Office market wants personal mediation

How has the office market developed over the past few years?

Smits: “During the crisis, a lot of vacant office space was transformed into sectors where there was strong demand. In Amsterdam these were housing, student housing and hotels. This has had a dampening effect on the office supply. Due to the upturn in the economy, companies are now growing again and the demand for office space is rising. The scarcity that is now emerging no longer makes it easy to find an inspiring and affordable office in an attractive location. The A-locations, such as the centre and the Zuidas in Amsterdam, have risen sharply in price in a short period of time, and many companies are having to relocate to less obvious locations”.

How do potential tenants react?

Landzaat: “The economic upturn is creating a new dynamic in the market. The areas that benefit most from the scarcity at A locations are areas where the environment ‘lives’. Companies want an urban surrounding, where something can be done 24 hours a day. They are looking for originality, creativity, a building with an industrial look and feel, with a beating heart and large efficient floor areas. These are hardly available in the centre of Amsterdam, but through creativity and market knowledge they can still be found in the surrounding areas”.

Van Winterswijk: “An office used to be just the place where people worked and it had to be functional. In recent years it has been more difficult to find good staff, especially in the tech sector. Housing has become a means of attracting the right talent. Not a lonely, deadly boring office, but a creative and inspiring space with facilities in and around the building”.

What about the mediation?

Smits: “The time when a building sold or rented itself over the internet is over. Mediators are becoming more popular again, especially the all-round advisors who know the market from all sides: rental and leasing, but also sale and purchase, such as 1530 Real Estate. Creatively combining information and knowledge from different angles contributes to the best solution for the client. The real estate market is changing rapidly, the trick is to respond to it in a timely manner”.

How do you work?

Landzaat: “We are consciously a small company. The three of us cover the entire market. The lines of communication are short, which makes us very decisive. We attach great importance to a relationship of trust with our clients. Personal contact, empathy with the client and a practical approach can lead to something beautiful”.

Van Winterswijk: “Very recently we visited various locations in the centre of Amsterdam with a customer on a bicycle. How does it feel here? What suits the organization best? It ended in an original lease of office space on the upper floors of a former department store, the first time in Amsterdam that a company will hold office in a space that was previously intended for retail. Both the owner and the user found this a fantastic deal.”