FM newsroom – office. As organisations rethink their workplace strategies, the conversation around coworking is shifting from cost to value. A new guide launched in Romania aims to help occupiers make more informed decisions by evaluating flexible workspace options through a broader business lens.
As workplace expectations continue to evolve, companies are becoming more selective about where — and how — they work. In Romania, a new guide is encouraging occupiers to move beyond headline rental costs and take a more strategic approach to choosing coworking space, placing greater emphasis on performance, workplace experience and long-term business value.
The Executive Guide to Choosing a Coworking Space has been developed by Beyond Space in partnership with Cushman & Wakefield Echinox to help companies navigate an increasingly diverse flexible office market, according to the official announcement.
Looking Beyond Cost per Desk
For years, coworking decisions have largely centred on price and desk availability. The new guide proposes a more strategic approach, encouraging businesses to assess flexible office environments based on economic performance, workplace quality and operational requirements.
At the heart of the framework is an evaluation model that combines Total Cost of Occupancy (TCO), employee experience and the wider value generated through professional communities and workplace ecosystems.
This methodology introduces an Estimated Success Factor (ESF), a scoring model designed around four areas: economic efficiency, workplace experience and quality, technical standards, and community value. The objective is to create a more balanced comparison between providers while helping Finance, HR and leadership teams reach aligned decisions.
Growth Potential Across Romania
The guide arrives at a time when Romania’s coworking market is entering a new phase of development. Industry expectations suggest the sector could expand three to four times over the coming years as organisations continue to embrace hybrid working and seek greater operational flexibility.
Bucharest currently offers around 80,000 sq m of coworking space, accounting for approximately 2% of the city’s office market. While this aligns with European averages, a lower per-capita workspace density compared with neighbouring capitals indicates room for further expansion.
At the same time, regional centres including Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara and Iași are gaining momentum and strengthening their position as emerging flexible workspace destinations.