Office space is the second biggest cost in almost every service business, and most firm owners can't say how it's being used. Christopher Burke, an Australian CPA and founder of the workplace management platform Hybrid Hero, joins Tom Wadelton and Adam Hale to talk about how CPA firms can reduce real estate costs in a hybrid workplace, close the gap between hybrid policy and actual behavior, and use office data to decide how their teams should really work. Key Takeaways: Owners feel this cost the most. At a big corporate, the person evaluating office costs isn't spending their own money. At accounting and law firms, the owners are paying the bills, and most don't know what they're spending.The data can pay for itself fast. A medium-sized U.S. insurer looked at its utilization, sublet one of its four floors, and cut 25% of its real estate costs overnight.Know your benchmark. Tom tells professional services clients to spend 3 to 5% of revenue on office costs. One 40-person client with two leases ending soon is spending about 12%.A policy nobody monitors isn't a policy. Chris sees firms set two or three in-office days, then never check whether it's happening. Policies can also vary by team and role instead of one rule for everyone.Showing up isn't the same as working together. One law firm found its partners and juniors in the same building but never near each other. The bigger question is how you want your team to work, and whether you can see it happening.Episode resources: ● Hybrid Hero: https://hybridhero.com/ ● Christopher Burke: http://www.chrisburkeexec.com/ ● If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at podcasts@anderscpa.com Quotes: Christopher Burke: "So I think the biggest thing we're finding is people just don't know what they're spending." Adam Hale: "The reality of the situation, though, is hybrid is very much necessary, just with work-life balance." Tom Wadelton: "I came in thinking, do I have the right kind of office space? And what it turned into was more, how do I really want my team to work?" About the Guest Chris Burke is the founder of HybridHero, a workplace operating platform used by enterprises in 40+ countries, including Dyson, BMW, and Pepsi. He works with COOs, CFOs, and senior leaders to fix hybrid work that cuts productivity, raises costs, and lacks visibility. Having built and scaled both a global consulting firm and a SaaS platform, Chris turns hybrid work from a policy into a measurable system covering workforce behaviour, office utilisation, and real estate cost. His focus is execution: how workplace decisions affect financial outcomes, performance, and efficiency at scale. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram, or visit HybridHero. Connect with Christopher Burke: Website: http://www.chrisburkeexec.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-burke-uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisburkeexec/ X: https://x.com/ChrisBurkeExec Visit Hybrid Hero: Website: https://hybridhero.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hybridheroos/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridheroos/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HybridHero-HH About the Hosts Tom Wadelton is a Virtual CFO at Anders, bringing over 20 years of financial expertise from his tenure at a Fortune 500 company. He has extensive experience spanning financial management, accounting operations, and information technology integration. Tom specializes in delivering strategic Virtual CFO services, helping businesses optimize their financial performance through advanced accounting solutions. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwadelton/ Adam Hale, CPA, is a Partner and Managing Director of Advisory at Anders, dedicated to transforming traditional accounting practices through innovative Virtual CFO services. With over 20 years in public accounting, Adam has been instrumental in the ideation and development of CPA training courses. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhalecpa/ About the Show The Modern CPA Success Show is the go-to podcast for accounting firm owners eager to enhance profitability and master Virtual CFO services. This podcast leverages combined expertise in delivering top-tier Virtual CFO services across North America. Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458888 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndersCPA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anders-cpa/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anderscpa/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@andersvcfo Join us for a free ethics webinar exploring what historic accounting and business scandals can still teach us about ethical decision-making today. Attendees can earn up to 2 CPE credits — register now at anderscpa.com/news-events. #VirtualCFO #HybridWork #CPAFirmGrowth