sub800: Skyrocketing to 2024’s 
Rising Operator

sub800 claimed the crown as the Rising Operator to watch at Flex and The City’s inaugural awards night. Founded in 2019, Sub800 has soared from a niche provider of “sub-800” spaces to a heavyweight in the managed office arena. Now delivering 5,000 sq ft spaces across Central London, in 14 different neighbourhoods, this operator’s rapid ascent is turning heads across the industry. We caught up with the team to reflect on their win and get the scoop on the steps that fuelled their success.

"What inspired the creation of sub800, and what was the vision from the start?"

sub800's founder and CEO is a commercial landlord with numerous workspaces across Central London. He witnessed firsthand the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. As employers faced the challenge of enticing employees back to the office, traditional landlords in London, including our Founder, found it increasingly difficult to compete with the extensive amenities offered by serviced offices. This inspired the vision for Sub800: to bridge the gap and make our founder’s workspaces more competitive by enhancing leased offices with the experience-driven services commonly found in serviced spaces.

Once the sub800 team managed to let all our Founder’s workspaces, we began building relationships with traditional property agents to expand sub800’s portfolio and reduce vacancy rates for our partners. The vision of sub800 was to create a brand that brought calm and comfort to the industry, while offering clients the services they really need.

"Winning the ‘Rising Operator’ award is a significant milestone—what have been the key drivers behind this victory and sub800’s fast rise?"

At sub800, we consistently listen to our partners and clients, whether it’s through insights from our brokers and agents or ongoing feedback from our clients. We strive to create a brand that businesses not only need but more importantly want to work with. We have an extremely open-minded approach to our business, which allows us to make necessary changes for the better of sub800.

“What does this recognition mean to the team?”

The award was an unexpected win for the sub800 team. With big players in the industry also being nominated for the award, we had no thought of scooping up an award on the night! The win has been an incredible confidence boost to sub800 and allowed us to feel real pride for the brand we have and continue to build. The trophy sits in a place of pride in our head office, serving as a constant reminder to the team of the impact of their hard work.

“What unique approach or value does sub800 bring to the market that has resonated so strongly with clients and differs over competitors"

sub800 have strived to create a product that first and foremost works for the clients, and a service that clients actually need. While other providers offer the incredibly ‘nice to have’ amenities such as saunas or bars, sub800 work to ensure that our services are provided to the highest of standard and are bespoke to the needs of that individual client.

The most important goal for those in sub800 is to ensure our clients have a calm and comforting experience with us. From the moment they explore options with us to their accommodate their daily needs, our team works to bring calm to their working days.

"What made the rebrand feel essential at this stage? Would you say this has contributed to sub800's success this year?"

With the evolution of the sub800 brand since its inception, the rebrand felt like a natural next step. We needed a brand design that represented our growth and improved business. The rebrand has given sub800 the chance to showcase the quality of our updated, current services and better engage our clients and partners.

The rebrand has catapulted sub800 to new heights, with growing recognition in the market from our broker and agent partners, we are working with more partners than ever, conducting more viewings and of course securing more deals. The growth has been incredible, so much so that sub800 has been continuously expanding our team so others can be part of the journey.

"Is there a specific brokerage that has been instrumental in sub800's success?"

sub800 work with a diverse range of brokers, from the large corporates such as Compton, JLL and Instant Offices to the bespoke Brokerages such as: Your Property Search, Elevate and Soul Spaces. The variety of the brokers we work with has been fundamental to the success of sub800. We continually endeavour to build mutually beneficial relationships with all our broker partners.

While brokers have been fundamental to the success of the sub800, so has the growing relationships with our agents. The likes of Ellis Brown, LDG, Belcor, and Robert Irving Burns has been instrumental to our success. We are looking forward to continued growing these relationships with our partners.

"What is next for sub800?"

With a growing UK team, more clients than ever before and new technology launches, 2025 has some very exciting opportunities in store for sub800. With incredible success in the UK, the sub800 team are continually exploring the idea of expansion...so watch this space!