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Globally, occupiers and landlords are responding
to game changing developments in technology,
economics and demographics. You can think of the
relationship as a game of chess; going back and forth,
each decision tied to the next. Let’s take a look at
how it plays out and where tactics can be improved.
First of all, what are the player’s goals for the game?
Landlords want occupants that bring value to their
rent roll. In terms of occupiers, they recognise the
value of their people and attracting and retaining
talent as key to achieving business success.
Landlords parry with amenities to differentiate their
offering and lure the most valuable occupiers, the
biggest, the most credit-worthy, the magnets and
influencers who draw the attention of others and
in turn help increase the value of their buildings.
Occupiers are drawn by an appealing work
environment as a positive influencer for their current
and future workforce.
It sounds like providing amenities is a winning
strategy for both players, but recent research of
Cushman & Wakefield finds conflict between what
occupiers want and what landlords think occupiers
want.¹
We found that most tenants identified cost as the
most important factor, followed by location. Amenity
factors, such as natural light and end of trip facilities
were rated highly by occupiers along with large
floor plates that can accommodate flexible fitouts.
Despite this evident preference, landlords believed
that customer perception of the building and services
were more important.
Checkmate.
The Amenities Game:
Occupiers vs. Landlords
Occupiers Landlords
Cost
Proximity to
public transport
Flexible fitout
Floor plate size
Customer
perception
Interconnecting
stairs
Flexibility
Concierge
services
Car parking
Sustainability
What do you consider are important
to tenants?
1 Cushman & Wakefield
(2017), OFFICE LEASING,
Trends and Outlook
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