How can you tell if you’re in a true property partnership?

In October 2020, my colleagues and I were proud to launch Landsec’s revamped product range to the London office market. (In case you missed it, you can read more about Blank Canvas, Customised and Myo here.)

At the time we felt it was important to give some context to the product changes, so we also took the opportunity to publicly share the three guiding principles we follow to ensure everything we do is truly focused on anticipating our customers’ complex, changing needs. They are:

·      We forge genuine partnerships with customers

·      We create healthy and sustainable spaces

·      We enable great experiences at work, for both our customers and their clients

 Each of these principles is fundamental to our work, but I believe that the first is the most important of all – yet it’s also the hardest to talk about! We frequently share examples of the latest innovations making our offices so healthy and sustainable, and we can tell rich stories about the great experiences our customers have in our spaces – but how do we explain something as intangible as a partnership?

 For me, it boils down to valuing relationships more highly than transactions – but with ‘partnership’ fast becoming a property buzzword, how do customers even know if a landlord views them as a partner or just their next deal?

 To answer these questions, and perhaps more, I’ve written a quick guide to the signs to look out for that show you’re in a committed property partnership!

 1.    A property partner listens

When you set out on a property search, chances are the first contact you’ll have with a landlord will be with a salesperson – whether that’s an agent acting on their behalf or one of their own in-house leasing experts. But whatever your preconceptions of salespeople, you shouldn’t expect them to do all the talking! Listening is as vital to a property partnership as any other relationship. A prospective (or existing) landlord should soak up everything you say in a bid to understand all they can about your business and understand the world from your perspective.  

 2.    A property partner sticks around

A partnership isn’t forged overnight; a landlord needs to invest time and effort in getting to know your unique needs. So beware a ‘partner’ who outsources your relationship the minute you’ve signed the contract – how can they ever truly understand what makes you tick? We take pride in handling ongoing office management for our customers and being available day-in and day-out to keep things running smoothly makes us much more accountable and committed to the highest service delivery.  

 3.    A property partner believes in your business

We know you have ambitions as well as challenges ahead, and a property partner should be able to accommodate your business’ growth or potential restructures. At the heart of this is another buzzword – flexibility. As you evaluate what you want and need from your office space, we have a range of options to suit your needs in both condition of space and on-going service levels. Take our estate in Victoria – we have numerous examples of customers moving to consolidate into fewer larger floors or taking overflow space in Myo, our flexible office solution.

 4.    A property partner understands your brand

A bad landlord might view your office in terms of the square footage allocated and rental income. A regular landlord understands your office is a vital tool in attracting and retaining talent. A great landlord knows your office is a living, breathing extension of your brand and culture. The best landlords – the landlords you can truly build a partnership with – can actively help you bring your brand to life in your office, whether that’s through in-house design and fit-out expertise, stunning shared spaces as standard and even the curation of tailored events programmes.

5.    A property partner gets people

I’ll end with one more property buzzword – wellbeing. If you follow the world of offices, you’ll know landlords are falling over themselves to showcase the latest wellbeing tech being trialled in their new office developments – and that’s no bad thing at all. But I like to think a property partner doesn’t just scratch the surface of wellbeing with one or two add-on features, but rather bakes it into their entire product range – from better air ventilation, to thoughtfully incorporating nature and natural products, to better lit and acoustically considered environments. Landsec recently signed up to the WELL Portfolio programme which means applying the same wellbeing standards across all offices, not just the new developments – and for me this is a clear sign we value customers’ and individual’s wellbeing. For us, it’s not a zeitgeisty sales tool, it’s just the right thing to do for people.

 I hope this guide is useful for any leaders thinking about their own workspace needs. Above all else, when seeking a property partner, look for a landlord who’s clearly committed to making the office work for you.