LOS ANGELES—Amid a corporate real estate environment in which global economic uncertainty looms large among the chief concerns, executives are bolstering portfolio agility and enhancing user experiences to “future proof” their real estate against changes in the economy, technology and labor markets. That's among the findings of a survey of more than 350 corporate real estate executives CBRE conducted in partnership with CoreNet Global.

“We are advising our clients to be cycle-aware,” says Julie Whelan, head of occupier research in the Americas for CBRE. “Smart real estate decisions can be made by any industry, in any property market, and any economic environment with strategies and solutions ranging from opportunistic to reactive and from agile to committed.” Adds Brandon Forde, executive managing director of advisory & transaction services, “Sophisticated occupiers seek ways to create flexibility with the goal of 'de-risking' their portfolios.”

More than half of respondents cited economic uncertainty among their top three concerns, including 52% of respondents from the Americas, 64% of those in EMEA and 68% in APAC. For the Americas and EMEA regions, these concerns were up 16 percentage points and six percentage points, respectively, over last year, while in APAC they remained consistent.

Future-proofing strategies cited in the CBRE/CoreNet Global survey include the adoption of a shared-workplace model. Forty-five percent of respondents cited reducing costs as the primary reason for implementing such a model, followed by reduced term needs (42%) and increased flexibility (41%).

In the interests of achieving greater agility with lower risk, occupiers are simultaneously implementing strategies to increase the occupants' overall experience within the core workspace. This includes reinventing or adapting workplace standards, cited by 86% of Americas respondents, pursuing WELL-certified buildings (72% in EMEA) and implementing activity-based working (53% in APAC).

Where portfolio shifts were cited, respondents are slightly more inclined to anticipate expansion than contraction in 11 of 13 global markets. The survey found them most bullish on India and China, with more than 30% and 20%, respectively, predicting net expansion in those countries. Meanwhile, the anticipation of mild net space contraction was strongest in the established markets of Western Europe and North America.

Instant Insights /

Occupiers Aim for 'Future Proof' in Portfolios

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