If you have ever searched online, you will know with so many office spaces available, finding the right office space in London can be challenging. Users may assume online property directories offer good market coverage, but do they give the best experience when searching for office space? Will you get the best value for money or waste hours doing research that ultimately falls short of the mark? Dealing with unresponsive agents and out-of-date listings can be time-consuming. All this faff to check availability and pricing, let alone step out the door to view a potential office space.

In this article, we outline a few reasons why use an office broker or agent instead of an online directory.

Why Use an Office Broker vs & Online Property Directory

Many online property directories claim to provide a broad market view, but many operate their business model around advertising rather than advisory services. One of the largest directories has over 21,000 listings, which is a high number of workspaces to narrow down! You would be right if you thought they operate similarly to digital billboards or Yellow Pages. Those who have ever experienced or read reviews about the lacklustre service of the big yellow giant will know all too well that good customer service can be hard to come by.

With hundreds or thousands of listings, it can be challenging for office provider to have their listing stand out. Securing a prominent position can help, but you’ll need to pay for a premium listing to appear in search results. Similar to Google Ads this can provide good exposure, but it doesn’t guarantee customers. The same principle applies to online directories; navigating listings without a solid understanding of the options and clicking the top position may not yield the best result for your business.

Why are they popular? They’re Gr-r-reat! No, not Tony the Tiger great, but they are great for small independent office operators looking to get more coverage online. They tend to favour smaller office providers (especially coworking spaces) who want to market their space to a larger audience. Offering a free or low-cost model, many choose to list on them. For the person searching, it is a slightly different story. There is a cost, and it’s your time.

Think Like a Workspace Provider

After hearing first-hand from providers, it can be challenging to remember where you listed. Some might even question how they came to be listed at all! Having greater coverage doesn’t necessarily result in a better search experience. But as a workspace provider, do you have to be listed on them? Maybe, but that’s your decission. Will you receive more qualified referrals, probably not. If that’s true, would you pay for a premium listing?

This is true of other well-known platforms like the rise and fall of the online property directory, PurpleBricks. Sellers can list but that doesn’t mean someone understands your property or is even working on your behalf to sell it. Online directories have been criticised for lack of quality control, displaying all spaces regardless of fit. Interestingly, according to a report by The Negociator, local agents achieved a far better sales success rate (82.42% compared to 51.98%) than Purple Bricks. This approach is similar to that of online directories vs working with a dedicated broker or agent.

From a Searcher Perspective

So you have found a workspace, but is the listing up to date, and is the pricing accurate including rent, business rates, utilities and services? Better yet is it still on the market? The flexible office market availability moves quickly. Blink, and you the option you viewed last week could have been sold. Unless the directory offers true live availability or you have a dedicated account manager, you might just be wasting your time trawling a series of expired listings or worse yet be on the receiving end of automated calls and frequent emails after enquiring.

While directories provide a marketplace, they do not offer personalised guidance, pricing verification, or market insights. The Problem? You’re on your own. It can work for some, but with no negotiation support, you’re left to deal directly with landlords on their terms exposing you to paying more than necessary for a space that may not fully meet your needs.

If the directory doesn’t offer dedicated account manager support or has limited time for your search, they may simply refer you to the landlord directly. To us, this doesn’t sound like your search is a top priority for them. You might as well conduct the search in-house vs sharing your details online and avoid the resulting noise.

In contrast, working with an independent office broker means getting unbiased, expert advice tailored to your requirements. We invest our time accompanying you to your viewings to ensure everything promised is delivered. Furthermore, it helps us understand if the space has changed since the listing was created.

Putting The Service into Serviced Offices

Ask yourself, why do I want a serviced or managed office? There are many reasons, but in our experience, one that stands out when talking to clients is they choose one because of convenience. You’re paying for ease of use and simplicity. So why start your search by doing all the hard work when somebody else can do it for you? You want to cover as much of the market as possible, but we would argue there is enough reason to apply a filter to these results to ensure quality control for our clients.

