9 Nov 2026
Office Matters: Why mindset matters more than ever in the office renaissance
The office market is navigating one of the most profoundperiods of change in its history, yet according to office renaissance advocate Dan Carey, the biggest challenge facing the sector isn't capital, construction costs or hybrid working. It's mindset.
In the latest episode of Office Matters, BCO chief executiveSamantha McClary sits down with Carey to discuss his two-decade journey through the office market, the creation of Founders Faction, and why the industry's future depends on collaboration, entrepreneurial thinking and empowering thenext generation of leaders.
A major theme of the conversation is Carey’s belief in thepower of fractionalisation - breaking down traditional business structures and allowing organisations to access specialist expertise only when they need it.
He argues that today's market conditions demand a differentapproach. With capital costs high, development activity constrained and occupier expectations evolving, businesses need access to flexible expertise rather than large fixed teams.
This philosophy led to the creation of Founders Faction, anetwork of specialists brought together to help owners, operators and occupiers solve complex real estate challenges through collaboration rather than hierarchy.
For Carey, the traditional models that got the industry towhere it is today may not be enough to take it where it needs to go next.
Throughout the discussion, Carey repeatedly returns to onebelief: success is rarely the result of a single person.
Drawing comparisons with sporting icons such as MichaelJordan and Wayne Gretzky, he argues that even the most talented individuals only achieve greatness when supported by the right people around them.
The key is understanding where your strengths lie, recognising where others can add greater value and putting ego aside for the benefit of the wider team.
The sector, he suggests, has become accustomed to doingthings a certain way. Real transformation only happens when people are willing to challenge long-held assumptions, embrace new approaches and remain open to change.
As he explains throughout the conversation, changingbehaviours starts with changing the way we think.
Carey is particularly passionate about supporting emergingtalent and praises initiatives such as the BCO's NextGen programme for helping create opportunities for younger professionals.
For an industry facing rapid technological change, evolvingworkplace expectations and increasing pressure to deliver sustainable outcomes, nurturing new voices has never been more important.
The BCO’s Office Matters podcast often explores the futureof workplaces, but this episode focused on something arguably more important: the people shaping that future.
This is a conversation about leadership, entrepreneurshipand the future operating model of real estate. Most importantly, it's a reminder that if offices are being reinvented, the industry must be willing toreinvent how it works, how it collaborates, how it develops talent and, most importantly, must be willing to shift its mindset.
Why? Because the future of the office depends as much on how people think as on the buildings they create.
Listen in for more on:
Why the office renaissance is already well underway
Fractionalisation may be the key to a truly collaborativesector
The importance of empowering the next generation of leader today
Why mindset is the biggest challenge and opportunity our sector has
