
“The data reflects what we hear directly from corporate real estate leaders around the world,” Santora added. “They are not abandoning traditional real estate. They are building more balanced portfolios that give their businesses greater speed, resilience, and choice.”
This report is a product of WeWork Business Intelligence, the company’s proprietary data engine for understanding the complexities of the modern workplace. By combining global real estate trends with real-time market data, Business Intelligence gives leaders the evidence they need to build agile, high-performing workplaces for the future.
About WeWork
WeWork is a leading global real estate platform, purpose-built to empower businesses of all sizes with flexible workplace solutions, hospitality-driven experiences, best-in-class services, and innovative technology. With a curated portfolio of over 600 thoughtfully designed locations, spanning 45M square feet worldwide, WeWork helps more than half a million members — from emerging startups to Fortune 100 companies – perform their best work, today and tomorrow.
To learn more, visit wework.com.
