Put simply, the demands of the property consumer are changing. Particularly in the Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) sector, young people are demanding a new way of working and this has gathered pace over the last couple of years. In particular, they are looking for a better work/life balance and a happier workplace plays a part in this.

A new culture
According to Mike Hussey, Founder of Almacantar, “Global businesses compete for the hottest graduate talent. Many TMT companies are winning this talent by developing a working environment around the company culture. It appeals to their values. It can be a powerful draw.”

A response to changing lifestyles
When businesses are looking to relocate, a healthy working environment for their staff now ranks high on their list of buying criteria. Features such as natural daylight, fresh air ventilation, roof gardens, break-out areas and cycle parks in buildings are attractive to prospective occupiers weighing up the pros and cons of a new building. Likewise, lifestyle factors come into play, such as social interaction, transport links and local amenities.

But it’s the result of these factors that is particularly important. The outcome is an uplift in the productivity of the company. Addressing ‘wellbeing’ therefore presents a genuinely valuable asset.

So how should a developer communicate wellbeing to prospective occupiers?

Designing happiness and wellbeing into a building without communicating its value is a missed opportunity.

In marketing a property, developers should be looking for unique selling points to build a campaign around to give potential occupiers a clear message about what the building offers compared to others. If they have considered wellbeing, it should be at the forefront of the marketing campaign or even be the central theme itself.

So how do you go about this? What are the key questions to ask to convey the value that your building represents?

Here are some suggestions:

• What is the core proposition of the building? Is the wellbeing aspect strong enough to stand up as the core proposition? Should it be at the centre of a marketing campaign or play more of a supporting role?

• How can wellbeing messages be illustrated to emphasise their value? It’s important to bring these to life.

• Could statistics be used to illustrate wellbeing? Available data on the effect of wellbeing on increased productivity is in its infancy, but there are statistics provided by the World Green Building Council’s publication “Health, Wellbeing & Productivity in Offices, the next chapter for green building”. These are helpful in communicating the value of the wellbeing. Read it here.

Kimpton Creative is proud to be working with property developers and their agents to ensure that they leverage every valuable asset they own.