The Real ROI of Flex Office Tech with Kurt Patrick

In this episode of PlotLines, we’re joined by Kurt Patrick, Senior Enterprise Account Executive at essensys, for a candid conversation about how technology is transforming the flex office market—and why landlords can’t afford to treat infrastructure as an afterthought.

Coworking’s current growth cycle looks a lot different than the last one. This time, it’s not about buzz or branding—it’s about performance, precision, and profitability. Kurt walks us through how operators and landlords are rethinking the fundamentals, from tap-to-book phone booths to analytics that help drive smarter leasing decisions.

Kurt shares how platforms like essensys are enabling everything from seamless tenant access to real-time booking and Wi-Fi that just works—everywhere in the building. With hybrid work still evolving and traditional leases under pressure, these kinds of tools are helping owners rethink square footage needs and avoid costly underutilization. He also breaks down the impact of essensys’s newest product, Elumo, which makes it possible to reserve, unlock, and pay for space straight from your phone—no app download required.

The conversation explores why Class A buildings are outperforming and how hospitality-minded landlords like Hines and Tishman Speyer are raising the bar across their portfolios. We also talk about how coworking is being used as a leasing tool—not just a use type—and how tech can help asset owners anticipate churn, retain tenants, and optimize space in real time.

For Kurt, it’s simple: If your building isn’t digitally enabled, it’s falling behind. And in a world where tenants expect optionality, experience, and convenience, infrastructure isn’t just a backend feature—it’s the product.

Tune in to hear why Kurt would rewrite the headline as, “Unprecedented underwriting evaluation for coworking: new methodology created. Albert Einstein, back from the dead, saves the world.”