Email Prospecting Strategies for Coworking Spaces and Flexible Workspace Providers
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The Flexible Workspace Industry
The coworking and flexible workspace industry has several distinct segments, each with different buying patterns and decision-making structures:
| Segment | Examples | Characteristics | Typical contacts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global coworking operators | WeWork, IWG (Regus/Spaces), Industrious | Large portfolios; standardised offerings; corporate HQ + regional managers | VP Operations, Regional Director, VP Technology |
| Regional coworking brands | Common Desk, Serendipity Labs, Novel Coworking | Multi-location within a region; locally managed | Founder/CEO, COO, Community Director |
| Independent coworking spaces | Single-location operators | Owner-operated; highly localised | Owner, Community Manager |
| Corporate flex providers | Liquidspace, Codi, Flex by Savills | Marketplace or managed flex for enterprises | VP Sales, VP Partnerships, Product |
| Hybrid office platforms | Desana, OfficeRnD, Archie | Software for managing flexible workspaces | CTO, VP Product, VP Sales |
| Commercial landlords with flex | Brookfield, Boston Properties, Hines | Landlord-operated flex space within their portfolio | VP Asset Management, Flex Space Director |
| Managed office providers | Managed by Q (WeWork), Knotel (legacy) | Turnkey office solutions for mid-to-large companies | VP Sales, Account Manager |
| Virtual office providers | Alliance Virtual Offices, Davinci, Opus | Mail handling, registered address, phone answering | Owner, VP Sales |
| Incubators and accelerators | Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Global | Startup programmes with workspace included | Programme Director, Operations Manager |
| University innovation hubs | University-affiliated maker spaces and coworking | Academic-affiliated; startup ecosystem | Director, Programme Manager |
Decision-making structure (multi-location operator)
| Role | What they decide | Prospecting notes |
|---|---|---|
| CEO / Founder | Strategic direction, expansion, major partnerships | Accessible at smaller operators; gatekept at large ones |
| COO / VP Operations | Operational tools, processes, space management | Key for operational technology and services |
| CTO / VP Technology | Software platform, access control, IoT, network | Drives technology purchasing |
| VP / Director of Sales | Membership sales, enterprise accounts, lead generation | Key for sales tools and lead generation services |
| VP / Director of Marketing | Brand, digital marketing, content | Marketing technology and agency decisions |
| Head of Community | Member experience, events, programming | Community management tools and event services |
| Head of Design | Space design, furniture, fit-out | Design and furniture vendors |
| Head of Real Estate | Site selection, lease negotiation | Real estate services |
| General Manager (per location) | Day-to-day operations at a specific location | Local vendor decisions; can influence company-wide |
| Community Manager (per location) | Member relations, day-to-day community | Operational tools used daily; strong influencer |
Finding Coworking Industry Contacts
Industry databases and directories
| Source | What you find | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Coworker.com | Global directory of coworking spaces | coworker.com (free listings) |
| Coworking Resources / GCUC | Industry research and community | gcuc.co |
| Deskmag | Coworking news and research | deskmag.com |
| Allwork.Space | Flexible workspace news and directory | allwork.space |
| DeskSearch / LiquidSpace / Deskpass | Marketplace listings of flex spaces | Free to browse |
| Commercial real estate databases (CoStar, CBRE) | Landlord and property data | Subscription |
| Professional profiles; coworking industry filter | linkedin.com | |
| Crunchbase | Coworking company funding and team data | crunchbase.com |
| Google Maps | Coworking space locations, reviews, contact info | Free |
Conference and event sources
| Event | Focus | Attendees |
|---|---|---|
| GCUC (Global Coworking Unconference Conference) | Coworking industry | Operators, vendors, investors |
| Coworking Europe / Coworking Africa / Coworking Asia | Regional coworking | Regional operators and vendors |
| WorkTech | Future of work and workplace technology | Coworking operators, proptech, enterprise |
| NAIOP / ICSC / CoreNet Global | Commercial real estate (with flex space tracks) | Landlords, operators, service providers |
| Future of Work conferences | Broader flexible work trends | HR leaders, operators, technology |
Email Patterns in Coworking
| Organisation type | Common patterns | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Large operators (WeWork, IWG) | first.last@company.com | Standard corporate format |
| Regional brands | first@brand.com or first.last@brand.com | Varies; smaller teams use first name |
| Independent spaces | Often personal email or first@spacename.com | Owner-operators often use personal email |
| Proptech companies | first.last@company.com | Standard tech company format |
| Commercial landlords | first.last@company.com | Standard corporate |
Prospecting challenges specific to coworking
| Challenge | Why it happens | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Fragmented market | Thousands of independent operators globally | Focus on multi-location operators for efficiency |
| Owner-operator model | Small spaces have no separate purchasing role | The owner is the decision maker, buyer and user |
| Tight margins | Coworking margins are thin; budget sensitivity is high | Lead with cost savings or revenue generation |
| Tech stack fatigue | Operators already use multiple software tools | Show clear integration or replacement value |
| Local decision-making | Even at chains, location managers influence purchases | Target both HQ and location level |
| High turnover | Community managers and sales roles have high turnover | Verify contacts before outreach |
| Startup mentality | Many operators behave like startups; informal processes | Keep outreach casual and direct |
Outreach Strategies
To large operators (multi-location)
| Approach | Details |
|---|---|
| Target by function at HQ | Operations, technology and sales are the primary buyers |
| Reference their expansion plans | "I saw you're opening 5 new locations in [market]..." |
| Offer pilot at one location | "We could pilot at one location before rolling out" |
| Reference peer operators | "Operators like [similar brand] use [product] to [result]" |
| Align with their tech roadmap | Large operators often have technology migration plans |
To independent operators
| Approach | Details |
|---|---|
| Keep it extremely brief | Owners wear many hats; respect their time |
| Lead with member experience or revenue | These are the two things independent operators care about most |
| Reference local market knowledge | "I noticed your space in [neighbourhood] focuses on [type]..." |
| Offer flexible pricing | Independent operators are price-sensitive; offer monthly or per-desk pricing |
| Engage through communities first | Slack groups, Facebook groups, GCUC community |
To commercial landlords with flex
| Approach | Details |
|---|---|
| Speak their language (NOI, occupancy, tenant retention) | Landlords think in real estate terms, not coworking terms |
| Reference their portfolio | "I noticed [Property] in your portfolio has added flexible space..." |
| Target asset management or flex space leadership | These roles drive flex strategy |
| Position as reducing vacancy | Flex workspace is a tool for managing vacancy and attracting tenants |
| Offer enterprise references | Landlords care about credibility and proven solutions |
Metrics for Coworking Outreach
| Target | Open rate | Reply rate | Meeting rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large operator (HQ) | 30-40% | 3-6% | 1-3% | Enterprise sales cycle |
| Regional brand (leadership) | 35-50% | 5-10% | 3-6% | More accessible; shorter cycle |
| Independent operator | 30-45% | 5-12% | 3-8% | Owner is the buyer; quick decisions |
| Commercial landlord | 25-35% | 3-5% | 1-3% | Formal; slower decision process |
Building Coworking Contact Lists
When compiling contacts from coworking directories (HTML pages), conference attendee lists (PDF), commercial real estate databases (CSV exports), and industry association member lists, upload the files to Email Extractor to extract and deduplicate email addresses. Coworking operator contacts appear across multiple directories and event lists, so deduplication prevents sending duplicate outreach.
