How Hines is future proofing their real estate portfolio with Space-as-a-Service

Adding value and de-risking assets

Season 2, Episode 5 of the #WorkBold podcast...

"The right Space-as-a-Service footprint becomes less riskier than a conventional 10 year lease."

Annie Rinker, Director for the Office of Innovation at Hines and Board Member for the Global Workspace Association joins Bold Founder, Caleb Parker, to share how Hines is future proofing their portfolio with Space-as-a-Service.

Annie is the woman leading the roll out of Space-as-a-Service across the Hines global portfolio, which includes 539 properties across 205 cities in 24 countries on 5 continents (representing a whopping 232m SqFt.)

The two talk about management agreements with operating partners, what to look for in an operating partner, and how the right Space-as-a-Service footprint becomes less riskier than a conventional 10 year lease.

**Annie has some important advice for asset owners who are thinking about launching their own inhouse Space-as-a-Service operation.**

Questions asked in this episode

1. What drives the Hines approach to Space-as-a-Service?
2. Why create a sub-brand?
3. How do you determine which assets in your portfolio to roll out a Space-as-a-Service footprint in?
4. What are "fully integrated building amenities?"
5. Why go the operating partner route versus inhouse?
6. What do you look for in operating partners?
7. What does a financial model for landlords and operators that is sustainable for both look like? (Audience question from Benjamin Bach, Vice President Cushman & Wakefield)
8. What are the minimum amenities a building should offer?
9. Do you think all this remote work we're doing is going to increase the demand for Space-as-a-Service?
10. Do you agree with the JLL prediction that 30% of overall office stock will be Space-as-a-Service by 2030?
11. What is your view on asset owners who go the inhouse route to launching a Space-as-a-Service operation?

Value Bombs and Tweetables

• Coworking adds value through services to customers, which delivers revenue to the bottom line of a building
• Space-as-a-Service can add $2 NOI to an asset
• Real estate is becoming a much more service oriented industry
• Large companies need to be nimble, small companies need the ability to quickly grow
• Hines recognized they had to offer a Space-as-a-Service product in their buildings to attract and retain customers
• Space-as-a-Service becomes a competitive advantage for an asset
• Flexspace enables Hines to align with the needs of contemporary and future office customers
• With the ability to work remotely the physical office becomes more of a want than a need, so real estate owners need to think about the services that support culture and collaboration
• Hines chose the operating partner route versus spinning up inhouse operation
• When looking at asset strategy and how to incorporate flex it’s Important to choose a brand that is aligned with your building’s brand, but also important for the partnership to be fully aligned 
• We’re going to see a shift of attitudes in the capital markets towards Space-as-a-Service
• The right Space-as-a-Service footprint becomes less riskier than a conventional 10 year lease
• Health and wellness amenities will be expected of Class A office buildings in a post Covid world.
• Remote work will create more demand for Space-as-a-Service 
• Space-as-a-Service could exceed JLL’s prediction of 30% of overall office stock by 2030
• Warning: Real estate owners have a lot to consider before launching their own Space-as-a-Service operation versus going the operating partner route.

Resources

Global Workspace Association Board

99% Invisible Podcast

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About Annie Rinker

Annie Rinker is Director for the Office of Innovation at Hines and Board Member for the Global Workspace Association

Annie has has over 13 years experience in the Space-as-a-Service, brokerage, property management and asset management fields.

She gained her master’s degree in real estate finance and development from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Starting at Carr Workplaces as a Client Services Director in 2006, her story is impressive as she climbed the ladder at Carr. If you don't know, Carr operates the seventh largest shared office space company in the US, with 32 locations and more than nearly 800K square feet of office space supporting over 10K clients across their portfolio in major cities such as DC, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston to name a few. Annie became Vice President of the company before launching Carr's managed office product called WorkReady.

Throughout her career she's managed coworking facilities, been responsible for all financial and operational components, and she's managed a regional sales team of coworking managers. 

Now she continues to build on the intersection of coworking and traditional commercial real estate by exploring other ways to drive value in buildings though the Hines coworking platform, The Square.

If you have any questions or feedback on this episode, email [email protected]

Sponsors

Fortune Favours the Bold

Bold helps commercial real estate create & manage flexible spaces to dream, create, share, and succeed in. Now part of NewFlex (www.workbold.co)

Future Proof Your Portfolio with NewFlex

NewFlex delivers and manages a range of branded solutions for every type of building, in every type of location, for every type of occupier. Including the flexibility to develop your own brand. All enabled by flexible management contracts where we are invested in making money for you. (www.newflex.com)

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