As commercial real estates drop, tenants are reconsidering the amount of space they need, says Hanssen. During the dot-com era, strictly open-plan layouts were the norm and were good choices to create space efficiency. However, businesses are finding that these plans, while economically sound, are less practical for running a business.

"Open-plan layouts, particularly in high ceiling environments, tend to be very noisy," reports Hanssen. "For firms consistently working on computers this problem is minimized, but with more traditional type office users that are on the phone or need to communicate with their fellow workers more often, open-plan layouts can cut down on productivity.

Companies are now looking to place their employees in private offices and are realizing that it has become much cheaper to do so. The average size transaction in most metropolitan areas across the country is approximately 3,500 sf. The largest blocks of vacancies fall in spaces above 8,000 sf. So companies are finding great deals on larger properties, which can provide better working conditions for employees. This, in turn, can raise productivity standards and boost morale.