An office can have enough desks on paper and still run out of usable space every Tuesday afternoon. A first tour must identify that issue. In CBRE’s 2025 European Office According to the Sentiment Survey, 71% of the office’s typical peak-day capacity was being used, compared with 46% on a weekly average. This distinction matters for a company scheduling around peak days: a floor plan may look ample until everyone shows up.
As a result, a workplace tour is more about testing the space’s functional boundaries than appreciating it. When meeting rooms are full, can the team locate a place to make a private call? At peak attendance, does the layout still work? How readily can the company grow or shrink its footprint, and what will the office rent cover beyond the stated amount?
In this guide, we will walk through those questions, from assessing the workspace and commute to checking costs, flexibility, and the details worth confirming before signing.
Before You Visit, Know What You’re Looking For
Bad decisions often come from touring an office without clear needs. Attractive lounges or receptions conceal problems that only become apparent after moving in, such as odd layouts or a lack of meeting space. Start with how the crew will actually use the space.
Work Out How Your Team Will Use the Office
Don’t use headcount alone to determine space. The space requirements of a 15-person, desk-bound team differ greatly from those of a team hosting customers, making private calls, or working in groups. Prior to the tour, determine:
- How many people require dedicated workstations?
- How frequently the crew will be present at the same time in the office
- How many meetings are held in a normal week?
- Whether calls or private discussions require secluded spaces
- Whether teams require both collaboration space and quiet areas
- The real amount of storage needed
- Will clients or guests visit the office frequently?
This is a concrete test on arrival; instead of seeing if an office just looks big, you can see whether 15 people will fit without spilling out into meeting rooms and other spare areas.
Leave Some Room for What Happens Next
The first office is rarely chosen for a business that will remain the same size, so plan for growth or downsizing rather than taking up unneeded space today. Ask about how many additional desks or suites can be added, how much your footprint is going to change, and how easy it will be to adapt your terms as hiring plans change.
That question matters a lot to occupiers. According to CBRE’s 2026 survey, organizations are seeking more flexibility in features such as expansion and contraction rights and lease-break clauses. In addition, only 16% of respondents indicated they have no flexible-office strategy, down from 24% in 2025.
Walk Through the Office as If You Already Work There
When touring the office, take your time to follow an employee’s daily routine and sit in the work areas. Be sure to check out the meeting and kitchen rooms, and listen for noises to identify issues a listing may miss.
Start With the Space You’ll Spend Most of Your Day In
Look beyond floor space and consider how the space is arranged to allow for easy access between workstations and place meeting rooms strategically so that conversations don’t intrude on other work areas.
Pay attention to such factors as sunlight, noise, and temperature in the room. These factors may seem unimportant when you spend only 20 minutes there, but they can become a real issue during your eight-hour workday.
The UK Health and Safety Executive identifies ventilation, lighting, temperatures, space, and workstations as essential. Paying particular attention to these conditions will ensure that the workspace is comfortable and conducive to work.
Check the Spaces Everyone Will Share
Meeting rooms and breakout areas are often well equipped when the office space is empty. The more relevant question is whether they will be satisfactory when everyone is present.
Checklist
- Number of meeting rooms
- Whether the rooms are appropriate for holding confidential discussions
- Whether there are small rooms for making phone calls
- Whether shared rooms can be scheduled for private meetings
- Whether break-out areas can be used as impromptu meeting places
- How many people can use the kitchen or dining area comfortably
- Whether bathrooms and other communal facilities can accommodate the expected number of users
A room’s mere presence matters less than its usefulness. For instance, a big boardroom is meaningless if staff need multiple small rooms to conduct separate client meetings.
Test the Things You Normally Take for Granted
Many of the most critical issues don’t interest even the most inquisitive buyer. Test the mobile signal, Wi-Fi, power outlet positions, video conferencing equipment, and building access outside of core hours before signing.
JLL’s 2025 Workforce Preference Barometer identified that employee expectations of the physical workspace remain closely linked to the perceived value of the office experience. Its research highlighted extended access, space-booking systems, and workplace technologies as enablers of more agile working environments. Test the infrastructure underpinning them for yourself, rather than trusting the listing.
Don’t Let the Address Do All the Selling
A flexible office space can have an impressive address and still be completely inaccessible to the people who are supposed to use it. Judge location from the viewpoint of a normal working day, not a property brochure.
Think About the Journey Your Team Will Make
Focus on practicality, not just the closest option. Think of commuting time, peak travel, parking, cost, and ease for both employees and visitors.
Inconvenient location was the most common reason respondents cited in CBRE’s 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment survey for limiting their willingness to return to the office. Amenities were also a key consideration when respondents evaluated a building’s value.
Especially with the office expected to play a role in supporting regular attendance, this can impact the perceived value of the workplace proposition if employees are spending a significant amount of time traveling to a serviced office space.
Look Beyond the Building
Explore the local area on foot to identify convenient options like lunch places, coffee shops, and essential services. A location with accessible amenities will better support your team’s daily needs and leave a positive impression on visiting clients.
