The hybrid workplace is here to stay – what are the implications for landlords and asset owners?

3 min read
25/11/2021
By Connor Shugrue

The pandemic has irrevocably shaped the future of work, where a hybrid workplace and work-from-home policies have become the mainstay. As large occupiers downsize to cope with the declining utilisation of office spaces, landlords and asset owners are moving away from traditional leasing and finding solutions to flex up and down to cater to this new normal.

At the recent Asia Pacific Real Assets Association (APREA) ‘s  Leaders’ Congress on 22 November 2021, Eric Schaffer, CEO, Asia Pacific of essensys sat on the panel discussion – “Proptech Shaping the Future of Real Assets”. He shared his views on the hybrid workplace together with other real estate veterans from Hiranandani Group, GLP and Tata Realty.

A key discussion revolved around defining “the customer” who would shape the future of the office. While traditional leasing models have focused on occupier end-users, Eric opined: “The actual customer is not the tenant who’s leasing space in the building. As organisations strive to keep talent, the actual customer is the individual employee who’s entering the building and experiencing the office. In a world of virtual meetings, digital connectivity takes centre stage as the top priority of the workplace.”

As employees start returning to the office, the next question for landlords will focus on how to digitally transform and manage their spaces at scale, in a cost-effective manner that caters for instant provision as and when their customers need it. Landlords are presented with an opportunity to play a critical role in this workplace journey.

By transforming underutilised spaces into flexible community spaces equipped with infrastructure to support a seamless digital experience, landlords can support the employee needs of their tenants to work from anywhere within the building.  “The flex model is no longer limited to one dedicated space. With the right digital infrastructure and network connectivity in place, the whole building becomes a flexible community space offering optionality for its employees to choose where they want to work,” said Eric. “That helps provide a best-in-class occupier experience for today’s talent.”

About essensys
Established in 2006, essensys is the world’s leading software and technology provider to the fast-evolving office space sector. We empower ambitious landlords and workspace providers to deliver next-generation office experiences. Our secure, all-in-one platform is specifically designed to solve the unique challenges of operating and scaling exceptional in-building experiences – secure digital infrastructure, effective space setup, seamless operations and friction-free occupier interactions. All powered by our proven private network and cloud infrastructure. We power more than 20 million sq ft across 170+ cities and are trusted by the world’s leading landlords and operators.

The company has ambitious growth plans for the Asia Pacific to increase global market share as demand for flexibility in real estate grows. essensys in APAC is led by property industry veterans in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney. To learn more, contact us here.

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