“In a traditional office setting employees interact with the same people every single day, which can be limiting,” Houdard says. “In a coworking space, individuals are exposed to people from virtually all walks of life and expertise, all sectors. This new type of collaboration offers a tremendous benefit to businesses.”

From his perspective, the winners will be shared spaces that create the richest communities, those that create environments full of thriving people who are inherently positioned to help one another. An environment that allows for healthy collaboration and idea sharing, he says, will automatically put those business in a better position for success.

The commercial real estate market is always evolving—and so are the technologies, demographics, demand drivers and a myriad of other factors. At the end of the day, the winners are the companies that can respond quickly to the changing trends and execute them well. One thing is certain: competition is rising—and rising rapidly and embracing concepts like diversity, models, anticipating shifting demographics before they shift, tapping into the right funding sources and otherwise staying on the cutting edge will separate the winners from the losers.

ATLANTA—According to globalworkplaceanalytics.com, 3.7 million employees work from home at least half the time. Although that's just under 3% of the workforce, consider a statistic that puts the trend in context: The employee population as a whole grew by 1.9% from 2013 to 2014, while the telecommuter population grew 5.6%.

That has led to a decline in the average in-office workspace in recent years. Global Workplace Analytics reports the average space per worker ranges between 130 and 150 square feet. That's down from 200 square feet. The bottom line: Employers are moving more workers into smaller spaces. Put another way, there's a decreasing demand for traditional office space and a move toward creative office solutions that doesn't seem to be slowing.

“Employers are increasingly offering their staff flexible work arrangements and options to work remotely, so it naturally begs the question of how much physical office space is still needed,” Fred Schmidt, president and COO of Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates, tells GlobeSt.com. “Employers will always need a space to hold meetings and bring staff together, so we do not foresee a decreased demand for office or creative spaces, though it is a trend that will likely impact office layouts in years to come.”

As more and more people gravitate towards alternative and coworking office spaces, Philippe Houdard, cofounder of Pipeline Workspaces, is convinced individuals from every corner of the business community becomes dramatically more connected—and he tells GlobeSt.com that matters a lot.

“In a traditional office setting employees interact with the same people every single day, which can be limiting,” Houdard says. “In a coworking space, individuals are exposed to people from virtually all walks of life and expertise, all sectors. This new type of collaboration offers a tremendous benefit to businesses.”

From his perspective, the winners will be shared spaces that create the richest communities, those that create environments full of thriving people who are inherently positioned to help one another. An environment that allows for healthy collaboration and idea sharing, he says, will automatically put those business in a better position for success.

The commercial real estate market is always evolving—and so are the technologies, demographics, demand drivers and a myriad of other factors. At the end of the day, the winners are the companies that can respond quickly to the changing trends and execute them well. One thing is certain: competition is rising—and rising rapidly and embracing concepts like diversity, models, anticipating shifting demographics before they shift, tapping into the right funding sources and otherwise staying on the cutting edge will separate the winners from the losers.