• you are here:
  • home>
  • FAQs
Call us now on

1-866-918-4640

For FREE, no obligation, expert, local help and advice

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here for information on the different office solutions we can offer you.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for or would prefer a personalised answer, please contact us or call us.

About Instant

Who is Instant?

Instant matches businesses with the perfect flexible office space. We use our expert knowledge of availability around the world to broker serviced offices, find leased space and operate managed offices.

Instant was founded in 1999 to bring the fragmented serviced office market into one online market place. Since then, our original business has grown rapidly, organically and internationally - and we have launched a number of important new solutions. With established offices in London, Sydney and Miami, revenues in the current year are forecast to exceed £20 million. We are well on our way to hit our goal of revenues of £100 million+ by 2020.

We help people to find offices free of charge in over 1,500 towns & cities around the world.

Instant is the clear market leader in all key global serviced office markets, providing more business to all these key operators as well as the vast majority of independents.

We pioneered our Managed service and we’re now the market leader in the UK. Due to client demand, we have also set up new operations in the USA.

Instant is the trading name for Instant Ltd, Instant Managed LLP and Instant Holdings LLC.

For more information about our solutions – click here.

How much does it cost to use our services?

Nothing! Whether you are looking for serviced offices, executive suites, leased office space, shared space, sublet space, industrial units and workshops. Regardless of size and location, our complete service and independent expert advice is absolutely FREE. Click here to search for an office.

Landlords & operators offices pay us for successfully finding tenants, so we do not need to charge you for using our services. Remember, this fee will not be passed onto you – in fact, we guarantee you a better rate than anywhere else! If you want to advertise your space click here.

If you are looking for offices for over 100 people we will create a managed office for you. Our total price is simply the sum of all the different elements that make up your package. We then add a management fee. For more information on our managed office click here.

How much of the market does Instant cover?

Instant works with all 6,000 serviced offices & executive suites globally covering some 3,000 different operators. We have offices in over 70 countries around the world, including the UK, the USA and Australia. Moreover, the Instant website is available in six different languages – English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.

In addition, in many of the key markets we also list a number of other office types including leased office space, shared space, sublet space, industrial units and workshops.

At Instant, we find solutions for businesses, whatever the size and location of your requirement. The offices on the website range from premium quality office space to more economical office solutions, and from one person offices to large open plan floors, accommodating hundreds of people.

We are constantly researching cities and new areas to find more offices to display on our website and help clients find effective office space solutions. If you have not found offices that meet your requirements on the website, we will be more than happy to undertake a search that is bespoke for your requirements in any location worldwide. Please contact us for details

Our managed office is not restricted by location as we will find the right building to match your requirements and build an appropriate package to suit your requirements.

Why should I use Instant?

We are the leading broker for serviced offices worldwide; every year over 100,000 people use our services to help them find office space. We have over 70 employees based in our London, Sydney and Miami offices. Our 40+ specialised consultants are vastly experienced in the office space market, and can provide impartial expert advice on offices in their respective dedicated areas. We are a truly international company with five language versions of our website and an array of multi-lingual consultants, including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Arabic and Hindi speakers.

Our Service

How do I search for office space on www.instantoffices.com?

Download your Instant Guide to finding the perfect office in 3 easy steps here.

Step 1 Your requirement

First, decide where you want to be, how much space you need and when you want to move in. You can either search online or talk to one of our experts – either way, we can help you shortlist the right options quickly, saving you time. Right from the start you’ll have your own consultant to help you – they’ll be available to you as much as you want until we have found you the perfect office.

Step 2 View the properties

We arrange the viewings for you. You can look at lots of options or just one. Either way, we’ll send you a clear route map for all your selected properties. To make sure you get the most out of your viewings, your consultant will talk to the building manager about your requirements beforehand. The manager can then show you round and answer all your questions about the property. Our job is to make it as quick, easy and convenient as possible. Use our handy checklist for all your viewings to help in your decision-making process.

Step 3 Negotiate a deal

Once you’ve completed your viewings, you’ll either want to see more properties or you’ll have made your mind up on an office. Your consultant will call you or email you to follow up your viewings, and find out how everything went. We can then help you negotiate, or find some other options for you. Our consultants get the best deals in the market, which means you do, too.

Have your consultants visited the buildings you list?

Our consultants are vastly experienced in the office space market, and are specialists in their specific locations. All our consultants have visited the majority of buildings in their market and have first hand experience of the buildings. In addition every month we receive feedback from thousands of viewings – this feedback is captured and made available to our consultants to ensure their knowledge is up to date.

What are serviced offices?

Serviced offices are fully furnished plug-and-play offices for short-term requirements. Most serviced offices include utilities (electricity, water, heating), cleaning, service charges, buildings insurance and maintenance costs at an all inclusive cost.

Serviced offices offer great flexibility – you can move into serviced offices within days if not hours, and you can usually easily increase or reduce the amount of office space you need according to your company’s needs. Contracts are typically offered from periods of just one month upwards.

