For the past few years, U.S. commercial properties have faced a national office vacancy rate around 20%. This reality means commercial real estate teams must think competitively to retain tenants and increase asset value. How else can they keep tenants satisfied and ready to renew?
Property managers typically contract security services to protect the people and assets within their buildings. They expect security to help ensure thieves don’t steal from tenants, safety hazards are proactively handled, and that incidents in lobbies and common spaces don’t escalate.
What property managers sometimes miss, however, are opportunities to leverage security for more than building safety.
Commercial real estate security helps develop a building’s brand
In commercial real estate, security is often viewed as simply a cost to manage. True, property managers need to protect their buildings and tenants for safety, compliance, and insurance purposes. But security at top commercial properties goes beyond patrolling sidewalks and entrances or thwarting incidents in the parking garage.
To see security’s broader value, start at the front door. From the moment a visitor or a building tenant enters the lobby, they form a first impression. Is it a welcoming space? Do they feel safe?
Who creates that impression?
It’s often the security officer checking in guests at the front desk or patrolling the lobby. Today’s officers are trained in more than incident management or visitor logging. They practice how to greet visitors warmly and bring a professional presence that helps relax and engage tenants.
In Class A buildings, in particular, officer presentation and demeanor matter just as much as securing the location. Ultimately, property managers are responsible for both a building and a brand. The security officer wishing tenants good morning and good evening helps shape that brand.
Professional security can keep tenants satisfied – and renewing
Surveys of commercial real estate tenants find that tenant satisfaction influences higher gross rents and lower vacancies. A building’s security program – or lack thereof – often factors into these tenant renewal decisions.
That decision comes down to more than just preventing break-ins or remediating incidents. The impression of security matters too. Consider the building’s lobby again. What if a tenant’s employees never see officers guarding the lobby when they leave for the night?
Do those employees get the impression the building is safe?
If employees are afraid to commute to work, they may not stay with their employer. And if a tenant can’t retain their employees, will they renew their lease?
One poor interaction with security could harm the relationship between property managers and their tenants. Keeping tenants satisfied involves managing many variables and working with several stakeholders – an important one being a security partner who can provide safety and hospitality.
This partner helps ensure a property’s security desk doesn’t sit empty and the lobby feels welcoming. Their officers are trained in customer service, helping them resolve issues with high standards of poise and care. Their teams use intelligence and insights to help anticipate building and tenant security challenges before they arise. Officers trained to work with building operations software also serve as an extra set of eyes and ears, helping to flag maintenance issues before they become costly repairs.
Every brand needs an ambassador. The right security partner can be that ambassador by delivering exceptional experiences for the properties they protect.
How security helps protect property reputation and asset value
Security can help keep tenants happy, but it should also support traditional needs like reducing exposure to threats, safety issues, and liabilities. The friendly lobby officer who greets visitors must also help prevent theft or de-escalate incidents professionally.
Properties need a security partner capable of running programs that reflect these overlapping requirements. Protecting people and assets is vital, but so is protecting property value. The right measures help accomplish both:
- Security officers consistently present in lobbies can create positive first impressions with visitors while actively monitoring areas for safety and security threats.
- Remote guarding can help prevent threats day and night while helping early morning and late-night employees feel safer on-site.
- Seamless access control and visitor management can limit unauthorized access to common areas and tenant locations without long waits or blocked foot traffic.
- Documented incident responses can support safety, compliance, and insurance requirements while providing intelligence to help address issues before they escalate.
When integrated thoughtfully, these measures blend into the property’s atmosphere. Security operates in the background consistently and efficiently, but it’s ready to protect and help prevent quickly and effectively.
This kind of security program can boost a property’s reputation – and ultimately, the building’s value.
Elevate your building’s profile with top-tier security
Top commercial properties know security can support their buildings holistically. But property managers need a security partner who sees the same opportunities and can deliver results.
What does that partner look like?
- They provide reliable security officers who perform professionally and preserve the property’s brand, supported by local presence and leadership depth.
- They deliver industry-leading training that elevates a security officer to security concierge.
- They integrate technology to augment – not replace – human presence, helping reinforce a property’s reputation.
- They can flexibly adjust coverage and respond to changing needs without disrupting operations – including buildings under construction as well as occupied locations.
- Their services scale with a portfolio, complete with local expertise to serve individual properties and the infrastructure to support national portfolios.
A security partner like Securitas can bring these benefits within a single service relationship. Property managers get one accountable partner able to help protect properties – and their value.
A safe environment can protect assets, but growing their value requires investing in the brand. The right partner can help transform security into a valuable brand-builder with professional presence, satisfied tenants, and intelligence-led programs.