CRE Needs a B2C Mindset

The relationship between the landlord and tenant at a commercial building has always been primarily business-to-business (B2B). Buildings need rent-paying tenants, and tenants need space to work together toward each one's corporate mission. 

But things are changing. Fierce competition for talent means that tenant occupiers are using every tool at their disposal to attract and enable high-quality employees, and that includes the office space itself. Today, the workplace experience is as much a part of a lease’s value to tenants as the financial terms of the deal. 

This emphasis on the individual experience means that commercial real estate (CRE) is acting a lot more like a B2C (business-to-customer) relationship than ever before. Tenants now expect their employees to have the same types of personalized, direct, and convenient customer experiences at work that they do as consumers when they travel, dine out, or shop. To provide this, CRE professionals need to shift their thinking. 

While this will not be an easy transition, it can be done. We've outlined 5 suggestions in our latest post on BuildingBeat, the Building Engines blog. Taking these steps will help industry practitioners move beyond a purely transactional approach and lay the foundation for success in a B2C future.