Office Stay or Go

Building a business case for your stay or go decision

As lease expiries approach, many organisations are grappling with a critical question: should we stay in our current office or make a move? It’s a decision that carries far-reaching implications from culture and cost, to performance, brand, and risk.

The Office Stay or Go Guide is designed to support confident, well-informed decisions. We explore the real drivers behind workplace change and offer practical ways to weigh your options strategically.

Whether you're looking to build a business case, bring your team on the journey, or validate assumptions, this series is here to help.

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What’s Shaping Office Stay or Go Decisions in 2025?

Before diving into it, let's take a moment to explore the real-world forces that are shaping office decisions across Australia.

In our Office Stay or Go? The Real Estate Squid Game Explained article, we unpack the key pressures influencing whether businesses choose to stay, go, downsize or rethink their workplace entirely. From rising rental incentives to the uncertainty of hybrid work and AI, these red lights and green lights reveal just how complex the decision has become.

It’s the perfect starting point to understand the context and the stakes behind your next workplace move.

Read now

Navigate your Workplace Decision in 9 Steps

This expert-led series combines insightful videos and practical tools to guide you through the key considerations, including culture, cost, brand, effort, and strategy. Whether you're staying, refurbishing or relocating, each step helps you move from uncertainty to clarity with evidence-based confidence.

1. Align your Leaders on Success Criteria

Too often, workplace decisions start with debating options - stay or go, redesign or relocate, without clear alignment on what success looks like. In this video, Steve Collis, Head of Workplace Strategy, reveals the smarter approach: define your success criteria first.

By aligning leaders on what truly matters - culture, cost, brand perception, and attendance, you create a shared framework for faster, clearer, and more confident decisions about your future workplace.

2. Identify Key Brand Considerations

With your success criteria clear, it’s time to ask: does your workplace reflect your brand today?

In this video, Annelie Xenofontos, Head of Design, explores how brand alignment influences office location, building quality, and interior design decisions. She covers how to translate brand values, like transparency, innovation, and connection, into real, physical environments.

Whether you’re relocating or refurbishing, this is a powerful opportunity to futureproof your space and amplify your cultural impact.

3. Define the "Right Size" for your People with the Allen Curve

How much space does your team really need in today’s hybrid world? In this video, Steve Collis unpacks the Allen Curve—a well-known MIT insight demonstrating that physical proximity significantly increases collaboration.

By applying this principle to modern office planning, you can design a workspace that supports flexibility, human connection, and high performance—whether it’s a peak day or a quiet one. Learn how to plan for varying occupancy levels using strategies like touchdown zones and social huddle areas.

For a deeper look at what truly motivates people to return to the office, read What Really Brings People Back to the Office – Carrot or Stick ›

4. Understand the Current Property Market and Rental Incentives

In today’s tenant-friendly market, timing can be everything. In this discussion, Steve Collis and Andy Holder, Sales Director unpack how commercial leasing incentives, like rental abatements and fitout contributions can make moving into a new space more cost-effective than staying put.

With incentives reaching up to 40% in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, understanding market dynamics could unlock significant savings - or hidden costs. If your lease is ending, this insight could shift the balance of your workplace decision.

Office Stay or Go Cost Calculation Mockup

5. Calculate the Cost of Each Option

Once you’ve explored your strategic, cultural, and brand priorities, it’s time to quantify the financial impact.

The Office Stay or Go Cost Calculation tool gives you a clear, side-by-side comparison of the true costs behind each scenario whether you’re staying put or relocating.

Evaluate long-term rent, fitout investment, landlord incentives and your net outlay, all in one simple, consistent framework. Move beyond assumptions with a consistent, evidence-based model that supports confident, strategic decision-making.

6. Assess the Costs of a Prefitted Space Option

Speculative suites, i.e. pre-fitted office spaces offered by landlords, can save businesses time, cost, and complexity. But are they really move-in ready?

In this video, Ashley Walton, National Client Solution - Pre-Construction, breaks down the pros, cons, and hidden considerations of leasing a spec suite. From acoustics, HVAC, and tech infrastructure to branding and comfort, they share the key due diligence checks every tenant should make.

Learn how to assess fit, estimate upgrade costs, and decide whether a spec suite aligns with your team’s needs - before you move in.

7. Evaluate the Tech Readiness of a Pre-Fitted Space

Pre-fitted office spaces may look move-in ready. But when it comes to technology, there’s almost always more to do.

