Many of those investors (who sit on company boards) also participated in the decision to sign those 10 year leases or outright purchase or build massive offices.

Rather than looking stupid by having hugely expensive, empty, office space that you’re contractually obligated to keep paying for because of a decision you made pre-Covid, you encourage the he company to utilize so the asset doesn’t sit unused. (For better or worse)

If you purchased or built the office, it might hurt your balance sheet to sell the asset at a loss.

That loss might be greater than the cost of filling the office with people.

I could see a CFO making a pretty compelling argument like this to a board filled with investors.