How to Find Office Space in Berlin: Who to Call, Who Pays, How Long It Takes (2026)

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There are three ways into an office in Berlin, and they take anywhere from a week to half a year. A flexible office is a fitted room on a short licence with one monthly fee. A managed office is a whole floor an operator fits out for you on a one-to-three-year agreement. A conventional lease is the long route: your own fit-out, your own contract, and a term measured in years. Which one fits depends on headcount, how long you are committing for and whether you have an entity in the country yet. This guide covers who the players are, who pays, and what each route involves. Berlin is Germany’s startup capital and its cheapest major office market, with a coworking culture that predates the global chains (betahaus and St. Oberholz opened before WeWork existed). Mindspace and Design Offices lead the serviced segment; Unicorn and Satellite Office are the Berlin-born chains.

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Who you will deal with

Operators own or run the flexible buildings and sell desks and offices direct: Mindspace, Design Offices, WeWork, IWG (Regus, Spaces, Signature), Unicorn Workspaces, Satellite Office, betahaus, St. Oberholz, Scaling Spaces, WorkRepublic, ecos office center. Flex brokers and marketplaces list several operators in one place: Instant Offices, Coworker, Workthere, and SquareFoot. Leasing agents and tenant representatives handle conventional space: JLL, CBRE, Colliers, Cushman & Wakefield, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Savills, Engel & Völkers Commercial. Most Berlin operators quote on enquiry rather than publishing a price; SquareFoot shows the published ones and asks the operator for the rest.

Who pays

• Flexible space: the operator pays the introducer when a tenant signs; the tenant pays nothing and the rate is the same as going direct.
• Leases: the broker’s commission (Maklerprovision) on commercial space is a matter of agreement; in Berlin it is commonly paid by the tenant, often in the range of one to three months’ net rent, since the residential rule that the party who hires the broker pays does not apply to offices.

The three ways in, and how long each takes

What to have ready

• A foreign company can take flexible space with its registration extract and the signatory’s ID; longer managed-office terms may call for a German entity or a guarantee.
• Incorporating a GmbH needs €25,000 share capital (half paid in) and a notarial deed, then registration in the Handelsregister and a Gewerbeanmeldung at the district office; a UG (haftungsbeschränkt) starts from €1. Allow two to six weeks. The company needs a ladungsfähige Anschrift, a registered address where documents can be served; operators’ virtual-office products can provide it, but check that the operator will accept service of documents. There is no residency requirement for the Geschäftsführer.

How SquareFoot fits in

SquareFoot is a marketplace, not a broker in Berlin. It lists the operators’ published centres and prices in one place, lets you shortlist and ask for a tour, and hands the request to the operator or a local partner who confirms availability and the exact price. The tenant pays nothing; the operator pays the introducer when a contract is signed. Flexible space is quoted per Arbeitsplatz (desk) per month; conventional leases are quoted per square metre per month as net cold rent (Kaltmiete), before service charges (Nebenkosten) and VAT at 19%.

SquareFoot lists 31 flexible office centres in Berlin from 3 operators, collected October 2026 from the operators’ own published pages. Guide written by SquareFoot; last reviewed October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get an office in Berlin?

Flexible office: One to two weeks. Managed office: Four to twelve weeks for a self-contained floor fitted and run by the operator on a one-to-three-year agreement. Gewerbemietvertrag (commercial lease): Three to six months: offer, lease negotiation that must satisfy the written-form rule, your own fit-out, and a term of three to five years or longer with options.

Do I pay a broker to find an office in Berlin?

Flexible space: the operator pays the introducer when a tenant signs; the tenant pays nothing and the rate is the same as going direct.

Do I need a German company to rent an office in Berlin?

Not for flexible space, which a foreign company can take on a usage agreement. A commercial lease usually needs a German entity; a GmbH or UG takes two to six weeks to register and needs a registered address, which an operator’s virtual-office product can provide.

Related: Flexible office vs lease in Berlin · Where to put an office in Berlin · Live listings in Berlin · Office space abroad: all cities

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