Almost every company is rethinking workplace strategy in the wake of the pandemic—and commercial real estate companies, which are office users in their own right, are no exception. The COVID-health crisis changed the way that people work and think about office space, and CRE wasn't exempt from the changes. Despite being an office-centric industry, CRE has had to adapt and adopt new office environments and strategies to reflect the needs and demands of employees—which now include everything from health and safety to flexible work schedules and a better work-life balance.

NEW WORKPLACE STRATEGY "The pandemic brought the hybrid workplace concept to scale," says Peter Miscovich, managing director of Strategy + Innovation at JLL. Like most other industries, commercial real estate companies adopted widespread remote work policies during the pandemic, and those concepts stuck even as the pandemic waned. "We have allowed for a lot of diversity in terms of workplace behavior, and we have offered a lot of flexibility for our people," adds Miscovich about how JLL has started to adapt its workplace experience.

The pandemic wasn't the catalyst for hybrid workplaces, as Miscovich says, it merely expanded the concept. JLL began reimaging its office environment back in 2015 with the renovation of its headquarters office. "We have always strived to have a balance between our in-office collaborative, culture and community building to allow for flexibility for our employees," he says. "Now in 2021, we're continuing to provide flexibility to our workforce. We have a very strong in-office culture, but we also have flexible work arrangements as a firm."