Got two offers in Q1 2026. Both listed as hybrid, both with room to move. I negotiated one to fully remote and one to "remote with quarterly travel." Here is literally how I did it.
First: don't open the negotiation at offer stage if you can help it. The best time to surface remote expectations is during the recruiter screen or second interview, framed as a clarifying question: "What does hybrid mean day-to-day for this team?" You get intel AND you signal it matters to you without triggering alarm.
If the answer is 3+ days in-office and you need remote, you have to decide early. Don't waste three rounds hoping they'll bend.
At offer stage, I said something like: "I want to accept this. Before I do, I want to make sure we're aligned on location. I've been fully remote and highly productive for four years. Is there flexibility to work primarily remote with planned in-person for team events?" That framing: specific, past-tense evidence, not a demand.
What worked: role with a remote-friendly manager who also commuted. She went to bat internally because SHE didn't want to be in the office every day either.
What didn't work: company where RTO was an exec mandate from above. Recruiter was sympathetic but had zero pull. They said no. I walked.
A few things I'd add. If they say "we're piloting flexible schedules," that's not a yes. Get the specific arrangement in writing before you sign. And if the job posting says "in-office required" do not expect to negotiate your way out of it at the final hour. You can try but go in with low expectations.
For roles that are genuinely critical to be on-site (hardware, labs, certain healthcare IT), this just doesn't apply. Know your category.
The job I took: remote-first team, quarterly offsites. Couldn't have negotiated it if I hadn't asked the right questions early.