Many of us know and understand that company image and culture is projected in many different ways. From branding and marketing materials to where you house your business. Many Tenants, be they retail, office, or industrial in nature, choose buildings and locations based on their “curb appeal”.  While there is no discounting the way a building looks from the street, experienced and knowledgeable real estate brokers know that what you see isn’t always what you get.  Sometimes poor brokers and naïve Tenants overlook the fact that there are two distinct audiences to please simultaneously: the way they’re portrayed in the outside world, to their clients and the public at large and what the company portrays to their employees and vice versa.

On the outside is the architecture, the building skin of granite or glass, the expansive lobby and the corporate identity (not necessarily theirs) on the top of the building. These factors may influence outsiders.  Have you asked yourself and thought about what is really important to your valuable employees in regards to their workplace?  Think location, ease of parking, the speed of the elevators, the smell of the bathrooms, the design of the suite, and the amenities in the building and the neighborhood. Employee productivity and satisfaction may fall into the hands of your physical office space, for example, like the basics  – when it is too hot or too cold or when there is not an adequate common area space for breaks and lunch time.

Next time you think about moving or signing a new lease be sure to consider all the ways in which a building and office space might really be impacting your business operations and the image it portrays to both the outsiders and most importantly those inside your office space. It might surprise you to learn that these are all things a good real estate broker can identify and by working together you can avoid and resolve them before you sign your lease.

– Aaron W.