PROPTECH-X ‘Proptech & Property News’: Landmark teams up with Satellite Vu | Landlords invest in tenant experience

Press Release: Satellite Vu partners with Landmark to provide vital climate change data to the UK land and property sector 

London, June 7th – Satellite Vu, the UK satellite firm set to become the world’s thermometer from space, has partnered with Landmark Information Group to provide vital climate data to the real estate market. 

The partnership will see Satellite Vu provide data from their thermal infrared satellites to Landmark, a leading provider of data to the UK land and property sector, to distribute to businesses as part of the global push towards Net Zero. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report re-affirmed the global aim to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and achieve Net Zero by 2050, serving as a call to action for governments and businesses across the world.   

The collaboration between Satellite Vu and Landmark will see the joint development of geospatial information products for the UK real estate market pertaining to the thermal efficiency of buildings monitored by Satellite Vu’s thermal infrared satellites and aerial imagery. 

This data will be distributed across Landmark’s customer network to test, validate and market the geospatial information products. 

Satellite Vu has recently announced a launch deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which will see the first of their constellation of heat sensing satellites launched into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in early 2023. 

Anthony Baker, CEO of Satellite Vu, said: 

“The urgency for action to reduce the world’s carbon emissions is increasing every day, as highlighted by the IPCC, and therefore businesses need to utilise all resources at their disposal. 

“We are thrilled to have formally signed an agreement with Landmark to introduce data from our thermal monitoring satellites to the real estate sector. The insights from our satellites will enable investors, property developers and building owners to receive regular assessment of their buildings’ energy efficiency, allowing them to measure, validate and improve energy efficiency. Armed with this capability, businesses can take concrete and independently verifiable action to align their business with national and international energy targets.” 

Simon Brown, CEO of Landmark Information Group said:  

“Climate risks and environmental factors are playing an ever more important role in future planning, purchasing and lending decisions. It is vital that as an industry we take steps to understand those risks, not only to future proof the housing market but to ensure that we are all contributing to achieving net zero.  

Satellite Vu’s technology combined with our expertise in property data and risk modelling will mean we can provide the industry with a more informed view of future risks for the UK property portfolio. These more accurate datasets will guide businesses through their property investment decisions, mitigate risks and ultimately support our environmental ambitions.” 

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Press Release: 92% of Landlords Believe Employees Want More From Their Buildings – And They’re Prepared to Deliver

Landlords investing in tenant experience teams and tech-based communication tools  

Fresh off the heels of HqO’s survey of corporate employers, we’re pleased to release key findings from our commissioned survey of select international landlords, all of which have at least 1M square feet of commercial real estate property. 

The top-line takeaways? Overall, today’s landlords are optimistic. Only 20% think demand will decline over the long-term. But, they also agree that employees want more from their buildings (92%). 

Where Landlords and Tenants Meet 

In our 2022 Tenant Engagement Report from earlier this year, we heard that most businesses were adopting hybrid work models, reducing their overall commercial real estate (CRE) footprint. Today’s results corroborate those findings. Only 48% of landlords surveyed say at least 75% of their office space is currently leased. Moreover, only 24% of landlords say they experience greater than 75% daily utilization of their leased spaces. 

In contrast, if one were to look at the market at large, it shows the demand for marquee or specialty space remains high. Leaders such as Salesforce, Apple, and Google are investing heavily in space, even as they have reduced the amount of time or eliminated the requirement for employees to physically come to the office altogether. Perhaps, as a result, surveyed landlords are working to increase the flexibility, usability, and appeal of their spaces through targeted strategies. 

Those surveyed are taking proactive steps to align with — and attract — tenants and address any shortfalls.

Investments, Support, and Communication Advancements are Priority

To succeed, landlords know they must form deeper and less transactional relationships with their tenants and drive collaboration across their strategies and business initiatives, while improving maintenance processes and pricing, as well as offering better in-office experiences. 

All surveyed landlords are involved in their tenants’ long-term real estate plans through close collaboration, ongoing joint meetings, or ad hoc communications. However, weekly, monthly, or short-term communications are limited. Landlords plan to address these communication gaps via technology sooner rather than later. Overall, investments in tenant experience technologies are set to increase or remain the same, with an isolated few suggesting a reduction. 

To manage more frequent and meaningful communications, landlords are also investing in enhanced experience teams to meet the varying needs of their tenants:

• Nearly 90% of landlords are planning to provide dedicated tenant experience staff, or already do. 
• 40% of landlords see these tenant experience leaders as primary decision-makers, with a further 40% regarding them as influencers. In context, this gives experience teams more responsibility than asset or portfolio managers. 

These tenant experience leaders are helping to deliver on stated areas of interest from tenants, such as reservation tools for desks and parking, food and beverage ordering services, visitor management and access control, maintenance tools, and energy monitoring technologies. In fact, a full 80% of landlords believe that tenants are keenly interested in comprehensive building mobile applications. As such, experience teams are rolling out digital amenities to complement the physical amenities that tenants have become accustomed to to help reduce even more workplace friction. 

By investing in people, technology, and time, landlords are poised to meet their tenants where they are, and cement these relationships for the long haul.