AI is quietly taking over more of our work lives—ChatGPT alone could have 220 million paying users by 2030. At the same time, new office towers are rising, real estate deals are increasing, and Gen Alpha is imagining a workplace unlike anything we know. This week, we look at the small signals pointing to big changes ahead.
UltraSoftBIS Speaks at Coworking Europe’s 2025 Berlin Conference
Last week, the UltraSoftBIS team attended Coworking Europe 2025 in Berlin and participated in the “Unelastic pricing, wrong vanity metrics...What is preventing coworking to reach stronger profitability and how to fix it?” session. The event brought together leaders, operators, and innovators from across the coworking ecosystem to share insights on trends, technology, and strategies shaping the future of flexible workspaces.
Here’s what we learned from the conference:
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Coworking is changing from a short-term solution to a long-term business strategy for enterprises.
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AI and smart tech are boosting operational efficiency and member experience.
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Community-first design and hospitality-led services drive engagement and retention.
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Secondary cities and emerging markets are unlocking new growth opportunities.
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Operators have the potential for strong profitability when combining flexible models with data-driven management.
Why Automated Invoicing Is the Key to Stress-Free Coworking Billing
Coworking billing has become a stressful tangle of bookings, prorates, renewals, and add-on charges—making manual invoicing slow, error-prone, and frustrating for both operators and members. Automated invoicing cuts out the chaos by capturing charges in real time, sending consistent invoices, and reducing disputes. The result is fewer mistakes, smoother payments, clearer member communication, and a billing cycle that finally feels predictable instead of panicked. Read more here.
Industry News
OpenAI expects roughly 220 million people to pay for ChatGPT subscriptions by 2030, projecting 8.5% of an estimated 2.6 billion weekly users will convert to paid plans. That scale would place ChatGPT among the world’s largest subscription businesses. The company already has about 35 million paying users, rapid revenue growth, heavy losses, and a push into new monetizable products like shopping and advertising features.
European employers face major compliance pressures ahead of 2026, but readiness is surprisingly low. Only 18% feel very prepared for the EU AI Act, and just 24% say they’re fully ready for the Pay Transparency Directive. The next two years will require significant internal work—clarifying responsibilities, upgrading processes, and aligning policies—before these rules take effect.
JPMorgan is investing billions to build one of Europe’s largest office towers in London’s Canary Wharf—a 3-million-square-foot headquarters expected to inject £9.9 billion into the local economy and create 7,800 jobs. The project, set to house up to 12,000 employees, reinforces the bank’s commitment to full-time office work.
U.S. commercial real estate deals surged 28% in October to $34.6B, led by multifamily (24%) and office (21%) transactions. Midcap deals ($50M–$100M) drove much of the activity, while large deals slightly declined. Retail made up 20% and land 11%, up 8% from September. Despite the strong closings, forward-looking indicators suggest slower dealmaking ahead due to recent economic and government factors.
U.S. commercial real estate prices rose 4.2% year-over-year in October, the fastest annual gain since 2022, with a 0.8% monthly increase marking four straight months of growth. Analysts attribute gains to investor confidence following recent Federal Reserve rate cuts.
A new IWG survey shows Gen Alpha expects an AI-driven, email-free future of work with personalized offices and hybrid models. Most (86%) foresee automation shaping daily tasks, 81% expect hybrid work as standard, and only 29% are willing to commute over 30 minutes. Many anticipate VR meetings, gaming areas, and four-day workweeks, reflecting a generation prioritizing efficiency, wellbeing, and technology-driven flexibility.
