Once the COVID shakeout is in the rearview mirror and office users hint at returning to the workplace, what will draw them back?  Of course, upgraded office space will be needed to attract and retain workers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, says Michael Christ, founder and CEO of SECO Development.

“This is more of a tech-workers market than a tenant’s market, and since most companies here are tech, their greatest challenge is hiring and retaining talent. And given how profitable they have been in the last year, they will need to grow significantly to maintain the PE ratios those tech companies attained at this point,” says Christ. “With the work-from-home factor, those offices will need to be low- to no-commute, near quality housing affordable to the workforce, with home comforts in-office, easy and ample parking, roomy gathering and collaborative spaces. A strong connection to open spaces and nature, healthy space, and food and shopping all must combine in a project to deliver what workers want.”

Christ’s comments were part of “What Office Tenants Need to Know for 2021 And Beyond”, a roundtable that examined the Greater Seattle/Bellevue CRE marketplace.