Looking for ways to encourage tenants to renew their leases? Most commercial real estate property owners know how expensive tenant transitions are. Creating dynamic relationships with your building occupants helps you develop long-term relationships. Here are a few great ways to engage tenants.

Create a Connection

Encourage your tenants and their employees to interact with one another. Build a community cafeteria for all employees in the building. Plan social events outside of work hours. Create a dynamic online portal for occupants. These portals help you communicate social events, policy changes, or security comments.

Partner With Local Businesses

Develop relationships with other commercial real estate entrepreneurs to offer discounts for building occupants. Most small business owners are happy to develop a new customer base. Dry cleaners, restaurants, and automotive repair companies are great places to start. If you do not have gym facilities at your building, create a partnership with a local gym.

Encourage Health

Employers are looking for ways to show their commitment to their employees’ physical and mental health. Many landlords may not have the capability to install a gym, but here are some other things you can do:

• Maintain air quality by installing hardwood or laminate flooring instead of carpeting.
• Install a walking path.
• Use live plants in common areas to clean the air.
• Offer outdoor seating options so occupants can relax outside during breaks.
• Build a living wall and green roof to minimize the heat island effect.
• Establish a non-smoking campus.

Use Technology

A commercial real estate digital portal is an excellent tool for your business owners to communicate with you. Establish accounts that allow them to pay rent online, report security concerns, or request repairs. Tenants can also create, terminate or request security credentials for their employees. If possible, provide tenants with digital blueprints that allow them to visualize growth opportunities in their space. This tool allows new tenants to anticipate growth and see how their footprint can change within your building.

Open Communication Lines

Talk to your tenants to discuss their satisfaction. Online surveys, anonymous comment boxes, and personal meetings can be used to gather opinions. Use this information to create an active strategy to increase tenant satisfaction. Create an open-door policy with your tenants to encourage communication.

Taking the time to incorporate these engagement strategies into your business model encourages tenant retention. It also creates a high demand for your buildings, allowing you to attract new tenants quickly.