Amid a worsening macroeconomic and operating environment, it’s no surprise that corporate real estate leader sentiment has trended downward, with the index now standing at 31.59, the lowest since the start of the survey (with a score below 36 representing negative sentiment). 

Sentiment around prospects for global economic growth over the next six months improved marginally in Q4, which may point to a flatter and shorter global downturn than expected.

However, the survey results also indicated decreased expectations around headcount growth and capital expenditure budgets for the first time since we first ran the survey. As such, the levers which corporate real estate heads have to intervene at the portfolio or workplace level will be more constrained over the next six months, with planning and strategising to be more in evidence than implementation.