The One Thing Office Tenants Want

Put back the ping-pong table and the yoga mats. Internet with a quality connection is a top priority for office users today, second only to location. Not only is it the number one concern of office users signing new leases, it can ultimately determine lease renewals as well. According to research from Wired Score, which analyzed the value of connectivity, 77% of tenants would sign a longer lease in a building with quality connectivity. Internet has become so important to office users because so many companies experience connection issues. According to the same report, 80% of office users experience connectivity in the office and 77% of office users say that connection issues impact the company business. We sat down with Arie Barendrecht, CEO of Wired Score, to talk about the importance of quality Internet today and what office owners should be doing to ensure quality Internet.

GlobeSt.com: Why has a digital infrastructure become so important to the value of an office asset, and how does it impact office leasing?

Arie Barendrecht: For decades, office leasing decisions were driven by C-Suite decision-makers with preferences that favored features like executive boardrooms and flashy corner offices. That top-down mentality has been largely abandoned and the industry has seen a shift towards creating experiential offices that serve as a tool to attract and retain talent across the organization. This is reflected in the rise of new community amenities like green spaces, collaborative and flexible configurations, and a pivot towards providing optionality for different working preference, which in turn fuels productivity.