PM promotion vs smaller firm — how to evaluate flexibility before final interview?

I’m currently an APM in CRE and work 5 days a week, 9–5 in office. I work for one of the larger national institutional firms. The one big upside is I live walking distance to my buildings, so day-to-day is easy even though the culture is pretty rigid.

I was recently told I’m being promoted to PM and will transition over the next month or two. It’s a solid step, but honestly the culture doesn’t really align with how I want to work long-term (very structured, in-office, not much flexibility).

I’ve been talking to a smaller firm for a PM role and just got invited to a final in-person interview. It seems more entrepreneurial, smaller team, less corporate, etc., which is appealing.

In my conversation with one of the partners, she emphasized:

•	they want someone very independent and not needing instruction

•	not to waste time going to properties unnecessarily

•	prioritize your own schedule and get things done

•	not micromanaged, flexible hours as long as work is done

But she also mentioned:

•	their office building is part of the portfolio

•	tenants come in and like to see someone in person

•	there’s some level of daily face-to-face interaction (not high volume, but consistent)

So I’m trying to reconcile those two things.

My hesitation is this:

Right now I walk to work, even if I’m in office 5 days a week. This new role would be a ~20–30 minute commute.

The only way it makes sense for me to leave is if the flexibility is real. If it ends up being mostly in-office presence anyway, then I’m basically trading:

•	walkable job

for

•	commute + same rigidity

which doesn’t feel worth it.

I’m trying to figure out:

•	Am I overthinking this or is this a valid concern?

•	In smaller CRE firms, does “flexible / not micromanaged” usually translate to actual day-to-day flexibility, or just less structure but still expected to be around most days?

•	How would you evaluate this tradeoff?

Also — I have a final in-person interview/meeting coming up. Would it be reasonable to send a quick email beforehand to clarify expectations around time in office vs properties vs remote work? Or is that something better handled in person?

Just trying to make sure I don’t make a move I regret day-to-day.

TLDR:

Up for PM promotion at current job (walkable but rigid 5 days in office). Also interviewing with a smaller firm that seems more autonomous, but would require a commute and unclear how “flexible” it actually is. Trying to figure out if I’m overthinking the flexibility piece and whether to push for clarity before final interview or figure it out in person.