Building Engines recently launched a brand-new event series, “Zeroed In” designed to bring commercial real estate leaders together over dinner to discuss a single relevant issue impacting their organizations. Tenant engagement, a top concern for CRE firms, was the topic du jour for the first of these dinners in New York and Atlanta. Here’s who we saw, and what we heard.

New York – How to Engage Contemporary Tenants

The series opened on March 30 at The Sea Fire Grill in Manhattan. The group included executives from some of the industry’s most respected senior real estate managers, including CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, and local heavy hitter RFR. Asset managers from Callahan Capital Partners and Invesco were also represented as was CRE merchant banker/advisor, Kimberlite. Rounding out the attendee list was our special guest from one of MetaProp NYC’s incubator companies, hOM.

After some time for cocktails and networking, the group sat down at the table for a brief stage-setting talk by Ryan Freed, Co-founder of hOM, a health-and-wellness-focused amenities programming platform that serves high-end commercial office and apartment buildings. From there, the conversation shifted to how  invited guests engage  contemporary tenants in an era where retention is top of mind.

Atlanta – The Importance of Workplace Experience

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Atlanta community gathered on April 5, the eve of the BOMA Southern Region Conference, at Del Frisco’s Grille in Buckhead. Mark Dukes of Physicians Realty Trust and Ian Hughes of Lillibridge headlined the evening. At the table were leaders from many of the market’s largest property management firms, including Atlanta Property Group, Brand Properties, Lincoln Property Company, Pope and Land, and The Simpson Organization. Special servicer CompassRock and tenant rep brokers from CRESA Partners rounded out the group.

Walkability was a top-of-mind discussion point in a market known for its traffic problems. Unlike in New York, the ability to walk to shops, restaurants, and transit stops is not something Atlanta tenants can assume—and yet, they are starting to demand it. In addition, the importance of a differentiated “workplace experience” has real estate professionals seeking better insight into tenant sentiment to understand modern demands.

Coming soon to a city near you!

Want to be part of these discussions? Good news,we’ll be taking the show on the road soon. Be on the lookout for events in Denver (in advance of the BOMA Medical Office & Healthcare Real Estate Seminar) 5/9 at The Broker, Cincinnati 5/18; San Diego 6/13, and elsewhere in the coming weeks. Contact your BEI representative or Kaylea Parkin (kparkin@buildingengines.com) if you’d like to attend. We look forward to continuing the discussion!