The JLL 2025 research also suggests that employers need to make offices appealing by ensuring that the location encourages collaboration, culture and interaction by considering where teams are working and the time they spend in the office. The focus then should not just be on the value of place but whether your team can actually use it.
Ask What the Office Rent Really Gets You
The monthly number listed in an office listing is only a starting point, not necessarily the final occupancy cost. This is one of the easiest places to trip up when doing your initial office search because two spaces can list similar rents while offering wildly differing services.
Get Past the Monthly Figure
Ask exactly what is included in the quoted office rent. Depending on the workspace, this could include:
- Utilities
- Internet
- Cleaning
- Reception services
- Building or service charges
- Furniture
- Meeting-room use
- Maintenance
- Parking
- Shared facilities
Avoid relying solely on general terms terms like “fully serviced” or “all-inclusive,” as included services vary by location and can carry extra fees. This can make a big difference to a growing business that is trying to decide between similar office spaces.
Find the Charges That Don’t Appear in the Headline Price
Prior to comparing two offices, ask about costs which are outside the stated rent. These include deposits, set up fees, extra meeting room use, parking, additional desks, branding, fit-out works, or services not within the standard deal. The point of asking these questions is not to assume they are unreasonable, but to identify them early enough that you can make a proper comparison.
CBRE’s 2025 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment survey also distinguishes flexible from traditional office leases. It notes that flexible rates often comprise rent, services, operating costs, and build-outs, and recommends conducting a comprehensive cost analysis rather than basing decisions solely on headline figures.
Compare the Real Cost, Not Two Advertised Prices
Imagine two offices with the same posted monthly price. Office A comes with internet, cleaning, furnishings and a certain amount of meeting-room time. Office B charges extra for several of these services. The headline figures are the same, but the real costs aren’t.
That’s why every office that you visit should be evaluated using the same criteria. After you write them out, the costs will speak for themselves.
Use the Tour to Find Out How Easy It Is to Change Your Mind
A first office should be able to absorb changes in ordinary business without creating unnecessary problems. Consider asking how the agreement deals with expansion, downsizing, or shifting how the space is used. According to CBRE’s 2026 Americas Office Occupier Sentiment Survey, companies are starting to add expansion, contraction, and break rights to standard leases, and only 16% of companies don’t have a flexible-office strategy.
If You Need More Space
Ask whether you can add desks or take a nearby room. Find out:
- Whether adjacent space will become available
- How you would be charged for additional desks
- Whether you would be required to sign a new lease
- How much notice you are required to give
- Whether larger suites are available in the same building
- Whether you can add square footage for meeting or storage space
Make sure you understand how and at what cost you could expand your space versus the assurances you are being given.
If You Need Less Space
The same questions should be asked in reverse. Find out about:
- Notice periods
- Break clauses
- Options for reducing your presence
- Whether individual desks or rooms are available for release
- Consequences if the company moves to another suite
Businesses should avoid sizing an office space up or down prematurely, ensuring the space accommodates future hiring without being excessively large. A useful middle point is being able to find out how easy the agreement is to move with the business’s needs.
Ask the Questions the Listing Couldn’t Answer
While office listings provide details on equipment and pricing, they do not show you how quickly it can be repaired or what the availability is for meeting rooms at peak times. That is where your tour will help you understand real-world issues. These are questions to ask during a tour.
Questions About Everyday Operations
Ask questions such as:
- Who handles the maintenance issues?
- How are urgent problems reported?
- What happens if the Internet goes down?
- How does the team usually book a meeting-room?
- Are there any limits on the number of hours for meetings?
- Who has access to the facilities outside of normal business hours?
- Can visitors enter the facility without giving advance notice?
- Which of the shared facilities are included in the agreement?
If the answer to any of these questions will affect your team’s operations, do not assume.
Questions About the Agreement
The commercial conversation should be equally specific.
Ask:
- Can the quoted rent change during the agreement?
- Which services are fixed, and which can incur additional charges?
- What are the notice and renewal terms?
- Are there break options?
- Can the business add desks or another office space?
- Are there restrictions on signage, branding or alterations?
- What happens if the business needs to leave earlier than expected?
You are not trying to turn a 30-minute tour into a contract negotiation; you are identifying the points that need clarification before the business starts comparing agreements.
Don’t Accept an Important Claim Without Checking It
Verify critical claims such as 24/7 access, guaranteed parking, internet reliability, expansion options, and extra fees. Get all key decision factors in writing before accepting an offer.
To Sump Up
An office tour should help you know whether the layout works at full attendance, whether shared rooms can handle real demand, and what the office rent actually includes. You should also understand which costs sit outside it and how easily the space can change as headcount moves.
With multiple suitable offices to choose from, it is essential to take notes to make a choice based on more than first impressions. With Office Hub, businesses can assess their options, review what comes with every deal, schedule viewings, and evaluate costs and terms before selecting one office space.