BOSTON–A significant majority of commercial real estate and workplace leaders are making high-stakes office decisions without the data needed to optimize costs and efficiency, according to a new report from physical AI company Butlr.
The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research for Butlr’s “Beyond Occupancy: The State of Office Space 2026” report, polled 400 U.S.-based decision makers across commercial real estate (CRE), workplace strategy, and facilities management. Its findings point to a widespread “data gap” that is driving up operational costs and limiting productivity gains.
Data Deficiency Driving Cost Inefficiencies
Four out of five respondents said they lack the necessary data to make confident space planning decisions. As a result, many organizations continue to operate inefficiently—most notably in energy usage. On average, 24% of unoccupied office space is still being heated and cooled during a typical week.
While 62% of decision makers identified energy costs as the area with the greatest savings potential from better data, current practices remain largely unchanged. Cleaning operations present a similar issue: 82% of respondents said cleaning schedules are not based on actual occupancy, and 66% reported cleaning all spaces at the same frequency regardless of use.
Despite these inefficiencies, only 19% of respondents rely on data to inform space planning decisions. More than one-third—36%—said they still depend primarily on intuition.
Uncertainty Disrupting Real Estate Strategy
The lack of reliable workplace insights is also reshaping long-term real estate decisions. More than half of respondents (52%) said they have delayed or canceled office expansion plans due to uncertainty about how space is used.
Over the past five years, nearly all respondents (99%) reported disruptions to renovation, consolidation, or energy investment plans tied to this uncertainty. Specifically, 48% delayed or canceled renovations, 44% paused consolidation efforts, and 47% postponed energy efficiency investments.
Impact on Workforce Productivity
The data gap is not only affecting costs but also employee experience. While 76% of executives expressed concern that their current office layouts are not maximizing productivity, most lack clear insight into how employees use space for focused work or collaboration.
At the same time, nearly all respondents (99%) believe that better-designed, data-informed workplaces would improve outcomes. Expected benefits include higher employee retention (78%), increased productivity (59%), improved focus (52%), and enhanced collaboration (47%).
Technology Exists, But Challenges Persist
Although most organizations have invested in workplace technology—such as desk reservation systems, employee surveys, and occupancy sensors—79% said data challenges still prevent them from making meaningful layout changes.
Privacy concerns remain a major obstacle. A striking 92% of respondents cited privacy as a barrier to collecting space utilization data, with larger organizations reporting even greater concern.
Additional hurdles include difficulty scaling solutions (55%), integrating with existing systems (48%), and the time required to deploy new technologies (90%).
A Turning Point for Workplace Strategy
Butlr CEO and co-founder Honghao Deng said the findings highlight a critical inflection point for the industry.
“The evidence is clear that critical, multi-million-dollar real estate decisions can no longer be left to gut instinct or a patchwork of disconnected tools,” Deng said. “Once organizations fill the spatial intelligence data gap, they can make tremendous strides in transforming the built environment to better serve the people in it.”
As companies continue to rethink the role of the office in a hybrid work era, the report suggests that bridging the gap between data collection and actionable insight will be key to reducing costs and improving performance in the years ahead.
