Scott Thorburn,
Redefine Properties
National Asset Manager
The office sector is changing. The shift to online work has reshaped how businesses use space and what it means. Some companies have reduced their footprints, others have reconfigured them, but most still see value in having a place that brings people together. The role of the office has evolved rather than disappeared. It remains essential for collaboration, connection and culture, which are harder to sustain online.
What has changed is how businesses approach space. They are more deliberate, choosing offices that work harder for them and add real value. This has created a more selective sector in which performance depends on relevance. A and P-Grade buildings that align with modern needs continue to perform, while those that do not are left behind.
A new measure of quality
Not every premium office performs simply because it is premium. Across the sector, there are high- and low-performing buildings in every node and grade. The difference lies in the property itself and in whether it offers what people want when working away from home.
Tenants are drawn to offices that feel alive and purposeful. They value reliability, flexibility and accessibility, as well as the intangible sense that a building is active and well used. In nodes such as Rosebank, we have seen how mixed-use environments that blend office, retail and lifestyle spaces remain in high demand. They provide convenience, vibrancy and connection, creating places where people want to spend time. By contrast, buildings that lack this energy or adaptability often struggle to retain occupancy.
Quality is no longer a category in a brochure, but the result of how a building functions, how it is managed, and how it makes people feel. The most resilient offices are those that combine performance with personality, earning their place by delivering real value to the people who use them.
Selective strength
The office sector is showing steady signs of improvement, although performance varies across nodes. Some areas are recovering strongly, while others are slower to rebound. Limited new development and the conversion of older buildings to other uses have reduced the supply of office space, while demand has continued to increase.
This tightening of supply has created a more balanced market and is reinforcing the fundamentals that underpin long-term resilience.
Resilience through relevance
At Redefine, resilience is something we build. Stability comes from staying relevant. Every office property in our portfolio competes with other offerings in the market, where choice is more deliberate, and expectations are higher.
Our focus is on what makes spaces work better for the people who use them. Smart access systems, tenant platforms and modernised shared areas improve day-to-day experience. Upgrades to infrastructure and energy systems ensure reliability and lower operating costs. The group’s renewable capacity now stands at almost 60 MWp, including 4.8 MW installed in offices, and nine of our buildings operate at net-zero status. These improvements strengthen operational performance, enhance tenant confidence and create long-term value. When design, technology and sustainability align with how people work, buildings earn their relevance, and their resilience follows.
The modern office, redefined
The office sector is no longer driven by scale but by purpose. Growth is measured not in square metres but in the value a space creates for the people who use it. Buildings that bring together sustainability, technology and human experience are setting a new benchmark for how productivity and performance are defined.
We are not just offering space; we are creating environments that enable productivity and well-being. In a world where work can happen anywhere, the spaces that succeed are those that make being there matter.
We see opportunity in transformation and in redefining what the modern office can be. Our role is to keep evolving these environments, so they remain not only functional but fundamental to how people and businesses thrive.