As a property developer, the top priority for any scheme is to attract the right occupiers. Before a development even begins to take shape, you'll already have in mind the types of businesses or people that you’d like to see in your new offices or homes. Here are four ways to make sure you’re attracting them.
Design
Think about the end-user from the very beginning of the planning process. Although you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, people often do and the external view of your development can say a lot about the type of businesses that are inside. A business that invites clients and suppliers for meetings, for example, will want their office to reflect them. A healthcare occupier, for example, may be looking for something modern and innovative, while a creative agency may want something quirky that they can put their own stamp on.
The internal design is just as important. Is the floor plate flexible? Is it sustainable? It doesn’t need to win architectural design awards for it to be perfect for your occupiers, as long as it offers them the space they need to run their business and make a house (or an apartment) a home.
Know your market
What’s already in the area will play a big role in the types of businesses that will be attracted to your scheme. If you’re already near an area popular with one type of business, other similar businesses will be drawn to your development. Think about London. As the city has expanded, the once less desirable boroughs have taken on a new lease of life and are now trendy urban hubs. Your development could capitalise on a similar ripple effect.
Event sponsorship
Once you have identified who you want to see in your buildings, find out what makes them tick. What are the events and conferences being held in that industry? It doesn’t have to be a commercial event either. If you have student accommodation or housing as part of your mixed-use development, try sponsoring a freshers’ fair or a local food festival. You’ll soon start catching the eye of people you want to reach.
Placemaking
Although the 'build it and they will come' approach is great if it works, sometimes you need to give people a little nudge and a reason to check out your development. That’s where placemaking comes in. Offering a vibrant mix of activities in a space that people enjoy visiting can help drive people to your development. This, in turn, attracts occupiers and creates PR opportunities, which then attract more visitors and so the circle goes on. There are many ways to attract occupiers to your mixed-use development but the main thing is to keep your occupiers in mind from the start.
This article gives a brief insight into how you can attract the right type of occupiers for a mixed-use development. There's a lot more detail in our ebook Effective Placemaking Communications For Your Mixed-Use Development, Volume 1: Explore, which you can download for free with just an email address.
