Medellín's vacant offices fell to 3.7%: a permanent desk structures the week

Medellín had fewer available offices than at the end of 2025: 3.7% versus 4.6%. For one person or a small team, that context makes it more important to separate the daily base from spaces used only at specific times.

A permanent desk in Ciudad del Río, within a coworking space or shared workplace, provides that base for individual work while conversations needing privacy or more people move elsewhere. A stable desk keeps each workday from starting with the question of where to sit and talk.

The office figure comes from JLL's Medellín market report, published on August 19, 2026. The same report records 7,700 m² of net absorption and no new supply in the first half; it is not a permanent-desk rate or a price comparison between services.

How can a permanent desk support focus and meetings without paying for a private office?

The arrangement works when the permanent desk is reserved for work needing continuity and conversations move away from that zone. A schedule that separates individual work, calls and in-person meetings reduces improvised changes of place during the week.

• Focus blocks: documents, analysis and tasks best resumed from the same desk.
• Video calls: soundproof booths, spaces designed to isolate call audio.
• Client or team sessions: a meeting space matched to the planned number of people and format.

At NOI, the permanent-desk service lists 24/7 access, high-speed internet, soundproof booths, ergonomic furniture, private lockers and access to meeting rooms. Room availability, capacities and plan terms depend on the commercial proposal.

Professional on a video call inside a soundproof booth. Illustrative image generated with artificial intelligence.

What should a permanent desk include for deep work, video calls and client meetings?

What matters is that the desk supports the ordinary workday and that the space provides a clear alternative for each activity that interrupts it. The desk, connection, chair and storage matter more to focus than a long list of occasional services.

For occasional days or visitors who do not need a permanent base, coworking by the day changes the scale of the decision. For variable attendance, a coworking pass bundle may fit actual use better; its terms should be confirmed before contracting.

When does a permanent desk make sense instead of a traditional office in Medellín?

A permanent desk often fits when one or a few people need a stable place, but meetings do not occupy a room all day. A private office makes more sense when the team needs continuous privacy, simultaneous desks or its own space to receive people.

JLL's average rates per square metre describe the office market, not the price of a desk, a meeting room or a guaranteed saving. The useful comparison starts with the hours of work, meetings and privacy the team actually needs.

Three professionals meeting in a coworking room. Illustrative image generated with artificial intelligence.

How can the monthly cost of a permanent desk and the meeting rooms actually used be calculated?

The monthly calculation separates the recurring base from variable use. The base is the desk; variables include meetings, additional desks and other members' days of use. There is no single public rate or published minimum term that compares all those scenarios.

• Expected attendance per person and the days requiring a stable desk.
• Number of meetings, their duration and attendees each month.
• Privacy, storage and access needs outside normal hours.
• Written terms on length of stay, plan changes and meeting-room use.

What should a company agree with its hybrid team before using a coworking space as a work base?

The agreement should define who attends, which activities take place there and how information and meetings are handled. Law 2466 of 2025 describes hybrid telework as a model with days at home and others at the employer's physical facilities, with flexibility and a focus on results.

That definition does not by itself make a coworking space an employer facility or settle employment, occupational health and safety, or workplace-risk-insurance obligations. The company needs to validate this with its legal and occupational health and safety teams before adopting the space as a base.

Once the week has a clear pattern for focus, calls and meetings, a conversation with NOI can centre on that actual use rather than a generic promise of space.