The broker model extracts commission from your deal. Seek charges operators a flat monthly subscription. This table shows what that difference means in practice.
| Seek | Traditional Broker | Marketplace (e.g. Hubble, Office Hub) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant fees | £0 — never charged | Often £0 upfront, but fee built into deal pricing | £0 for seekers; operator pays commission (baked into rent) |
| Commission on your deal | £0 — operators pay flat subscription, not commission | Typically 10–15% of annual rent — yours to pay via inflated rent | 10–20% of deal value from operator (passed to you via rent) |
| Who you talk to | ✓ Direct to space operator | ✗ Broker relays everything; operator never knows your name | ~ Routed through platform account manager |
| Booking speed | Hours — operators respond to enquiries directly | 2–5 business days — account manager curates shortlist first | 20 sec — AI match, but actual deal negotiated separately |
| Pricing transparency | Published prices — what you see is what you pay | Negotiated via broker; you don't know what's broker margin vs. real rent | Listed prices may include platform margin |
| AI matching / self-serve | ✓ Filter by city, capacity, price, amenities. Browse 24/7. | ✗ Call, schedule, wait for account manager | ✓ AI search — fast, but results still brokered |
| Shortlist control | You choose. Every listing is real and available. | Broker curates — shows spaces that earn them the best commission | AI selects from operator inventory; some operators pay for visibility |
| Negotiation leverage | Direct — operator has more flexibility without a broker in the chain | Broker negotiates "on your behalf" — but earns more on higher rent | Platform sets terms; operators have less flexibility to negotiate |
| Enquiry privacy | Enquiry goes to the operator only | Your requirements shared with multiple operators in broker's network | Enquiry stored and used for platform matching; terms vary |
| UK coverage | London, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh | Full UK + international | Nationwide |
"A traditional broker earning 10–15% commission has a direct financial incentive to show you the priciest spaces that maximise their payout — not the space that fits your business best."
— How Seek works: operators pay £125/month flat subscription. No deal commission. No incentive to inflate your rent.Filter by city, headcount, budget and amenities. Every listing is managed by the space operator — no broker-curated shortlist.
Enquiry goes directly to the operator's inbox. No account manager relay, no introduction fee baked into the rent.
The person who owns the space answers your questions and arranges a viewing. You negotiate the actual price.
Seek earns from operator subscriptions — not from your deal. The rent you sign is the rent that goes to the operator, not a broker's cut.
Browse all available UK office spaces on Seek — zero tenant fees, direct enquiries, no commission.
Find your office →Also see: Seek vs Hubble · Seek vs Rubberdesk · Seek vs Office Hub