​Millennial​ ​Values​ ​In​ ​A​ ​Modern​ ​Office​ ​Space

The millennial generation, traditionally defined as individuals born between the years 1982 and 2004. Why are they important? Well, they entering the job market and will continue to with for years to come. Let’s perspective, a child born in 1982 would have graduated college around 2005; born in 2004? Expect to be graduating and entering the workforce around 2027. 

At Tenant Advisors, we posed the question : what does this generation value in a workplace?

We spoke with millennials that recently entered the workforce to discover what inspires and fuels their passion in competitive work environments.

Data Analyst: office size 75-100 people

 “ I work at a company that has outgrown its office space, currently we’re forced to have to maximize office space by sacrificing efficiency.

A lack of common space is detrimental, the only place you have is your desk area. If you need to take a phone call, we don’t really have anywhere in the office you could step aside to.

On the flip side – the office is in a great location. It’s very convenient to hop on the El and get to work in 30 minutes.

Our office has a great view of the city, we also have great facilities available in the building. Often times I’ll take advantage of the gym”

Inside Sales: office size 750-1,000 people

“ I think my favorite thing about my office is the layout and location. I am incredibly close to public transportation and am able to utilize the CTA to get to the office quickly, my commute is usually like 45 minutes.

My office has great amenities, they have a great common areas and a nice kitchen.

What I love about my office is the open collaborative, layout.

You can talk and interact among your coworkers, being able to get advice or ask for help from someone close by is really nice.

Something I think could be improved on is the aesthetic, I think the office could be better decorated. Don’t get me wrong, it looks really nice as is, but some fresh paint or new artwork would make a big impact in my opinion. Some more colors in the office would really brighten up the place and I would argue inspire creativity “

Financial Planner: office size 200-300 people

“ A lot of the work we do is collaborative and involves usually a whole team of people working together. Our meeting rooms are great, they are linked up with great technology so we can video chat among other offices really without having many problems.

Our clients depend on us to have a quick turn around so not having to worry about this or that going wrong, knowing we have reliable equipment allows us to better tackle the problem at hand.

Something I would improve on in my office would be to reconsider cubicles. Often times I find it acting as a barrier for productivity, often sending emails to people across the room.

I understand it’s how a lot of offices have been traditionally laid out, but this doesn’t necessarily mean this is the way it needs to be, ya know?”

There you have it, a first hand account from rising young professionals. For all your Chicagoland Office Space needs, Tenant Advisors will guide you every step of the way. Give us a call today at 847 778 0296, we look forward to hearing from you.

7 Office Space Tips

Location, Location, Location

The perfect office space can lose its charm almost immediately if it’s in the wrong location. A myriad of factors must be considered before putting ink on a lease. Are you and your employees close to the space? Will clients be visiting your office and will it be accessible to them? These simple questions often make a large impact when finding the right office space to fit your business needs. A dream office loses a lot of its charm if the commute is over taxing.

 

Know What You’re Getting

Before signing a lease, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting! With so many factors to consider before choosing your space something can be easily overlooked. Commodities to solidify during negotiations include the parking spots received, the condition of the space upon move in, and what will you be able do to customize your space? Taking the word of your landlord is much less reliable than seeing it clearly laid out in the lease.  All parties need to be in understanding and agreement.

 

Office Size

The square footage is crucial when leasing your office. Take an honest look at the needs of your company as it is, and then try to predict the foreseeable future. Will you be holding meetings? A conference room will be needed. Looking to expand down the road? Account for this growth by increasing initial square footage so desks and cubicles can be added with ease. Consider your work environment: will you require larger collaborative workspaces or does something more reserved where employees can work privately better fit your needs?

Before signing your lease imagine breaking it. An infinite number of factors could lead a tenant to break a lease.  You may find yourself in this position. What fees or penalties will be assessed on breaking your lease? All things to consider before even signing.

 

Keeping Up With Appearances

If you anticipate clients in your office, try to imagine your office from their point of view. Their image of your company begins the moment they enter the building, how would you like them to perceive your company?

If image isn’t important and only employees will work in the space, certain amenities may not be as necessary. If clients will visit frequently, your image and the way your client perceives your company become more important. An elegant lobby area makes a strong impression. In your office, optional commodities such as signage and a reception area may cost more initially but the image portrayed to your customer can pay out in the long run.

 

Conveniences

Assuming you’ll be spending a fair amount of time at or around the office, consider the surrounding area where you’ll be spending all of this time. Simple things like a package pickup service or restaurant in the building can make time at the office more enjoyable, while hopefully allowing day to day operations to run smoother. When visiting a space initially, visit the convenience store, cafe, restaurant. Can you picture yourself getting lunch here regularly? Amenities like this, a workout facility or even a laundry service can really add to making an enjoyable workplace for you and your company.

Also consider the surrounding area, will you be in a more commercial district with lots of restaurants and amenities? Being close to public transportation, restaurants, and entertainment are all added benefits of the surrounding area, these can prove most important when choosing between two locations.

 

The Lease of Tomorrow, Today

The length of the lease may be the single most important factor when considering choosing your office space. Realistic expectations for your company are crucial when choosing the length of a lease. If you’re unsure of where the size of your company is headed, a more moderate short term lease may be more appropriate. If stable, steady growth is in the horizon then a long term, larger lease would prove more beneficial, as many concessions are proportional to term length. How many employees do you need to account for today versus how many will you need to account for tomorrow? Extraneous square footage could be a costly wasted space, but the opportunity to add more desks and employees may outweigh these costs. Not hiring an employee due to lack of room is an issue no business owner should face if they had considered their future before committing to a lease.

