By Kody Lam
Using Google Trends data, I studied how search interest in key workplace-related terms has shifted over time. By looking at how keywords trend year-over-year and mapping them against categories like corporate real estate leasing, technology and smart office, and workforce models, I uncovered signals that point to how organizations and employees are rethinking work and the spaces that support it.
The goal isn’t to predict the future with precision, but rather, to use search activity as a lens into what people are curious about, worried about, or actively exploring. In some cases, the results validate trends we already sense in the market, like the sustained momentum of hybrid work. In others, they spotlight rapid shifts that might not yet be fully realized in client conversations, like the sudden rise of AI-driven design. Considered together, the findings tell a story of how flexibility, technology, and work models are converging to reshape the modern workplace.
Corporate Real Estate & Leasing: From permanence to flexibility
Search patterns reveal a steady pivot away from permanence and toward adaptability. Interest in “office space for rent” peaked in early 2022 but has since trended downward, while searches for “coworking space” have grown steadily since 2020. Searches for “design build” have climbed from an average index* of 42 in 2020 to nearly double that in 2025.
*Interest Over Time (Index): Numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and time. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means there was not enough data for this term.
Takeaway: Traditional long-term leases are losing ground to flexible and customizable models. Offices are being reimagined not as fixed assets but as dynamic tools aligned to business cycles and evolving needs.
Technology and smart office: AI rewrites the design process
Perhaps the most dramatic shifts appear in search terms related to AI. “AI interior design” had no measurable search interest until December 2022, but has since surged to peak levels, reflecting explosive curiosity around AI in the design process. Similarly, “AI office design” has begun to spike in 2025, while “virtual staging” has grown consistently for nearly a decade, averaging about 28% growth per year since 2016.
Takeaway: AI tools are no longer experimental; they are reshaping expectations. Clients now anticipate faster iteration, instant visualization, and more collaborative design processes. What once took weeks of modeling can be generated in minutes, changing not just workflows, but relationships between clients and designers. Despite this rapid progress, these tools are not yet an all-in-one solution. AI still struggles with areas like regulatory compliance, health and safety standards, and complex building layouts. It is a powerful accelerator, but it works best today as a complement to human expertise— not a replacement for it.
Workforce models: Hybrid is here to stay
This data reinforces what many already sense: remote and hybrid models are not fading. Search interest in “remote jobs” doubled during 2022 and has remained at elevated levels ever since. Simultaneously, searches for “hybrid jobs” have surged even faster, growing from 25 in 2022 to over 70 in 2025.
Takeaway: Work location is no longer a temporary pandemic-era debate— it is a structural feature of the modern workforce. Offices must now compete with home environments, transforming into destinations that offer connection, focus, and value beyond the commute.
The convergence: Flexibility, technology, hybrid work
When we consider this data cohesively, these three categories serve as waypoints leading in a clear direction: towards choice and customization.
The future workplace will not be defined by square footage, but by how effectively physical spaces can become agile and adapt to continuous shifts in business priorities and human needs. This isn’t all news to us: our 2025 Global Workplace Insights Report [make title link?] revealed that customization is one of the top three elements employees feel their workplace fails to deliver. Our findings show employees crave environments that anticipate their needs, reflect their individuality, and adapt to how they work best, whether through flexible work zones, personalized digital setups, or responsive designs that evolve in real time.
From predictions to practice
For Unispace, this isn’t just a set of observations; it’s a call to action.
Our unique methodology empowers us to do more than just react to market changes— we can lead the conversation about what the workplace should become. We see that the future of work thrives where customization meets purpose: spaces designed to flex around people, amplify culture, and evolve as their organizations do.
By leading from the forefront of these new industry understandings, we help our clients stay ahead of the curve.
To learn more about our 2025 findings, download our full Global Workplace Insights Report here.
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About Unispace
A strategy, design, and construction leader creating people-centric spaces for a rapidly changing world. Unispace is a global firm that offers a unified team solution for creating spaces that spark brilliance, deepen connections, foster a sense of belonging and propel success. With 5,500 projects completed, a presence across 26 countries, and 800+ employees worldwide, Unispace creates spaces powered by collaborative client partnerships, delivered seamlessly across borders, and enabled by real-world insights.'
Unispace was founded in 2010. After ten years as a privately owned business that experienced unparalleled growth internationally, Unispace was acquired by leading private equity firm PAG in 2021. PAG is one of the world’s largest Asia-focused private investment firms, with a network of 200 seasoned investment professionals in nine key offices around the world.