Founded in 2002, FreeOfficeFinder is an innovative and comprehensive service that helps companies find and rent their ideal office space for free.
As one of the pioneers in the market for private, flexible office space, the company has grown along with the industry by 2029 it should be 2.84 billion US dollars In the UK alone. FreeOfficeFinder has been at the forefront of this growth, meeting the demand for adaptable, managed and serviced office spaces in London and the UK.
The company’s mission is to offer businesses a wide range of office options without incurring high relocation fees common with other brokers. What started with a modest database of just two buildings has grown into a portfolio of over 2,700 properties managed by more than 1,000 landlords. This growth reflects FreeOfficeFinder’s unwavering commitment to providing a wide range of office solutions that meet diverse customer needs, from small startups to large enterprises.
To date, FreeOfficeFinder has helped over 50,000 organizations secure their perfect flexible office space, a testament to the trust companies place in their services. The company’s commitment to quality and industry standards is further underlined by its membership in the Flexible Space Association since 2009.
The FreeOfficeFinder team works in a hybrid work environment, splitting their time between a serviced office in Farringdon, London and remote working. This experience underscores the importance of a collaborative office environment – a perspective they convey to the clients they serve.
Here, CEO Nick Riesel of FreeOfficeFinder shares insight into the inspiration behind the company, the lessons learned over the years, and the principles that define their business approach.
What was the inspiration behind FreeOfficeFinder?
Ultimately, I saw a gap in the market and decided to go for it. I was working in residential real estate and saw an opportunity to solve a problem that so many people were facing. As I talked to people, I realized that the traditional methods of finding office space were too complicated, outdated, and often involved high costs in the form of agency fees and a lack of transparency.
The vision was to create a service that would not only connect customers with suitable office space, but also provide a seamless one-stop-shop process. This is how FreeOfficeFinder was born.
By leveraging the model where landlords pay us for successful launches, we have been able to keep the service completely free for customers, allowing businesses to focus on what they do best, without the added financial burden and complexity of finding an office. The term FreeOfficeFinder reflected our offering in 2002 and still does today.
Who do you admire?
Jeff Bezos stands out to me. His journey with Amazon, which transformed it from an online bookstore into a global marketplace that sells virtually anything quickly and easily, is a remarkable story of strategic realignment. His ability to anticipate the potential of the Internet and adapt his business model to it not only revolutionized e‑commerce, but also made him one of the richest people in the world. By remaining innovative and customer-focused, he demonstrated incredible business versatility.
I also admire Richard Branson for his amazing ability to create a brand that has spanned so many different markets and industries for over 50 years. His ability to help his brand succeed in so many areas is remarkable.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
Honest? Too much to count! I learned so much that would have been invaluable in the early days of the company. But I think, more than anything, it would have really helped to have a mentor right from the start.
Having access to someone with similar entrepreneurial experience could have really accelerated our growth and improved our decision-making processes. Over the past two decades, the learning curve has been steep and new insights have been gained every week. A mentor could have provided guidance and wisdom that would have resulted in milestones being achieved much more quickly and probably with fewer obstacles as well. There were so many questions I wish I could have asked. I hope to later be able to offer others the kind of mentoring that I now know has been so useful to me.
What defines your way of doing business?
The way FreeOfficeFinder conducts its business is based on principles that may seem cliché, but are fundamentally sound: providing good service and being fair to everyone involved — employees, customers and suppliers.
Our main goal is to promote a positive work environment and build long-term relationships. When people want to work with you and enjoy their work, it minimizes the time and resources spent on replacing staff or negotiating with dissatisfied customers. Instead, your time can be better invested in growing the business and improving service offerings.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
I think an important piece of advice is to prioritize criticism over praise. As harsh as it may sound, it is crucial to understand the weaknesses of your service or product. Constructive criticism means you have actionable insights that, if addressed correctly, can significantly improve the quality and attractiveness of your offering. When you accept feedback with a growth mindset, you can actually turn challenges into opportunities.
And of course, as I mentioned before, get a mentor if you can. When you have a mentor, you can learn from someone who has been through ups and downs and can pass on their wisdom to help you avoid mistakes and make smart decisions. Mentors help you build confidence, refine your plan, and introduce you to important people. Appreciate that an idea is more successful than the idea it was the idea of.