 

Reputations

The right broker can be the ultimate tool when working with a landlord over the course of your lease. A trusted broker is the best resource for helping you, the tenant, in finding the office space right for you. A reputable broker will be your go to advisor.  They are the best resource when it comes to landlords and any issues that could arise. With as much time and work as you’ll likely be putting in at your office, you want a broker that has your best interests in mind. With trusted brokers connected to landlords across the Chicagoland area, Tenant Advisors has become the most trusted resource by tenants in helping them find their perfect office space fit.

Shared Office

Open Space Plan; Will This Work To Your Advantage?

Office space settings have evolved over the years. In the past, business owners were used to having more private office spaces, where walls and doors separated space into individual offices. Now, many business owners are exploring a more open office space plan, where co-workers are in closer proximity to one another. But, the question is often asked, whether this type of office space setting is a truly advantageous one or not. By answering the following questions, you’ll be able to pinpoint whether or not an open office space plan will work well for  your company.Shared Office

Will an Open Office Space Plan Suit Your Employee Size?

Open office space plans will work with certain employee sizes but not others. Before leasing commercial office space with an open layout, you need to consider whether your employee size will work with such an office setup. Frequently, when you have too many employees, who are bunched together in an open office space, the distractions are too apparent and will be reflected in the work product.

Does Your Type of Company Agree with An Open Office Space Layout?

It’s also vital to consider what type of company your entity is, with regard to figuring out if an open office space will be a wise choice or not. If your employees are often on phone calls and need to be in an office environment where they have quiet work time, an open office plan is one which business employers may avoid in order to produce the best work product for their clients.

Will Your Employees Be Able to Concentrate and Work Best In This Type of Setting?

One of the primary concerns for employers is to offer the best type of setting in which their employees can work and be productive. Although open office space is sometimes chosen by employers so that the employees can work more as a team and not be isolated from one another, or it simply may be a situation where the office building is set up as an open space layout already, there are times when an employer would rather not have their employees set up in this type of office plan.

Examining Your Options

Before you lease commercial office space, you’ll need to examine the options. Determine whether an open office space plan is suitable for your employees and see what’s available in the way of office space leases. It’s extremely important to examine the options before signing a lease because if you decide to lease an office with an open space floor plan and you later decide that this was not a wise move, you are stuck with that type of office environment until your lease term expires. Considering your office space options right in the beginning will help to ensure that you select the right type of floor plan and lease an office which suits your company and employees.

There are pros and cons to open office space plans and it’s up to the business employer to find an office space setting which is suitable for their office employees and company/corporation.

Chicago office space rental

3 “Do’s” of Commercial Real Estate

Chicago office space rentalWhen considering purchasing or renting commercial real estate, there are a few do’s and don’ts. Here are a few “do’s” of the commercial real estate market and how to avoid some pit falls!

  1. Experts will Be Life Savers – Consider all the experts that you can find as fantastic resources to get the best possible value for the property. Experts can determine all the answers to the who, what, when, where and why of commercial real estate. A tenant advisor can also provide insight into the current state of the market and when it would be ideal to move in on a property.
  2. Take a Tour – When considering a property, even a rental property, take a tour of the property. You never want to be unpleasantly surprised with your rental office space. Even though you can trust your broker, advisor, etc., you can still look into how the property will fit you and the goals you have for your team.
  3. Strategize – Knowing your business strategy can also help to decide your best options when it comes to a real estate venture. Looking at what your business’s needs and wants are now, and also what they will be in the length of time that the lease in binding. Consider all aspects from growth to expectations that will be affected by you choice in real estate.

If you are looking for Chicago office space rentals, check out TenantAdvisors.com to get the latest updates on properties in the area!

Office Space: What You Should Know About Relocation Provisions In Leases


The office lease is one which contains many terms. Some are in there for the benefit of the landlord while others may help out the tenant in one way or another. One which falls within the former category is the relocation provisions term. This is sometimes found in a commercial office space lease and allows the landlord to relocate the office space tenant to another office space location within the building or office park should the landlord need to, or want to, accommodate a new tenant looking for larger office space. When this does occur, although not that often, it usually involves a situation where a company wants to lease a larger office space, such as an entire floor of an office building, and there is already a smaller company in place, which ultimately doesn’t need or use all of the space.

Why The Landlord Wants This Lease Term Included

A commercial landlord likes to have this type of term included within the lease because it is a safeguard for them, and a monetary one at that, should an interested party want to lease a larger office space which could be available should the landlord move a current tenant into a different space. This type of lease term enables the landlord to rent out more of their office space and gain  more income simply from doing so.

Although this is a standard lease term, it is one which not all landlords are able to have included due to some resistance from office space tenants at the time of the lease signing. Should the landlord be successful in having the office space tenant agree to this term, the landlord will be responsible for all costs associated with the tenant relocation should the landlord opt to put this lease term into play.

Why The Tenant Doesn’t Want This Lease Term Included

Frequently, an office space tenant will not want this type of lease term included within their commercial office space lease. Those who lease office space, usually choose their office space of choice due to its location, size, view and more. After all, why would the tenant want to be moved around after they carefully select their office space? However, during the negotiations and prior to signing the lease, this term often comes up in conversation and has to be decided upon at that point.

How an Office Tenant Can Have This Term ExcludedOffice Space

Most commercial tenants would want this term excluded. Therefore, it’s important to review the lease terms thoroughly to make sure relocation provisions are not included or, if they are, this can be discussed during lease negotiations with the landlord prior to signing the lease. By removing the relocation provisions term from the lease, you will ensure that you will not have to move to another spot during the lease, simply because the landlord wants to make more money off of an additional tenant who may want to occupy your space. Should the landlord not agree to omitting the relocation provisions term, just be sure that it is as fair to you, the tenant, as possible and that you know what could happen in the future should the relocation provisions term be put into play.