As with last year, people are the central focus in commercial property. Bricks and mortar matter less as the experience of the worker becomes everything. With tech disruption, political upheaval and climate anxiety on the rise, commercial landlords are beginning to hear what people want. Read on to see the key workplace elements that landlords have started to deliver.

Curating the right mix of tenants as a commercial property owner can transform a great space into a valuable cultural experience for the people within that space. The centrality of people to the workplace has become a much talked about topic within the commercial real estate industry. Savvy property owners, in a bid to stand out in the real estate landscape,  are filling their buildings with likeminded businesses that can leverage each other at a business level, together with the right blend of retail and hospitality amenities.

The result is a space that not only provides the day to day services tenants require, from food outlets to dry cleaning services, but also a carefully curated mix of office tenants that can provide professional services to each other. 

​For BRM, our services have always aimed to reach beyond the transaction itself. We put people at the centre of everything we do, from workplace consulting, to project management, workplace design, and in this case, property advisory.
 
Yes, property is about “closing the deal”, but many are quick to forget that the “deal” involves people, from the people who are making the deal, right down to the people who will be occupying and working in the actual space. For this reason, we see relationships as paramount to commercial property. Without stable and trustworthy relationships, a company facing a change in location, organisational structure or even the layout of its office desks, will encounter great difficulty.
 

BRM’s design, property and project management team came together to assist law firm Kalus Kenny Intelex in their recent move from the Como Centre to 4 Riverside Quay in Southbank. 

​BRM’s multidisciplined skills meant that the firm’s entire move from initial property search, right through to the design of the new office and handover of their previous space was overseen by the one property service provider. The result was a smooth transition to a new workplace in a brilliant location, with different corners of the BRM team across every facet of the move. KKI was able to settle in and enjoy freshly designed new offices with peace of mind, knowing that BRM’s property team was taking care of the handover of the previous space. 

It is quite commonly known that Landlords are responsible for costs and maintenance of safety requirements in retail premises in Victoria.  This is the case under both the Building Act 1993 (Vic) and the Retail Leases Act 2003 (Vic).

There has been some contention about how the two acts operate, which both apply in the case of retail premises.  The main question most landlords ask is: Can such obligations can be contracted out of or passed on to the tenant?

A recent Advisory Opinion in 2015 has helped to clarify the position of the law in regards to these issues.  While Advisory Opinions are not legally binding, they are highly persuasive to Tribunals and Courts in hearing such decisions, especially given that there are many cases in support of the conclusions reached.

​In today’s workplace landscape, the opinion of the worker counts for a lot. In fact, organisations are increasingly involving their staff in decisions that were once reserved for leadership. The workforce is largely made up of millennial workers who are used to having significant influence in the way they work, rather than being dictated to by archaic organisational structures. 

​When it comes to commercial property, change is inevitable. Leases will end, companies may grow and other issues, both external and internal, will rear their heads, forcing businesses to adapt and move forward. It goes without saying that stability and trustworthy relationships are paramount during these periods of change. 

Having a property advisor who can deliver a relocation project and fitout after years of guiding its client through various changes is uncommon, but BRM Projects provided this exact service to its client, Roads Australia ,and the results speak for themselves.

Discover how over 10 years of advice and project delivery from the same commercial property provider helped Roads Australia through some challenging periods…

​The world of commercial leasing can be tricky. Many businesses fall into the trap of becoming comfortable with their lease, not realising that it could pose serious limitations for them. Underestimating the importance of your commercial lease could be detrimental, while evaluating it with the help of a commercial property expert could actually add value to your business and set it up for a more stable future.
 
At BRM Projects, we see the following factors as central points of consideration when signing a new commercial lease or reviewing your current lease. 

Over the past few decades, BRM Projects has secured its place as a leading provider of commercial property and workplace solutions. We know property, and we use this knowledge to provide our clients with an exceptional experience that goes beyond the signing of a lease. 

We’ve worked with all kinds of organisations, from professional services to large scale Not For Profits and Government Authorities. Aside from our vast client base, it’s our unique skillset as consultants that sets us apart from other property providers. 

Australia's financial sector has been captivated by the workplace design trend of ABW (Activity Based Working), with major firms such as PWC adopting the model almost a decade ago and other similar firms following suit. 

When BRM Projects began working with knp Solutions, a Melbourne-based accounting firm, it was settled into its 22 year old traditional office space with a location and building that was suited to both clients and staff.

It was an unexpected eviction notice mid-lease and additional partners that triggered the need for a change of location and company direction.....