Where office space is at a premium price and fierce competition exists, it makes perfect sense to invest time in looking for a commercial real estate solution that will give your business a distinct edge in the marketplace. Whether you are looking to relocate your office, refit your existing office or find premises for the first time, hiring a team of experts that understands your needs and the real estate market will translate to a huge advantage.
The Benefits of a Commercial Estate Agent
If you’re a business struggling to get ahead and you need a new office space or a way to recreate your existing one, maybe it’s time to look at the benefits of using a commercial estate agent. But what can such a service offer you in a congested market?
If you’re looking for commercial premises in a crowded and busy city like London, for example, hiring a commercial estate agent will mean that you have local market expertise on your side. Companies in this sector that have decades of experience know the market and know the commercial real estate space intimately. They will understand and be familiar with trends in the market and will have already developed a rapport with local landlords, other business owners and brokers.
If you already know what kind of business premises you require, they can help you to find them quickly. If, on the other hand, you haven’t quite developed a vision yet, they can help you to flesh it out using their knowledge of what works best for modern businesses.
In fact, there are even some commercial estate agents based in London who also specialise in office and commercial interiors, refurbishments and refits. This means that they can take an approach to assisting businesses that begins at the planning stage and ends with the office refit and workplace design.
Using a commercial estate agent in this way saves time and money in the long run, and provides valuable access to their local knowledge, contacts and expertise. A reputable agent will work with you from the planning stage right through to the move and/or the refit or refurbishment, giving you a measurable advantage in a congested and competitive business sphere.
The Right Interior for a Happy Team
Once business premises have been located, the next step is to fit the space out in order to meet the expectations of your employees and your organisational vision. In fact, the right kind of workspace can even result in a net gain in terms of employee productivity, according to recent studies. This saves both time and money and propels the business to further growth and success. In this context, it’s worth looking at just some of the types of workspace interiors that increase productivity and employee satisfaction:
- A connection to nature: Providing a connection to the outside world through the extended use of window space and outside light and views can result in a more positive employee experience. If employees are happy in their workspace, it’s more likely that they’ll be more productive throughout the day.
- Employee control: Psychologically, if an employee feels more personally in control of their environment, they will also feel more comfortable. One way to provide this control is to give employees direct access to heating and cooling controls. If an employee can directly control their workplace comfort on a cold day, for example, they’re far more likely to be productive and less likely to be concerned with and distracted by basic bodily needs. It has also been noted in numerous studies that improved airflow, air quality and ventilation all translate to a more positive working environment and employee productivity.
- Interior design: Undoubtedly the layout and design of workspaces have changed significantly over the decades. In order to gain an advantage in a competitive market, the most reputable companies understand that putting employees at the centre of interior design and layout is paramount to gaining traction in the marketplace. Configuring office layout to clarify both workstations and social areas is key to good design and employee satisfaction, and designing in such a way as to decrease distracting interior and exterior noise provides for increased productivity. Encouraging employee collaboration without increasing distraction is one of the keys to a modern office layout.
- Active areas: More and more workplaces are also including active areas for employee exercise and other related amenities, such as gymnasiums and play areas. In Silicon Valley, for example, rich tech companies often include downtime areas where employees can relax and play games in order to break out of the workspace in order to feel more refreshed when they return. Including such breakout areas may seem revolutionary, but recognising that employee satisfaction, productivity and creativity are some of the secrets to business success is vital to understanding modern trends in interior design.
Your Business and Your Ongoing Business Reputation
In order to have a successful business, it’s vital to recognise that using every tool at your disposal is one of the foundations of being able to level the playing field and promote commercial growth. By using a commercial estate agent, a business gains access to local knowledge and design expertise that translates to business success in a modern business environment.
Ultimately, your business reputation is on the line, and by creating an inviting workspace through good design, the right location and more satisfied employees, you can gain a valuable foothold in the market. A great office means:
- Improved employee well-being, which translates to increased productivity and employee retention, and
- The broad potential to impress clients, customers and other visitors to your place of business.
If you see your place of business as indistinguishable from the reputation of your business, then making it the best place to work should be one of the cornerstones of your success. By investing in the workspace and hiring a commercial estate agent with experience who understands the locality and business trends, you are also investing in the future of your business.