In this video, Paul Simmons, Head of Technology outlines the crucial tech checklist for any business considering a spec suite. From choosing platforms (like Teams or Zoom) to screen size, audio, data cabling, and network reliability, Paul breaks down how to ensure your workplace is truly connected and collaboration-ready.

With smart planning, you can avoid hidden costs, retrofit headaches, and tech mismatches before you move in.

8. Consider the Flexibility of Technology-as-a-Service

Business needs change and your workplace technology should be ready to change with them.

With Mike Mobilia, Amicus Finance Director, we unpack how Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) gives businesses the flexibility to scale, pivot, or grow without the burden of upfront capital or outdated devices.

From hybrid onboarding to buffer stock and ESG-driven lifecycle planning, they explore how subscription-based tech solutions can simplify operations, reduce waste, and futureproof your workplace, especially when leasing pre-fitted spaces.

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9. Bring it All Together with a Scenario Assessment

With all the insights on the table, it’s time to make the comparison that counts.

The Office Stay or Go Scenario Scorecard helps you evaluate your shortlisted workplace options through a consistent, strategic lens. So you can weigh up what matters most: culture, cost, prestige, and effort.

A structured, side-by-side comparison to help you move from uncertainty to clarity, so you can align your team and make the right decision with confidence.

Andrew Holder at Amicus

Andrew Holder

Founder

Steve Collis Amicus Australia

Steve Collis

Head of Workplace Strategy

Annelie Xenofontos at Amicus

Annelie Xenofontos

Head Of Design

Lisa Justice at Amicus

Lisa Justice

Senior Workplace Strategist

Ashley Walton Amicus

Ashley Walton

National Client Solutions – Pre-Construction

Paul Simmons of Amicus

Paul Simmons

Head of Technology

Mike Mobilia Amicus Finance

Mike Mobilia

Amicus Finance Director

Your Office Stay or Go Toolkit

Business Stay or Go Mockup Square — Join us for a Live Webinar
How are other organisations making the right workplace decisions?

Hear directly from business leaders who’ve recently faced stay-or-go decisions. Learn how they used scenario planning to align stakeholders, evaluate options, and shape the future of their workplaces.

Office Stay or Go Cost Calculation Report — Start your Cost Calculation
How do your stay-or-go options compare from a cost and investment perspective?

Take the guesswork out of workplace planning with the Office Stay or Go Cost Calculator. This powerful tool breaks down the numbers behind each scenario, giving you the clarity to compare costs and the confidence to make strategic moves.

Office Stay or Go Scenario Scorecard Report — Get your Scenario Scorecard
How do your property options stack up across the 4 key drivers of workplace decision-making?

Make confident, strategic workplace decisions with the Office Stay or Go Scenario Scorecard. This expert-built tool provides a clear framework to assess culture, cost, prestige, and effort, so you can evaluate your options and move forward with certainty.

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Office Stay or Go? The Real Estate Squid Game Explained

Explore the red lights and green lights shaping whether businesses stay, go, downsize or hold steady. From shifting incentives to economic uncertainty, it’s a quick read packed with context for the decisions many leaders are facing.

Read Now >

3-May-22-2025-03-34-09-9457-AM

What Really Brings People Back to the Office – Carrot or Stick?

Discover the deeper motivations behind office attendance, from career visibility and mental wellbeing to team culture and client experience. This article unpacks what truly drives people to show up, and how leaders can create the right conditions.

Read Now >

Client Success Stories

“I can highly recommend the entire Amicus team. The professionalism, knowledge and expertise were exceptional. Transitioning from planning and design to execution was seamless. The trust amongst the team was instant.”

Rose Violi Executive Assistant & Office Manager

Siemens Gamesa

“The strategy was well received. It was a novel way for everyone to provide input which is key to change and bringing people on the journey.”

Kevin O'Sullivan Director of Campus Operations

University of Queensland

“I have been working with Amicus for 10+ years and can confirm they are my 'go to' trusted partner who deliver an exceptional design on time and within budget every time. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.”

Surinder Kaur Asia Workplace Resources Area Manager

Nokia

“Healthineers knew how important this integration would be in their new workplace in a hybrid model and to have a dedicated team under the Amicus arm was extremely helpful.”

Rowena Cooke Management Assistant

Siemens Healthineers