>I can and have hired quality developers in EU, GB, and South America at heavily discounted rates because without an office, what’s the difference?

Great, you've confirmed remote work works and can produce high quality results without an office. You've failed to bring up the other challenges beyond timezone of hiring outside your country of incorporation, it's not just timezones that creates challenges, but even timezones and keeping global teams in sync has its overhead. If you're also going to hire globally, then it looks even more daft to have people go into an office to "collaborate" with people who are in bed on the other side of the world.

"Ability to sit in an office" should never be a bullet point on anyone's resume.