Landlords are battling with a changing occupier outlook, according to international advisor Colliers International, which finds that tenants want more flexibility, increasingly diverse locations, heightened service levels and a culture that puts their business needs at the heart of their real estate choices.
'The traditional relationships between landlords and tenants left some occupiers feeling neglected,' said Robert Campkin, EMEA head of corporate capital solutions, Colliers International.
'Development of co-working and flexible office space has put an onus on tailoring specific solutions to each individual tenant. It’s good to see more landlords now considering tenants as customers, heightening their service levels and efforts to accommodate a business’ bespoke requirements,' Campkin added.
Wolfgang Speer, head of office and occupier services, Colliers International, Germany, said: 'Germany has long been one of the more conservative European markets, yet the last three years has seen an unprecedented surge in co-working spaces throughout the country.
'Tenants are themselves more under pressure than they have arguably ever been due to changing markets and customers' habits evolving thanks to wider trends such as ongoing digitalisation. Property owners are facing ever increasing demands and competition over what they can provide to their tenants, which has led them to evolve their proposition or face being left behind accordingly.'
Speer concluded: 'The large co-working providers found a gap and have successfully, smartly exploited it in Germany. Providing tenants with the flexible space they need to operate, paired with a level of service that one might expect in a hotel has left landlords who are late adopters scrambling to adapt.'
