BCO report challenges “out of touch” landlords
Adam Tinworth
UK office agents and developers are completely out of touch with the needs of their clients.
A report out next week from the British Council for Offices decries the industry as being remote and too deal-oriented.
And, in another major criticism, occupiers say the industry is inflexible. Both the length of leases and the seeming inability of the UK industry to come up with customised solutions comes under attack. Occupiers say these factors could affect their future choices of international location.
The findings are the result of detailed interviews with 11 UK and 10 US property directors, together responsible for 323m sq ft of commercial space. The companies involved include American Express, Abbey National, Dixons and Oracle.
All the property directors interviewed felt that the US industry was significantly ahead of the UK in its quality of customer service.
“There is certainly an opportunity here,” said Howard Morgan, managing director of Kingsley Lipsey Morgan, which carried out the research.
Richard Kauntze, chief executive of the BCO, said: “It’s a challenge to the supply side of the industry. It cannot just take the rent and forget about the customer any more.”
Occupiers’ needs were driven by the increasing rate of change of business, forcing them to look for flexible space and property solutions. These issues have grown more pressing since 11 September, the report says.
Kauntze denied that a report so critical of many of the BCO’s members was a mistake. “It’s the role of the BCO to challenge, question and analyse,” he said. “This is an opportunity for the better firms to take advantage of the research to give themselves a competitive edge.”
The BCO conference in May will have sessions on the report, with countrywide workshops held to discuss the findings.
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