New sensor-measured data reveals a Tuesday – Thursday office core, widespread meeting-room underutilization and implications for 2027 CRE planning

Corporate office utilization has plateaued at just over half of capacity at the weekly peak, with demand increasingly concentrated Tuesday through Thursday, according to new research from Occuspace.

The H1 2026 Space Utilization Index – Corporate Real Estate Edition, based on sensor-measured occupancy across more than 50 million square feet of office space and 100+ corporate clients, found that weekly peak utilization averaged 52.3% from February through June 2026, with essentially no upward or downward trend.

The findings come as organizations continue formalizing return-to-office (RTO) policies. According to JLL, 62% of organizations now require a fixed number of in-office days, up from 49% in 2025. Yet Occuspace's measured utilization remained flat over the five-month period.

Key Findings

• Tuesday through Thursday dominates office use. Average daily peak utilization reached 39%–42% Tuesday through Thursday, compared with 23% on Mondays and 19% on Fridays.
• Meeting rooms are frequently oversized. Seventy-eight percent of occupied conference-room time holds two people or fewer. Even in rooms with 13 or more sets, 62% of occupied time involves just one or two people.
• Extended meeting-room stays reduce available capacity. More than half of conference-room time comes from stays lasting two hours or more, and 74% of those extended stays average just one or two people.
• Dining and café areas outperform open workspaces. Tuesday through Thursday, dining and café areas reach a 56% average daily peak, compared with 35% for open workspaces.

"The data tells us return-to-office mandates have hit a ceiling. Even at the busiest point of the week, corporate offices are just over half full, and that number has held flat for five months," said Nic Halverson, Occuspace Co-Founder and CEO. "That's not a dip. It's the new baseline, and it changes the math on every lease, renovation and operating budget heading into 2027."

Implications for 2027

The findings point to opportunities for CRE leaders to align portfolios, meeting-room configurations and building operations with measured demand rather than assumed attendance.

"The traditional Monday-through-Friday office pattern no longer describes what we're seeing," Halverson said. "CRE planning and building operations need to reflect that new reality – from how much space organizations keep to how they staff, clean, condition and service it throughout the week."

The findings will be discussed with JLL during Bisnow's live session, The State of Office Space Utilization and Optimization, October 21 at 12 p.m. ET.

View the full report: https://landingpage.occuspace.io/sui_cre_h1_2026

About Occuspace

Occuspace is the leading occupancy intelligence platform for the built environment, providing a simple, scalable and cost-effective solution for measuring space utilization in real time. Its AI-powered, privacy-first technology helps organizations across higher education, commercial real estate and government optimize efficiency, enhance occupant experience and improve ROI. Learn more at www.occuspace.io.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021211744/en/

"Even at the busiest point of the week, corporate offices are just over half full, and that number has held flat for five months," said Nic Halverson, Occuspace Co-Founder and CEO