Test–Fit Plans are essential for showing tenant prospects how a space could be adapted to suit their needs. This article explains the 7 most common mistakes we see made when making test fit plans for tenant prospects. (and we'll share how to avoid them ensuring you get your leasing space filled quickly)
Office leasing has never been so competitive. Smaller footprints create more vacancies. Catching tenants before they make decisions is more challenging than ever.
And tenant prospects are expecting more from competing leasing teams. That's why providing accurate Test-Fit Plans for your tenant prospects is essential. Producing Test-fit plans to show tenants how your spaces could be modified to suit their needs is an amazing opportunity: the chance to impress tenant prospects and so they can't image moving to any other space. But it's not without risks. Here's the top 7 pitfalls to avoid:
Are your plans missing critical information? Is the building address and floor level clearly shown on the floor plan? And how about in the file name? Could your tenant prospect confuse this building plan with a different space? It's amazing how often these basics are missed. And with tenants receiving multiple offers, getting the basics wrong can be a sure way to load the dice against you at the start.
Are your plans easy to read? Does the tenant prospect need to count tables to figure out how many work spaces are provided, or is there a simple list on the side of the drawing? Is the main entrance clearly marked? Are building features shown so the tenant can orientate themselves when looking at the plan? Often office buildings are symmetrical and it's easy to read plans upside down. It sounds obvious, but leases can be signed when tenants thought they were getting a different side of the building, with different views and light! Ensure your plans are legible.
Are your plans truly bespoke? Or do they look like a generic marketing plan that could suit any tenant? Ensure your plans appeal to tenant prospects by including recognisable elements from their brief. Department and team names can be written on the drawing. And quirky terminology from their brief can be included to personalise the plan too – Do they use the term "huddle space"? Then write that on the drawing. Do they refer to the kitchen space as a "pantry"? Add that too. Small details will help the tenant prospect to connect with your space, nudging them ever closer. Don't miss this chance.
Do you have all the relevant information your designer needs? So often a tenant prospect is presented with a layout that misses the point. Perhaps it shows the correct number of rooms and space, but is the flow correct? They may have given you a list of rooms, but that's often not enough. Showing five meeting rooms might be what they asked for, but are two of those for guests and three for internal use? Should there be a secure client area? Getting the arrangement of spaces right should be test-fit 101. Make the extra effort needed to truly understand the tenant prospect's spacial needs and impress them from the outset.
Technical knowledge of the existing building is essential. Your designer must understand your building's constraints. Well-meaning designers may inadvertently block fire escape routes with new walls. Or load spaces so full that the building HVAC needs to be reconfigured. Perhaps their new partition wall locations clash with services and air conditioning units.. We've even seen internal walls drawn so they hit huge external windows randomly (good luck getting good sound isolation there!). The resulting plan should look simple and elegant, but a deep understanding of the building's constraints is needed every time. Designers must do their homework. Has yours?
Offering the wrong space. Are your designers totally clear on the space edges, what's available and where the limits are? Accuracy is everything.
There's no point getting all the above points correct if your tenant prospect has already seen a great solution from another landlord. Decisions are made based on emotions (and data used to justify those decisions). And tenants choosing their next premises is no exception. Being fast delivering plans shows your tenant you take their needs seriously. Avoid this pit fall by ensuring your designer prioritises test-fit planning (for many designers this might not be the most urgent item on their table!).
We’ve produced hundreds of test-fit plans during the last ten years, resulted in tens of thousands of square meters of leased space. To learn more more about our Test-Fit service (and other services that real estate investors love) click the button below.
I'm Robin Wycherley, Interior Architect and founder of Itu Design. I've lead a small team of expert designers here in Helsinki for over ten years. I'm responsible for creative design, coordination and communication, and I'm present in all our projects from beginning to end.
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