Today's tenants face increasing uncertainty about future workplace strategies. With current pandemic-related challenges, many companies have not yet determined what workplace solutions will look like, amid looming lease expirations.

This may pressure firms to make decisions that may have lengthy and expensive implications, while not providing the flexibility to redefine how space will be occupied, says Doug Hellmann, architect and PDR principal and director of project delivery. Depending on the size of the company and the complexity of business needs, the sublease market could be an untapped solution, he says.

The availability of sublease space has been on the rise as corporations retract due to current economic challenges. This newly available space may provide the opportunity for companies to explore options for how employees work, how a corporate brand is represented and where space is located. All these factors will be critical as companies contemplate whether or not office space is required.