More people are searching for available office space now than before the pandemic, in what analysts at CommercialCafe are calling "a much more encouraging outlook" for the sector.

After declining substantially in 2020, searches for office space for rent followed a positive pathway in 2021, while nearly a quarter of respondents surveyed by the firm said they were looking to downsize their overall office footprint. Around 23% said they'd like to be the sole tenants in a building, while another 23% said they were looking for a better deal in terms of price per square foot. And 16% said they were looking for larger office spaces.

"Once again, the data gives credence to the argument that remote working hasn't made offices obsolete—as news of big companies either investing in prime real estate, renewing, or expanding their leases has continued to pour in," the CommercialCafe report states.