Markets
WiredScore expands into Asia Pacific
The digital connectivity ratings business has launched in Singapore, citing rising tenant expectations for “smarter, greener, safer buildings”.
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Some 85% of occupiers in Singapore would not sign a lease for an office building that lacks digital tools or infrastructure, while nine in 10 would pay a rental premium to work in a smart building, WiredScore found in a survey.
WiredScore appointed Thomas Crowley as global director of APAC in February this year to head up a new team in the region.
Crowley said: “Asia Pacific is an important growth market that presents vast potential, with fast innovation and rising tenant expectations for smarter, greener, safer buildings, as reflected in our survey.”
While digital tools include everything from space booking to data collection, the biggest concern among tenants was having a high-quality internet connection.
A quarter of respondents said that they would not be able to work at all if they suffered an internet outage.
The smart tech tenants want
WiredScore has two certifications: WiredScore and SmartScore. WiredScore certification is the global digital connectivity rating scheme, working with landlords to assess, improve, benchmark and promote their buildings.
SmartScore certification defines what smart buildings are, and how to build them, allowing landlords in the world to understand, improve and communicate the user functionality and technological foundations of their assets.
Anne Tng, director of business development at WiredScore, said: “CRE tenants increasingly want assurance that their office building can meet their evolving needs and are turning towards landlords who recognise the importance of incorporating smart technologies in their buildings to remain relevant today and in the future.
“Our survey findings showcase just that: landlords who capitalise on this opportunity and provide a superior level of user experience through smart buildings can expect tenants to renew their lease faster and pay a premium.”
However, the report also found that the most important factor when choosing an office was not internet connectivity, but proximity to good transport links.
Some 38% of respondents cited working near good transport links as the most important factor in choosing an office, compared to 26% that cited “guaranteed premium levels of internet connectivity”.
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