When you need to onboard 15 people next month and brokers want a 30-minute call + commission just to start looking.
Hiring surges, RTO mandates, hybrid policy resets — HR Directors are being handed office moves as an afterthought project alongside everything else. Meanwhile, three brokers are calling you, all with different timelines and all earning a cut of whatever rent you eventually sign.
The standard office search is built around broker incentives — not yours.
You never know what the landlord is actually paying. The broker's quote has their commission baked in — and you won't find out how much until you're deep into the process.
30-minute discovery calls, then another call to present options, then a meeting to "refine requirements." For a 15-person onboarding, you're spending more time on the broker than on the actual HR work.
Brokers work at their own pace — they have multiple clients and no particular incentive to rush for yours. When leadership tells you to have something sorted by month-end, the broker timeline becomes an HR problem.
Broker shortlists are point-in-time snapshots from their CRM. By the time you've scheduled viewings, three of the five options are off the market. You're starting from scratch, again.
Filter by team size, move-in date, and amenities — get proposals from operators who can actually deliver.
Filter by team size, move-in date, and location. See what's actually available right now — not a broker's last week's shortlist. Operators update their listings directly.
Price you see is the price you pay — no broker margin layered in. You compare actual numbers when you're presenting options to leadership. No surprises in the board presentation.
Talk to the person who owns the space — not an intermediary. Viewings scheduled directly. Questions answered by someone with actual authority. No account manager relay.
You have headcount approval and a start date. The broker says "let's start with a call." You need operators who can show you real options today.
Your current space isn't designed for hot-desking at scale. You need a solution that handles occupancy swings — not a full lease renegotiation.
The lease is coming up and leadership wants a relook at the whole arrangement. This is your moment to find something that actually fits the team, not just renew by default.
You need to move fast. The broker wants to start with discovery. Seek gets you directly in front of operators with available space right now.
You're running an integration and facilities is part of it. Multiple briefs, multiple cities, multiple timelines — operators on Seek can handle that without you managing three brokers.
Here's what that 10% actually means for a growing company.
50–100 person company. Typical London or major city office. The broker earned that before you've even moved in.
That £7,500–£15,000 pays for the fit-out, the furniture, or 2 months of your new headcount budget. With Seek, operators pay £125/month — zero fees on your deal. That £15K stays in your P&L, not the broker's.
| Feature | Seek | Traditional broker | WeWork Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees to seeker | £0 | 10–15% of annual rent | Membership fee + per-desk |
| Speed to shortlist | Hours | 1–3 weeks | Days (standardised) |
| Live availability | Real-time listings | Point-in-time CRM snapshot | Real-time |
| Direct operator contact | Yes — direct | No — broker relay | Yes (but landlord terms) |
| Flexible terms available | 12-month, short-term, expansion clauses | Broker incentive = longer lease | Flexible (but premium pricing) |
| Filter by amenities for HR | Full amenity profiles | Broker-curated only | Standardised offering |
| Headcount scaling mid-lease | Operators experienced with growth | Requires new negotiation | Flexible (but cost premium) |
Here's how the timeline, cost, and quality compare.
| Seek Shortlist | Broker Process | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 3–5 days | 4–6 weeks |
| Cost | £0 fees | £12,000–£15,000 broker fee |
| Spaces seen | Real-time availability, 8 operators | CRM snapshot from last month |
| Pricing | Transparent — operator's price | Commission built in, opaque |
| Shortlist quality | Pre-qualified by quiz, tour-ready | 2–3 options, often partially available |
With hybrid at 3 days a week, you need 28 desks, not 40 — that's 30% less space. A broker quoting on headcount will over-provision you. We quote on occupancy. Take the 3 minute office Finder with your hybrid policy and operators will respond with configurations built for your actual utilisation.
Tell us your headcount, location, and move-in date. Operators whose spaces match will pitch you directly — no broker, no commission.
Get operator proposals →No account creation required. Takes 60 seconds.
See exactly what a broker would charge on your next office lease — and what you keep with Seek.