For 200 workstations in Makati CBD, the choice between a leased floor and a managed office depends on how long you will stay, how much cash you want to put in at the start, and how dense your layout is. Makati has rents below BGC's and no new office supply scheduled before 2028, so negotiating room is available but the choice of floors will not widen soon. This guide compares the two routes with a cost model you can rerun with your own quotes, lists operators with published space at your size, and gives the questions to ask.
A workstation is one seat with a desk, chair and computer setup. A managed office is a fitted floor operated for one client. CUSA means common use service area charges, which a landlord bills on top of rent.
How much space 200 seats need
| Density | Formula | Floor area |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 to 3.6 sqm per seat | 200 x 3.0 to 3.6 | 600 to 720 sqm |
| 5 to 7 sqm per seat | 200 x 5 to 7 | 1,000 to 1,400 sqm |
The first range comes from operator sites on the FlySpaces Cebu list. The second is a planning assumption for a leased floor with meeting rooms and amenities, not a sourced standard. Ask your space planner for your figure.
For scale, Colliers lists a typical floor plate of 1,942 sqm for the Zuellig Building, so 1,000 to 1,400 sqm is roughly half to three-quarters of one floor there (1,000 / 1,942 = 51%, 1,400 / 1,942 = 72%).
What the market data says
Leechiu Property Consultants reported an average Makati office rent of PHP 891 per sqm per month and 15% vacancy at end-2025 (BusinessWorld, 20 Jan 2026). In H1 2026, it reported no new office supply scheduled in Makati CBD until after 2028 (Outsource Accelerator, 2026), and Makati took 66% of office take-up in the first five months of 2026, which LPC attributes to softer rents and flexible lease terms (Context.ph, 18 Jun 2026). Averages are not quotes. Ask each landlord and operator for a current written offer.
How the two routes differ
| Item | Leased floor | Managed office |
|---|---|---|
| Fit-out | You pay, upfront or through a landlord arrangement | Usually the operator pays and recovers it in the monthly fee |
| Running costs (CUSA, utilities, cleaning, security, IT) | Billed separately | Usually bundled, so confirm what is included |
| Term | Set by the lease | Set by the agreement, ask for minimum term and seat reduction rights |
| Exit | Restoration and break clauses | Early-exit charges and make-good, per agreement |
| Control of layout and branding | Full | Depends on the agreement |
We do not publish deposit sizes, term lengths or per-seat rates for Makati, because we have no dated, operator-confirmed figures. Ask for them in writing.
A cost model with visible inputs
The formulas are the same as in our BGC quote guide. Base rent is the sourced Leechiu average of PHP 891. Every other input is hypothetical and is not a quote. VAT is excluded.
- Lease cost per seat per month = (base rent + CUSA + running costs) x sqm per seat
- Fit-out per seat = fit-out cost per sqm x sqm per seat
- Break-even months = fit-out per seat / (seat fee − lease cost per seat per month)
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Base rent | PHP 891 per sqm per month (Leechiu, end-2025) |
| CUSA (hypothetical) | PHP 230 per sqm per month |
| Running costs (hypothetical) | PHP 400 per sqm per month |
| Fit-out (hypothetical) | PHP 40,000 per sqm |
| Seat fee, managed office (hypothetical) | PHP 15,000 per seat per month |
| Density | Lease cost per seat per month | Fit-out per seat | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 sqm per seat | (891 + 230 + 400) x 5 = 7,605 | 40,000 x 5 = 200,000 | 200,000 / (15,000 − 7,605) = 27.0 months |
| 6 sqm per seat | (891 + 230 + 400) x 6 = 9,126 | 40,000 x 6 = 240,000 | 240,000 / (15,000 − 9,126) = 40.9 months |
In this example a lease overtakes the seat fee after about two years at 5 sqm per seat, and after about three and a half years at 6 sqm. The result depends on the inputs we chose and is not a market finding. A change in the seat fee or the fit-out cost moves it. The model also leaves out the lease deposit, your restoration cost at exit, and the cost of replacing equipment, so price those too.
Operators with published space in Makati
Details are as published by each operator or listing site, mostly undated, and capacity shows what an operator lists, not what is vacant.
| Operator | Building and floors | Published capacity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| KMC Solutions | One Ayala East Tower, 6th to 11th floors | 1,969 private office workstations; 10,664 sqm; PEZA-accredited building | KMC property page |
| KMC Solutions | Armstrong Corporate Center, Salcedo Village (ground floor, 7th to 14th floors and penthouse) | 1,300 private office workstations; 7,454 sqm; 917 sqm per floor | KMC property page |
| KMC Solutions | PBCom Tower, 33rd floor | 1,400+ sqm; 280+ seats | KMC website |
| KMC Solutions | One Ayala Mall, 4th floor | 479 private office workstations; 2,329 sqm | KMC property page |
| Compass Offices | Tower 6789, 16th floor, Ayala Avenue | Compass says the building accommodates teams of up to 300+; net floor size 12,000 sq ft; listed office size 1 to 25 desks; PEZA and LEED-certified per Compass | Compass Offices website |
| Regus (IWG) | Zuellig Building, 20th floor | Listings show offices of 3 to 20 seats, so 200 seats would need a custom arrangement | OfficePro listing |
For KMC's Armstrong Corporate Center, KMC and Workthere describe 917 sqm per floor. For a 200-seat team at 3.0 to 3.6 sqm per seat (600 to 720 sqm), a single floor is enough on paper. Confirm what a floor holds with each operator.
If you want to lease directly, the Zuellig Building is one example: Colliers lists it as PEZA-accredited with 65,000 sqm of gross leasable area and a typical floor plate of 1,942 sqm. We have not verified current availability, and AIA Tower, which your draft mentions, has no availability data on our side.
PEZA
If you are IT-BPM or shared services registering with PEZA, the building must be PEZA-accredited. KMC describes One Ayala as PEZA-accredited, Colliers lists the Zuellig Building as PEZA-accredited, and Compass describes Tower 6789 as PEZA-certified. Confirm each building and floor with PEZA. Also check the current remote work limit before you fix your seat count, as FIRB Resolution No. 005-2026 approved up to 90% for registered enterprises during the 2026 energy emergency (Cebu Daily News, 2026).
Questions to ask before you shortlist
- Is the quote per seat or per sqm, and is VAT included?
- What does the fee include line by line, and are electricity and air conditioning capped for night shifts?
- Who pays for the fit-out, and what is the balance owed if you leave in month 12, 24 or 36?
- What is the minimum term, and what does it cost to reduce seats or exit early?
- What deposit and advance rent are required?
- What must you restore at exit, and who prices it?
- How many seats are available on a contiguous floor now, and from what date?
- If you need PEZA, is the building and floor accredited?
Get a shortlist
Tell FlySpaces your headcount, your term and whether you need PEZA, and the team replies with a shortlist that fits. Inquire here
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