Parking in the hybrid era. Here’s What It Means for Your Building.

Learn how app-based parking makes tenants happier, takes work off your team’s plate, and puts more money in your pocket.

Hybrid work is reshaping parking

Hybrid work has changed things. In the UK, companies are embracing shared, flexible workspaces. But that old parking permit system you’re using? Still stuck in the past. It doesn’t match how people actually use space anymore. Just as offices have adapted to hybrid demand, parking now needs to catch up — fast.

Savills research shows that office attendance is all over the place: mid-week spikes, quieter Mondays and Fridays. And it’s not just a London thing — cities like Manchester, Leeds, and Glasgow are seeing offices fill up fast. As hybrid teams spread outside London, flexible parking is just as important beyond the capital. It has to support occupiers and make the most of underused spots.

Then there’s the rise of electric vehicles. Smart, software-led parking solves both problems: giving hybrid employees a spot and letting EV drivers charge up without a hassle.

There’s been a real market shift — and Google agrees. Searches for parking management software are on the rise. Parking isn’t just a space anymore — it can help tenants and make life easier for property teams.

“Parking needs to reflect how people are using space in a hybrid world.”—Toby Litton, CEO Parkable

Why traditional parking fails in a Hybrid World

Old parking systems weren’t built for hybrid schedules.

• Operator-managed lots, spreadsheets, and fobs assume everyone comes in every day. Spoiler: most employees don’t.
• Manual processes are slow, messy, and full of mistakes. Keeping up with allocations, cancellations, and gate access? Basically a full-time job.
• Some days everyone’s circling for a spot. Other days, half the garage sits empty. Complaints? Most days.

The problem isn’t hybrid work—it’s the parking system. First-come, first-served rules plus part-time office schedules create chaos. Garages overflow on busy days, frustrating tenants and burying property teams in complaints. On quiet days, spaces that could’ve been booked or even offered to the public sit empty.

Market trends are sending a clear message too: it’s time for a smarter approach.

Workplace experience matters. Workplace perks aren’t just nice-to-haves — they shape tenant satisfaction. CBRE’s 2024–2025 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights report shows 92% of organisations now have clear office attendance policies and focus on amenities that actually improve occupier happiness.

Parking software is booming. The UK market is set to grow from $210.65 million in 2024 to $383.09 million by 2032, a 7.76% CAGR (Credence Research).

Old-school parking is falling behind. Google Trends data from 2019–2025 shows that searches for ‘parking operator’ and ‘monthly parking’ are flat or declining, while interest in ‘parking software’ and ‘parking management software’ keeps climbing.

How about we stop treating it as a blip and start shaping it into an asset strategy winner?

Market signals: Parking is becoming strategic

Technology adoption in CRE is accelerating (CBRE, Effective Technology and AI, 2024–2025)

77% of CRE teams report some tech maturity; 90% use CAFM/IWMS systems for space, asset, maintenance, and workplace operations.

Parking relevance: Parking software plugs into these systems, supporting data-driven, self-managed operations.

Location and accessibility remain critical (Cushman & Wakefield, What Occupiers Want 2025)

• Flexible location strategies are key for attracting and keeping talent.
• Parking relevance: Convenient spots and commute options influence tenant satisfaction and location choice.
  

Amenities and service differentiate buildings (Cushman & Wakefield, What Occupiers Want 2025)

• Buildings win on services and perks that tenants actually notice.
• Parking relevance: App-based parking is a visible, tangible amenity that boosts occupier experience.

Shift from efficiency to effectiveness metrics (CBRE, 2024–2025 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights)

• CRE teams now measure workplace experience, attendance, and hybrid policy success — not just square footage per person.
• Parking relevance: Parking ops are part of workplace effectiveness, not just capacity management.

ESG and sustainability are increasingly considered (Cushman & Wakefield, What Occupiers Want 2025)

• Sustainability is becoming a key factor in how occupiers judge office spaces.
• Parking relevance: Smart parking fixes reduce wasted spaces and emissions, contributing to ESG goals.

Key takeaway: Traditional parking struggles to keep pace with shifting attendance patterns and tenant expectations.

Self-managed, app-based parking is the way forward. It boosts workplace experience, improves operations, and makes parking actually convenient.

Making parking work harder for you

Flexible, software-led parking isn’t just about filling spaces — it’s about making life easier for occupiers, freeing up property teams, and turning underused spots into a real advantage. With the right setup, asset managers can focus on three key areas:

1. Tenant experience: reserve only what you need

• Make parking seamless and fair.
• Booking, swapping, and accessing in seconds makes parking effortless — complaints practically disappear.

2. Operational efficiency: automate management

• Automate allocations, permissions, and chargeback.
• Admin time is reduced by up to 90% when spreadsheets disappear.

