In a survey by Fortim Trusted Advisors in Romania, 75% of respondents said the most important factors for tenants choosing office space were shops/services, restaurants/cafes and public transport.
At European level, according to the Pan-European Office Occupier Survey 2024 by BNP Paribas Real Estate, the two criteria are also top of the list: ease of access, with 72% of company employees preferring it, and restaurants, services and small shops on the ground floor of office buildings, with 42%.
“Dining, shopping and service facilities are a trend and a real benefit for the employees of companies in office buildings. In our experience as a property management company, buildings that have a vibrant ground floor with restaurants, cafes and shops for quick shopping create communities. Gyms and restaurants on the ground floor of buildings complement office work in a pleasant and relaxing way. One example is the America House office building, which has become even more attractive to companies after investments in the pedestrian zone and retail area,” says Costin Nistor, Managing Director of Fortim Trusted Advisors, a member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate Alliance.
The criterion in third place is different in the rest of Europe: at a pan-European level, the image of an office building is important, while in Romania, which is tied for third place, the presence of green spaces and bicycle access are more important.
The most important environmental criterion
The choice of office space according to environmental standards is another aspect that emerged from the survey.
Thus, the criterion of the building’s energy efficiency, the reduction of carbon emissions, is the most important (with a vote of 75% of respondents in Romania and 77% of respondents in Europe) at the level of the survey in Romania and in the rest of the European Union countries of the BNP Paribas Real Estate Group network.
In Romania, waste management attracted the attention of as many respondents (75%), followed by care for resource use (50%), adaptability and resilience of the building, possibility of reconversion of office space (37%).
At the European level, the second most important environmental standard is managing resources (water, energy), with 63%, followed by managing waste (38%).
“In an increasingly competitive office rental market, the difference between office buildings is going to come down to energy consumption and care for the environment, with many international companies being obliged to comply with ESG criteria in the coming years. Therefore, any improvement in this area of sustainability or community creation will benefit owners in the long run, increasing the attractiveness of the buildings, increasing occupancy and market value,” says Costin Nistor, Managing Director of Fortim Trusted Advisors, a member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate Alliance.
