Remember when COVID turned shiny office towers into ghost towns? Desks sat empty, coffee machines gathered dust, and offices became nothing more than expensive Zoom backgrounds. HUSPI was hit by this as well – we just finished remodeling and moving into our new office in February 2020… and, well, in the middle of March 2020, we all were forced to remain home. Over the years, our office became an occasional place of work, but the majority of our staff is working from home or has even moved to other countries.
Fast-forward to today: commercial real estate is staging a comeback. However, it’s not a “back to normal” as people imagined it during the lockdowns. Offices are being reimagined, and PropTech is leading the charge.
Across Europe, two very different examples highlight this shift: Berlin TXL, the ambitious redevelopment of the former Tegel Airport, and NLND, a Dutch model for sustainable, flexible office environments. Together, they show how PropTech is helping us rethink not just where we work, but how we work.
By the Numbers: Post-COVID Commercial Real Estate
By the Numbers: Post-COVID Commercial Real Estate •
Berlin TXL: The Urban Tech Republic
The days of 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday office life are gone. Employees want flexibility, and companies are under pressure to cut costs without losing culture. This is where PropTech steps in.
Berlin TXL isn’t just an innovation park — it’s a community built around collaboration. True to the idea of a “republic,” the focus here isn’t on individual wins but on working together to create healthier, smarter cities.
On-site, startups, researchers, corporates, and universities connect in a unique ecosystem where everyone learns from each other. It’s a place designed for people to develop ideas, find partners, test concepts, and grow teams — all while tackling the biggest challenges facing urban life, from clean energy and mobility to recycling, water, and digital infrastructure.
Residents share more than just space; they share a vision. With office and production facilities, test tracks, conference centers, and future incubators, the Urban Tech Republic offers room for every stage of company development — from early ideas to established businesses.
And just as important as the technology is the human side: TXL is being built as a place where people can live, work, collaborate, and take part in cultural and educational events, creating a vibrant community that blends innovation with daily life.
In short, Berlin TXL positions itself as a blueprint for sustainable megacities — powered by green technologies, strengthened by partnerships, and driven by the people who call it home.
NLND: A Campus for Startups, Education, and Collaboration
Similar to Berlin TXL, NLND Berlin highlights the human side: education, startups, and collaboration under one roof.
Housed in a former cigarette factory in Berlin-Neukölln, NLND is evolving into a 150,000 m² campus that blends private office and production spaces, a makers lab, and flexible co-working memberships — all surrounded by cafés, cultural venues, and even an urban sports park.
But NLND isn’t just about real estate. It’s about building a thriving ecosystem where startups, universities, SMEs, and corporates can connect and co-create. Their mission is to serve as a European lighthouse project for deeptech innovation and future city technology, with events and conferences that bring together the right partners, talent, and investors.
In other words, NLND is more than a workplace — it’s a place to learn, collaborate, and grow. A campus designed not just for desks, but for ideas.
Learn more about HUSPI's PropTech solutions & experience
Space as a Service, Not a Square Meter
The biggest shift of all? Landlords aren’t selling square meters anymore. They’re selling experiences.
Meeting rooms, collaboration hubs, gym passes, even curated networking events — all bundled into flexible, subscription-style contracts. Think of it as “Office-as-a-Service.”
Berlin TXL embodies this model. Tenants don’t just lease a fixed footprint; they can scale up or down as teams change. PropTech platforms manage billing, booking, and usage analytics so seamlessly that space feels more like a digital product than a physical lease.
Meanwhile, NLND shows how sustainability and flexibility work together. Tenants can choose add-on services — from green energy packages to wellness programs — much like you’d personalize a Spotify playlist. The PropTech behind the scenes ensures all this data flows smoothly between landlords, tenants, and investors.
For companies, this model reduces waste. For landlords, it unlocks new revenue streams. And for employees, it creates workplaces that finally feel designed for the way we actually work today.
Why PropTech Is the Backbone
It’s tempting to see Berlin TXL and NLND as unique projects. But they’re not outliers; they’re signals. They show where commercial real estate everywhere is heading: flexible, digital, and tenant-first.
PropTech is the backbone that makes this possible:
- IoT sensors for real-time building data
- AI platforms for predictive maintenance and energy optimization
- Blockchain for transparent leasing and fractional ownership models
- Custom tenant apps that blend finance, property management, and user experience into one
At HUSPI, this is where we come in: building the software that turns buzzwords into working systems. Platforms that handle the complexity of hybrid leases, integrate payments, and keep tenants happy.
Learn more about our experience in PropTech.
The Human Side of Smart Buildings
For all the talk of AI, IoT, and data, the real story isn’t technology — it’s people. Employees want healthier, greener, more flexible spaces. Landlords want stability in an uncertain market. Cities want sustainable development that attracts talent.
PropTech bridges those needs. It doesn’t just fill empty buildings; it creates communities, improves daily experiences, and redefines the value of real estate.
As one Berlin TXL planner put it, “We’re not just building offices, we’re building lifestyles.” That’s the kind of shift that sticks.
Conclusion: Does Your Office Work as Hard as You Do?
Commercial real estate after COVID isn’t dead. It’s reinvented. Projects like Berlin TXL and NLND show what happens when PropTech steps in: ghost towns become smart cities, and offices become services rather than expenses.
So the next time you step into an office, don’t just ask, “Where’s the coffee machine?”
Ask instead: “How hard is this building working for me?”
Because in the PropTech era, the smartest office isn’t the one with the best view — it’s the one that helps you work, live, and thrive.
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