WeWork's Rapid Expansion Includes Seattle

Shared office space firm WeWork has ambitiously expanded around the world and Seattle is no exception. Globally, the company has more than 400,000 members and 425 physical locations in 100 cities and 27 countries. The company adds an average of 1.5M SF every month. 

In March alone, WeWork opened 19 new locations and expanded 19 existing locations in 14 countries and 29 cities.

Locally, the company grew from four locations at the end of 2017 to 12 today. By the end of the year, WeWork expects to have 22 locations in the Seattle and Bellevue area. The coworking giant recently secured four new leases including an entire building on Capitol Hill.

“There is a lot of competition for real estate and flexible use of real estate,” WeWork Vice President and General Manager Gina Phillips said. “We are being very aggressive here. Moreso than other markets in the U.S.”

She credits the company’s local growth in part to the city’s strong inflow of tech talent.

“People are choosing to live in Seattle, and then find work,” she said.

The high-talent workforce is creating a critical mass that is pulling startup companies into the city. Those startups find office-sharing space more affordable and flexible. Many of the companies that have evolved beyond the startup phase continue to use WeWork’s services, Phillips said.