‘The Experiential Office’ is here as property managers take a cue from the hospitality industry
As audience engagement experts, JLL is fusing the concepts of property management and hospitality together to create a new category of the workplace: ‘The Experiential Office.’
Today’s tenants expect and deserve a workplace that enables them to deliver their best performance and be their best selves.
Megan Matthews, property management lead for JLL Mid-Atlantic, doesn’t need to see a single office suite to judge the quality of the building. Everything she needs to know she can get just from sitting in the lobby. “I judge an office’s lobby just like I would a hotel’s,” said Matthews, a 19-year veteran of JLL. “What kind of amenities are there signs for? Do the staff know their building inside and out? And most importantly, how comfortable and supported do tenants seem?”
To provide a tenant-first approach, property managers are taking a cue from the hospitality industry. The benefits of an office and its amenities aren’t effective unless they inspire meaningful relationships between people and places.
Earlier this year, JLL launched The JLL Curae Approach to Experience Management, a new service philosophy that fuses tenant-focused property management services, technology and the company’s robust platform into one holistic solution for office properties.
Matthews said tenants now demand “space as a service,” an amenity- and experience-rich approach to workplaces. By focusing on the tenant experience and offering superior client services, property managers improve tenant retention and acquisition efforts. Office buildings are adopting best practices that have long existed in the hospitality and retail sectors.
“Property managers’ roles have evolved tremendously over the past decade,” Matthews said. “As tenants look toward a more concierge-style experience, serving clients and their exceeding expectations is paramount. Property managers need to create an environment for the human experience to thrive, and JLL is committed to creating those environments for our tenants.”
The word curae is Latin for “I care for.” The people-centric JLL Curae Approach includes many services that engage employees and visitors in unique ways, including tenant engagement, amenity management, classic concierge and convenience services, and in-office service solutions. Think anything from on-demand spa services to nutrition counseling to office flu shots.
Not too long ago, such experiential initiatives would have been unheard of in commercial real estate. However, as the workplace continues to adapt to the demands of a more experience-seeking generation, property managers will continue to be on the front lines of driving tenant engagement.
“Just like the hospitality industry, at the core of property management is a desire to maintain the integrity of the building and deliver excellent client service at the same time,” Matthews said. “We interact with our customers every day, so delivering a truly positive experience in our assets is vital. Curae allows us to do just that.”
JLL appointed Matthews managing director of the Mid-Atlantic region last year, placing her in charge of over 40 million square feet of commercial and industrial space. Matthews hopes to implement the lessons she gleaned from the hospitality industry in every part of the space she and her team represent.
“Amenities and services need to be viewed as a big-picture initiative, creating an experience that begins when employees and visitors approach the office and stays with them long after they leave,” said Matthews. “Office experience can make or break a company’s culture, and companies today will benefit in the long run by investing in property management that inspires appeal across generations and departments.”
Day in and day out, JLL partners with businesses of all shapes, sizes and cultures to help them realize their workplace ambitions. What’s your story? Email us at MidAtlanticAmbitions@am.jll.com to start the conversation.