Instant lists all the serviced offices in the world together with a growing number of leased office space including, shared space, sublet space, industrial units and workshops.

What is a workstation?

A workstation is the amount of space typically allocated to one person. Although this will vary from one serviced office to another, the standard space for one workstation is approximately 75 square feet or 7 square metres. A single workstation usually includes a desk, chair and telephone; workstations can often be arranged according to your needs and preferences so you can have the optimal set-up for efficiency and productivity.

In many offices it is possible to take space on a sq ft rather than workstation basis.

How much do serviced offices cost?

In order for you to plan a budget for using serviced offices, we display pricing on the website for the majority of offices listed.

Serviced offices are usually quoted per person per month, although in USA, we quote the cost per office per month. The prices listed on the Instant website are indicative and tend to be negotiable.

Some prices are not displayed due to the operator’s discretion. However, once you submit your details, we will ensure you receive pricing details shortly.

Do they have meeting rooms?

Meeting rooms are often used to host a variety of short-term projects, including conferences, presentations and seminars. Most serviced office providers will offer meeting room services as part of their overall package, though you can usually book a meeting room on its own for just a few days, or even a few hours. If you would like more information, you can call us for FREE using our freephone numbers.

What is the Instant Cost Calculator?

The Cost Calculator is a model that Instant has developed to work out the costs of taking serviced offices as compared to conventional office space.

Although serviced offices can appear to be expensive on first glance, once you account for all the extra costs associated with conventional offices, you will find serviced offices offer a more cost-effective and flexible option for short to mid-term requirements.

Use the Instant Cost Calculator and see how much you could save over the course of your occupation.

How up-to-date are your listings?

The listings on our website are updated on a daily basis. New serviced offices worldwide are added every day as a result of the on-going research of our dedicated staff. Further, due to the regular and close contact we have with business centre operators, not only is the information displayed on the website real-time data, but we also promote the latest deals and special offers that are available, to enable you to make a well-informed decision whenever you conduct a search.

New Virtual Tours and photos are regularly added to the website and we also ensure that office and location descriptions are kept up-to-date to give you an accurate representation of all our listed centres.

How do we rate offices?

The Instant website enables users to rate the offices based on their experience of viewing a building or as an actual tenant in the building. Users can submit reviews and give a rating – this information is displayed on the website.

We began user reviews at the end of 2009 and are already generating 1000’s of reviews each month.

What kinds of offices are listed on Instantoffices.com?

At Instant, we specialise in serviced offices but we also market a wide variety of commercial property, to help provide the right solution for you. Not only do we list serviced offices, but also, leased office space, shared space, sublet space, industrial units and workshops:

Leased space / Sublet office space - Appropriate for long-term use. Larger configurations of office space, generally requiring cabling and fit out before you move in.

Shared office space - Cubicle or open plan office space shared with similar companies. Ideal for networking.

Managed offices - Suitable for mid-term occupation - all inclusive bespoke office solutions; fully furnished and fitted out. For more information on managed offices, please click here.

Industrial Units / Workshops – Generally larger configurations of space reserved for industrial or storage usage.

Virtual offices - Provide all the benefits of a traditional serviced office, without the need to physically occupy any office space. If you are interested in finding a virtual office, please visit our Virtual Offices section.

Do I need to provide my own computers?

Although some computer equipment may be available to rent directly from the serviced office provider, supply of the equipment you require cannot be guaranteed, especially when dealing with larger quantities. Bringing your own equipment gives you the greatest flexibility in ensuring you have the technology that best matches your requirements.

Do all the buildings have broadband internet?

It is standard that serviced office providers offer broadband internet access, though this is usually chargeable in addition to the monthly rent. Most business centres provide a variety of broadband packages, ranging from ultra high-speed connections to more standard internet packages. If you have specific questions about IT, please contact us and we will find the right answers for you.

Do serviced offices have IT technical support?

Serviced offices are generally laid-out and equipped so that technology issues are simple and straightforward to resolve, with very little technical know-how. However, if you do require technical support, most business centres offer on-site help both when you set up the office and for the duration of your occupancy.

How much do telephone calls cost?

This will vary from building to building but usually serviced office providers offer packages to suit a wide range of companies, from those needing to make high volumes of national and/or international calls, to those making minimal use of telephony. If this is an important issue for your company, please mention this to your consultant and we will take this into consideration when finding your office space solution

How much do Instant charge to list a building?

Listing your office space on the Instant' website is FREE. We only charge a fee if we successfully place a tenant in your building - hence providing a no-risk opportunity to find more tenants. This fee is standard across all geographical areas and is 10% of the first year’s rent. For full details, please see our Terms and Conditions.

How do I advertise my building on Instant?

We already work with thousands of operators worldwide but welcome any new partners wishing to list their building on the Instant website. If you are interested in working with Instant, please visit the List your space section.


Download the Instant Guide to Finding the Perfect Office in Three Easy Steps here.

Survey Form