Near transit (bus, light rail, streetcar, etc.), proximity to building entrance, easy freeway access, free or less-expensive on-site parking, preferred/reserved parking spaces available, car sharing service on site, free carpool parking, designated parking.

LEED-certified building modular and sustainable tenant improvements, alternative transportation support, e.g. bike lockers, transit, car-sharing or carpooling, building recycling & composting program.

On-site or adjacent daycare; short-term parking for pickup and drop-off, near the community center, close to the community center(s), schools and parks, “splash pad”, kid-friendly water feature room, a designated area for breastfeeding moms.

Bike storage, lockers or showers on site, nearby fitness center or swimming pool, park or open area for lunch, al fresco rooftop garden or patio located in an area favored by an employee demographic for housing or entertainment.

Excellent restaurant on ground floor, client entertainment space or conference room with catering available, adjacent or on-site services such as grocery, pharmacy, medical, dry cleaning or convenience/ sundry items, on-site or adjacent business, shipping or copy center, retail, food, and services located near industrial parks.

Cluster around a courthouse or other government building, adjacent to clients, suppliers or similar businesses within a specific industry building name or business park reflects industry, cluster space located near marquee brands, such as a luxury retailer on the ground floor of a downtown office building.

Wi-Fi-enabled lobby with workstations or modular furniture In-floor cables for easy office reconfiguration and access, high-speed internet trunk line, full-building Wi-Fi, high-quality telecom, data storage or backup services available, strong HVAC or high capacity electrical for the heavy user of electronic equipment.

A competing property might offer a slightly lower lease rate, but the leasing agent can combat this by speaking to the space efficiency of the owner’s building.

The true cost of a tenant’s energy, taxes, janitorial, maintenance and other pass-through costs adds up and can become a competitive advantage. This is an opportunity to capitalize on building efficiency improvements such as the HVAC system or energy-saving switches, which ultimately save tenants money.

Infrastructure can have a big impact on the feasibility of certain uses, and some landlords find out too late that they are pursuing business they can’t possibly accommodate. For example, technology users with major power and cooling needs might not be right for a building that lacks the HVAC muscle. In another case, a mobile workforce that needed substantial guaranteed parking wasn’t the right fit in a downtown building that already had too many monthly parking contracts. Choosing the right target audience will avoid wasting time and effort on those never-going to-work tenants. Companies with phone providers that require a redundant fiber loop will also be the wrong fit for a building that lacks this system.

Property managers are tenants’ primary point of contact with the building owner. Smart prospects may speak with other building tenants before signing to find out about the manager’s responsiveness and the quality of the management, engineering, security and janitorial services. So before taking a property to market, consider the performance of the property manager, their level of involvement with the property and their face time with existing tenants. Based on regular tenant surveys, we found the No.1 factor that determines tenant satisfaction is the quantity of contact tenants have with the property manager. Tenants that see a specialized opportunity with a combination of benefits that are unmatched in the marketplace are more likely to pay higher rates. While many companies look to the bottom line cost when deciding where to locate, that is rarely their only consideration. A “cool” factor or singular benefit might be enough to sway the decision if all things are equal between competing properties—but they rarely are equal. That’s why it’s critical to develop a handful of benefits that add up to a singular value proposition for tenants.

Sustainability is much more than a buzzword; many local governments have mandated green buildings and businesses are increasingly moving this building attribute from the “nice to have” category to the “must have” column, as an essential aspect of supporting their brands. It’s important for the broker to be well-versed in green building terminology and practices so that the building in question can meet tenants’ specific requirements. For example, the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED ®) Green Building Rating System™, provided by the U.S. Green Building Council and other GBC worldwide, offers multiple levels of certification, from platinum to bronze, to describe how “green” a building is. Studies cited by the US GBC have shown that green buildings command higher prices in sales and leasing, and typically have a faster lease-up rate than conventional buildings.