< Back

What are employers looking for from a Corporate Real Estate Manager?

London 3833039 1280

Article posted by

​At Cobalt we work with a number of corporates looking to hire for their in-house property teams as well as with consultancies hiring within their corporate solutions teams. If you want to know how to stand out from your competition, here are some pointers.

  • Have creative ideas and solutions - the best ideas for a corporate might not be the most obvious. You will need to think outside the box and be flexible in order to achieve the best results for the business. Whether this is a different way to refurbish, a different lease, a different location the company will want your thoughts and you need them to be excited about it.

  • Stakeholder management - When working either on a client account or in-house you will need to be excellent at managing different stakeholders who may well have different business objectives and needs. You will have to manage their expectations, communicate your plans and keep everyone on side!

  • Clear communication - alongside getting buy-in from multiple stakeholders you will need to explain your ideas to them. You may we be the only property professional in the business and as such you need to be able to translate your ideas to non-property professionals. No getting caught up in jargon and think about what the project means to them.

  • Putting the company first - Unlike some other roles, this one is not about maximising revenue. You will need to be able to avoid unnecessary costs and minimise Capex spend whilst still achieving the business needs.

  • Understand different cultures - You may well be responsible for an EMEA or Global portfolio and the needs across this could differ greatly. For example offices in different countries may be more or less open to the idea of hot desking.

  • Know new industry trends - The industry is always changing and as the property expert you need to be up-to-date on what is happening. A recent example would be the move towards co-working and serviced offices and away from standard long leases. This allows companies to be more flexible but presents some challenges that you will need to be able to negotiate.

  • Be a brand ambassador - whether you are employed directly by the company or are a consultant you will be representing them in their property dealings, as such you need to exude the company culture and uphold their reputation. There needs to be a fit with the type of company, is it super corporate or more of a casual environment?

  • Know the target market- you will need to understand the company and its employees and consumers. What do they need from their office space? How should their stores look? What are the must-haves in terms of location? For example, there is a specific way that an Apple store is laid out, with separate banks for different products, the space needs to allow for that.

Job hunting can be full of uncertainty. But with us, you can be sure that we’ll do everything we can to get you to your ideal job. Send your CV to us to get started or search for the latest job vacancies and we’ll get the ball rolling.