3. Revenue generation: make unused spaces work for you

• Earn more from surplus, visitor, and EV bays with dynamic permits and flexible pricing.
• Parking runs smoothly without disrupting leases or landlord oversight.

“Less juggling, fewer headaches, more income—software-led parking makes it happen.

A smarter framework: Reserve → Share → Reclaim system —

The straightforward way to make parking work:

1. Reserve: align spaces with actual occupancy

Tenants book only the days they truly need a space. No more “all month” permits sitting empty half the week.

1. Share: get the most out of idle spaces

Unused spots automatically go into a pool for casual occupiers, visitors, contractors, or EV chargers. Simple, clear rules make sharing effortless.

1. Reclaim: release unused spots automatically

A cutoff system releases unconfirmed bookings — usually the day before — so others can claim them. No empty spaces, no last-minute scrambling.

Together, Reserve → Share → Reclaim improves tenant experience, cuts admin time, and boosts paid-day usage — making parking a real asset, not just a line on a balance sheet.

Parking software success stories: real-world results

Real-world parking, done smart. From small offices to towering buildings, flexible parking lets tenants grab a spot when they need it — and boosts returns while you’re at it. 

White City Place, London: making 400 spots work for everyone.

Home to BBC, ITV, Net-a-Porter, Novartis, and Li & Fung, White City Place had one big problem: people parking in the wrong spots — even with 400 assigned spaces to go around. The manual admin? Nightmare.

Integrating Parkable’s platform changed everything: the property automated problem-solving, tracked usage, and added ANPR for seamless access.

• Freed up the property team — goodbye endless spreadsheets.
• Made parking fairer — tenants could easily book, swap, or share spots.
• MOnetized excess - implementing paid casual parking for contractors visiting the site, and tenant employee overflow.

“Not only does Parkable’s technology solve our requirements, but I’m also very happy with the level of service we have had from Parkable - the team and onboarding process have been fantastic.” - Timothy Scanlon, Property Manager, White City Place

Soapworks:

Soapworks — a landmark workspace campus in Salford Quays — wanted a smoother, more consistent way for tenants to manage their parking day-to-day. With several large organisations on site and 20 acres of blended workspace, the team decided to move toward a modern, app-based parking system that would give tenants more control and reduce the touchpoints required from property staff. Parkable helped centralise management, integrate with ANPR, and give tenants a more predictable, user-friendly experience.

Barnett Waddingham, Cheltenham: removing parking admin and unlocking hidden capacity

At Barnett Waddingham’s Cheltenham office, parking was run through spreadsheets, with peak days seeing up to 30 people waitlisted for just 29 spaces. Swaps, cancellations, and day-to-day disputes were draining time and energy from the on-site team.

Ann-Marie Powell introduced Parkable to move space sharing into the app, giving partners a simple way to release their bays when not in, and creating a clear, fair system for everyone.

The results 231 additional parking sessions in a single month Admin time reduced to ~15 minutes per day

The takeaway When sharing is simple and transparent, the same car park can support more people, with far less admin.

The case for rethinking parking now

Hybrid work has permanently changed how people use the office. Empty spots at the start and end of the week frustrate tenants and put extra strain on property teams. Meanwhile, asset managers are feeling the pressure:

• Tight budgets: Every dollar of NOI counts.
• Operator contracts up for renewal: A perfect time to rethink parking.
• Tenants expectation: Flexibility, fairness, and predictability aren’t optional anymore.

The good news? Most of the benefits come from smart software rules and simple orchestration—no expensive equipment required. Across the UK, operator contracts are up for renewal just as hybrid attendance patterns settle. Asset managers are asking: does traditional operator-led parking still deliver, when software-led systems can cut costs, boost usage, and improve the tenant experience?

Leaving parking as-is, and you risk unhappy tenants, wasted spaces, and endless admin.

Making parking work harder for your building

Modern parking systems lets garages earn their keep:

• Tenant certainty: Everyone gets a spot when they need it. Smoother arrivals make employees feel valued. Fewer complaints build tenant loyalty. (7.8/10 Driver Satisfaction rate, 10/10 Property team)
• Lean operations: Bookings, sharing, and releases happen automatically, freeing you to focus on high-value tasks. (Management time reduced to 10mins per week)
• Revenue from surplus: Unused spaces, including EV spots, generate income through day passes or visitor access. More money, less guesswork. (4x ROI - 440% uplift in revenue)

Across UK assets, flexible parking delivers high driver satisfaction, major admin reductions, revenue uplift, and ROI of 400%+.

“At Parkable, we turn parking into a flexible asset that enhances tenant experience and generates measurable value” — Toby Litton, CEO Parkable

Boost tenant satisfaction, simplify operations, and increase revenue—explore a pilot plan today.