A home office is a must for many home buyers and a definite draw while searching for a house. According to a 2024 edition of What Home Buyers Really Want issued by the National Association of Home Builders, a dedicated workspace is on the “want” list for about two-thirds of buyers looking for a home. As buyers shifted away from desiring a home office space in the corner of a kitchen to a separate room, real estate agents had to adapt and change their searches.
The Evolution of the Work-From-Home Office
With more workers returning to the office or participating in a hybrid schedule where they split their time between the company offices and their home office, the tide is beginning to shift in the real estate space. At-home desks are starting to collect dust as the trend of returning to the office grows. As workers migrate back to business offices, the real estate market is responding just as it did when the work-from-home phenomena started.
Three different real estate agents in different parts of the country responded to Apartment Therapy’s request for their thoughts on home layout trends for 2025: a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Realty, Rachel Swann; a real estate broker with The Corcoran Group in New York, Alexandra Gupta; and Nicole Plaxen, a real estate agent with Walters/Plaxen Estates at the Beverly Hills Estates in West Hollywood, California. They all agreed that what the buyers and sellers can anticipate in 2025 is the dedicated home office evolving into the concept of a more flexible space.
Perhaps in hopes that their bosses may change their minds about working at home, workers aren’t turning away completely from home offices, but they are recognizing that having an entire room dedicated to work that isn’t used very often during the week might not be necessary.
Office Spaces With More Flexibility
Swann has observed the changing trends starting in 2020 during the pandemic and the following years.
“Many have asked me, isn’t everyone back at work? Well, yes and no. It’s a mixture of both,” she explains.
Just over one in five Americans will work remotely in 2025 according to some reports. This reality will continue to influence the real estate market, but for those who don’t need a home office, there will be an increasing demand for versatile spaces.
“I know we will see (and already are seeing) more spaces used in the flexible, multi-use way.” We are seeing many companies go back to requiring two to three days a week in the office. This leaves half the week where people still need office space,” Swann says.
The comparison Swann uses to explain the evolving home office is guest bedrooms. Most guest rooms are only used a few times a year, but there might be another way to use the space that a homeowner needs several times a week. How often a task needs to be done each week to merit a dedicated space is a question many homeowners are asking themselves.
Gupta says that remote work will continue to influence home design and layouts. At the same time, homeowners are interested in more adaptable spaces.
“They’re looking for rooms that can serve various purposes throughout the day. The traditional home office is being incorporated into living rooms, bedrooms, or even closets that double as workspaces,” says Gupta.
Functional Work Spaces Are Still in Demand
People still want privacy when it comes to their home office, though those spaces don’t necessarily need to be large or fixed in the future. Buyers aren’t keen on having their workspace in the living room or other high-traffic areas. They continue to gravitate toward open-concept floor plans but also want flexible spaces that can evolve with their lifestyles.
Plaxen says, “Home office spaces remain in demand, particularly with features that support privacy and productivity. We’re seeing a nuanced shift in home layouts that blend open spaces with intentional, multifunctional rooms.”
