Around two-thirds of occupiers rank employee engagement (68%) and talent attraction & development (65%) as being two of the three most important drivers of corporate real estate (CRE) strategy, even ahead of cost-reduction. This is according to the 2019 EMEA Occupier Survey published today by global real estate advisor CBRE.
The report demonstrates that people are becoming more important than ever as drivers of real estate decisions. In last year’s survey cost-reduction was the single most important driver of CRE strategy and employee engagement was fourth but this year, cost reduction has dropped to fourth, employee engagement is second and talent attraction & development is third. In this context, optimising human capital is becoming the overriding aim of occupiers’ property decisions.
Over a third of companies see labour and skills shortages as a key strategic challenge, double last year’s result. In line with last year’s survey, technology disruption (36%) economic uncertainty (43%) and cost escalation (31%) all feature highly as key challenges for occupiers.
The survey identifies four major levers through which companies are seeking to use real estate as a way of influencing and enhancing their appeal to skilled labour, these include:
Procurement and fit-out strategy
User Experience strategy
Flexible space strategy
Technology strategy
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2021 revenue). The company has more than 105,000 employees (excluding Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services.
In Belgium, 500 employees operate from our offices in Brussels, Antwerp and Diegem.