Staff working from home half the week put an inevitable damper on the office property sector. Will changing patterns keep the lights on and returns attractive?

Carl Pei, co-founder and chief executive of smartphone firm Nothing, recently told staff that from October they would be expected to be back at their desks in its London HQ five days a week.

“I know this is a controversial decision that may not be a fit for everyone,” he said in a LinkedIn post that attracted hundreds of comments. “This is a company for grownups, so if you need to be out of the office to deal with some issues, we trust you to make the right decision … We know it’s not the right type of set-up for everybody, and that’s OK.”