True, other brokers may have been established longer and have financial investments to promote an increased presence online. Some brokers are owned by workspace operators, meaning they have an added incentive to push their properties rather than the best options available whilst raising confidentiality issues.

In contrast, as a small independent broker, we chose not to service the same high volume of enquiries. The result may be similar, but as a small independent broker, we are not beholden to chasing volume bonuses, revenue targets, KPIs, delivering a set number of leads to partners or fore-filling paid listing placements. Instead, your search gets the full attention it deserves. Now that is all out the way, here is a quick rundown of the six best reasons to choose a serviced office broker.

1. We Prioritise Quality Over Quantity

Rather than overwhelming you with generic listings, we hand-pick high-quality office spaces with a proven track record of delivering quality customer service based on reviews and ratings. We ensure any workspaces we recommend align with your needs, budget, and company culture.

2. Honest, Unbiased Advice with No Hidden Agendas

Unlike directories or large brokers with operator affiliations, we work exclusively for you. Our recommendations are based solely on what is best for your business. We are fully independent, without shareholders to impress or quarterly targets to achieve. Clients can rest assured they get straightforward, honest advice.

3. Full Market Access with Verified Pricing

We leverage our industry connections to access both on-market and off-market opportunities. Every option we present comes with transparent, real-time pricing—so there are no surprises. You have not agreed to pay us anything, nor are you under a legally binding contract. It is in our interest to help you find the best possible workspace. Otherwise, we are wasting one another’s time, and nobody likes doing that.

4. Complete Confidentiality and Data Protection

We do not disclose or share your details without your consent. This ensures your inquiry remains confidential. This prevents unnecessary spam and ensures you maintain full control over the search process. We are fully GDPR compliant and adhere to the rules and regulations of the Telephone Preference Service and Corporate Telephone Preference Service.

5. A Reward Scheme for Clients Who Work with Us

We value our clients and their time. Being in a competitive market, we strive to go one step further by offering a financial reward for those who secure office space through our service. An incentive that you will not find with online property directories.

6. On-Hand Expertise in Office Design and Fit-Out

Alongside finding you a space, we bring knowledge of office design and workplace fit-outs. If you’ve ever seen a workspace and thought it was almost perfect, we only need to put up a quick partition. We wish it were that simple, but with quick, honest advice we can quickly rule out any spaces that might seem to work on paper that might cost you considerably more if you wish to make adjustments like installing glazing, moving lights or an air-conditioner.

How Working Alongside Us Saved The Client 30%

One of our searches was to assist a growing multi-national packaging company. When we approached them, they had struggled to find an affordable office in Kings Cross, London. After analysing their requirements, we sourced an office space not listed in the main online property directories. Post viewing, we managed to negotiate flexible lease terms and with an operator incentive managed to reduce their proposed costs by 30%. We even researched nearby parking restrictions from local parking enforcement officers and sourced nearby storage options – not a service you will ever get with an online directory. Unfortunately, the initial budget was reduced mid-search so the deal wasn’t to be. After exhausting all options presented, the client (seeking a further discount) viewed several options but found the pricing was inconsistent, and negotiating directly with landlords proved challenging. We later found they lost enthusiasm for their search and ultimately renewed terms with their current provider.

Final Thoughts: Why Use An Office Broker? Service Matters

There’s more to finding office space in London than browsing listings—it requires expert negotiation, market insight, and options that meet your requirements. So, is this article a beating of the online directories, no. They’re good at what they do. We are simply saying we are different. If you want a more personal, hands-on approach to finding office space and want to save time running around sourcing workspace options, you might find using the expertise of a broker (like us!) more to your taste. After all, using a broker doesn’t cost you anything, and you gain free advice and insights into the market. Are we paid if you take space with a landlord, yes we are. However, this is on a no-win, no-fee basis, meaning it’s in our interest to find something that works for you. As the saying goes, pay peanuts, expect monkeys!

Hopefully, we’ve done enough to answer the question “Why use an office broker?” In summary, if you want a stress-free, transparent, and results-driven office search experience, we’re here to help. Get in touch today to we’ll email you a shortlist of hand-pick workspaces just for you.