The office rental search process can be overwhelming and exhausting. But finding the right office space for your business is crucial: The space you choose will affect how your company is perceived, and how attractive you are to the employees you want to hire.
Tools like CoStar can help streamline the search. This commercial real estate search platform collects all the most important information about office space options into one place, simplifying the process of reviewing your options.
The secret to CoStar’s success is its personal touch. The company employs 2,000 researchers who go out into the field to assess properties in person. As a result, their tools have information on over 5 million properties, and they’re involved in 86 percent of commercial real estate transactions.
In addition to being comprehensive, their tools are easy to use. There is even an app, so you can take all that knowledge on the go with you. Here are seven ways CoStar helps you find the right office space for rent.
1. Filter by your top priorities
One of CoStar’s great benefits is making it easier to home in on available spaces based on specific details you want. You’ll get more out of the tool if you have a list of priorities in hand clarifying what you want in an office space by the time you pull it up.
Consider factors like:
- How much space you need
- What your budget is
- What type of neighborhood you want to be in
- What amenities you value most
Now that you have your list, you can easily narrow down your options based on the priorities you’ve defined. CoStar lets you filter results based on:
- Location
- Size of the space
- Property type
- Property age
- Cost
- Occupancy level
Don’t waste your time looking at properties that don’t meet your needs. With CoStar you can quickly and easily create a list of all the available office spaces that check your boxes.
2. See the space in detail
The aesthetics of your office space matter. Whether or not the space has a clean and inviting feel will influence how your employees feel throughout the day. Before you take the time for a site visit, you can get a glimpse of what the office space looks like through the photos and floor plans CoStar provides. That makes it easy to rule out spaces that lack the ambiance you want your company to have.
3. Learn about commute opportunities
Commutes play a big role in employee happiness. Your workers care about how long they’ll spend getting to and from the office each day, and what options they’ll have for getting there. For many talented workers, knowing they have the option to bike to work or take the bus instead of sitting in traffic all morning can be a deciding factor in choosing to work with you. CoStar provides data on area public transportation options as well as traffic patterns.
4. Learn more about the neighborhood
CoStar also provides details about area home values and demographics of the neighborhood each property is in. You can check to make sure that the cost of buying a home nearby is in line with the salaries your employees make—another factor that can influence their commute time.
You can also get a clear idea of what the neighborhood offers. Are there a lot of food options, grocery stores, or retail spaces nearby? For some employees, knowing that they have a range of delicious options for lunch every day, or that they can hop over to their favorite store after work, can make a difference in how happy they are in their job.
5. Review tenant information
CoStar also lets you in on who your neighbors in a building would be. That’s valuable for gauging networking opportunities. If you have the potential to run into future clients or partners in the lobby and elevator on a daily basis, that can have a real business impact. And being located close to impressive businesses can be a way to boost your own brand’s reputation by association.
6. Get contact information for the owner and broker
Once you know which properties are worth an in-person visit, CoStar delivers all the contact information you need. You can contact the broker or owner with any remaining questions you have, and set up a time to see the space.
CoStar contains information on millions of properties, including WeWork office spaces. There you’ll be able to see details on WeWork spaces of various sizes, available amenities, worker-friendly office designs, and pricing suitable to businesses of all sizes. For more information, get in touch with us directly to see if we can set you up in the perfect office space.