Flexbile workspace and office provider International Workplace Group PLC (IWG) opened 18 new locations in Canada last year and shows no signs of slowing down.

The Canadian growth was part of IWG’s global expansion, as it signed 1,132 new centres and opened 782 new workspaces last year. It now has more than 5,000 signed locations in 122 countries. 

“In 2025, more new locations were signed and opened in a single year globally than in the first two decades of our operations combined,” IWG founder and chief executive officer Mark Dixon wrote in an email interview with RENX.

“Our growth in Canada and across the world will continue to accelerate rapidly in the years ahead.”

Zug, Switzerland-headquartered IWG operates a number of brands, including Regus, Spaces, HQ and Signature. Various sizes and styles of workspace serve different needs in different markets, and many newer locations are in the suburbs, smaller commuter towns and cities.

New Canadian locations

The company has opened three HQ locations in Montreal, Moncton and Mississauga along with two Regus locations in Calgary and one in Fredericton this year.

IWG will open new Regus locations in Toronto and Montreal in July, followed by two more in Mission, B.C. and East Gwillimbury, Ont. in October. It will open HQ locations in New Westminster, B.C. and Brossard, Que. in July.

That will push IWG up to 166 Canadian locations under various brands. 

Expansion strategy

“Our capital-light expansion strategy, delivered through partnerships with property owners and investors, enables companies of all sizes to work productively in locations most convenient to their people,” wrote Dixon.

IWG annually invests about $85 million in its technology platform to improve its operations and efficiency and it provides partners with access to the company’s economies of scale, expertise, brand power, design and fit-out support, and sales, marketing and procurement capabilities.

“Our platform and network create a virtuous cycle for customers and partners alike,” wrote Dixon. “Our global, national and local reach enables more ubiquitous, lower-cost marketing, while connecting partners to a strong global and national customer base.”

Partnership agreements

Of the 1,132 new locations signed last year, 99 per cent were partnership agreements. All of the Canadian locations that opened last year, as well as those opening this year, are partnership agreements.

Many property owners have vacant space to fill with the decline in demand for traditional office real estate. Partnering with IWG can offer an attractive alternative since the company works with landlords and developers to transform these spaces.

“Partnering with IWG enables building owners to turn their assets into higher-value, higher-performing products,” wrote Dixon. 

“We accelerated our capital-light growth strategy to respond to the growing number of property investors seeking to maximize their returns by partnering with IWG and drawing on our unparalleled market experience.” 

Dixon said IWG’s managed partnership model enables partners to earn premium cash flows versus a traditional lease, which ultimately increases the valuation of their buildings. 

Companies seek flexibility

More companies are preferring to rent instead of own the space they occupy in order to free up capital to invest in the growth and future of their business, according to Dixon. 

“Companies want maximum optionality over their expenses and wherever possible seek to avoid being locked into long-term obligations,” he wrote.

“Real estate costs are often opaque and confusing. The pricing of flexible workspace is simple, straight-forward and transparent, allowing companies to better plan, budget and forecast.”

IWG research shows that more than 83 per cent of chief executive officers have put policies in place enabling their employees and teams to embrace flexible working from more than one location.

“Over the past few years, more flexible ways of working have become the default model for a significant proportion of white-collar workers, with companies empowering their employees to work across multiple locations, splitting their time between local workspaces, a central office and home,” wrote Dixon.
 
“Working from a hub, home or on the go is the new normal. Our vision is to have a centre serving every community to empower businesses and individuals to work flexibly and productively from anywhere in the world.”

The flexible workspace sector is projected to grow by 600 per cent by 2030 and it’s predicted that 30 per cent of all commercial real estate will be flexible workspace by that same year, according to IWG, which counts 83 per cent of Fortune 500 companies among its customer base. 

“Canada remains a key focus for our continued network growth and we are seeking building owners and investors to partner with us,” concluded Dixon.