Currently, a significant concern for many business leaders has been focused on the return to offices. Questions arise about when to return, whether to adopt alternate schedules, incorporate collaborative spaces, and how prepared we are for the return. Additionally, considerations include whether to reclaim office space and understanding the thoughts of our employees.
MTS Consulting conducted an analysis of the entry of both employees and visitors to each of the assets it manages in different cities and sectors to determine the occupancy of spaces to date. The studies revealed that in April 2020, only 4% of employees entered the corporate sector, 45% in the industrial sector, and 22% in the commercial sector.
Comparing this with April 2021, 16% of employees entered the corporate sector, 78% in the industrial sector, and 82% in the commercial sector. This shows a significant increase of 75% for the corporate sector, 42% for the industrial sector, and 73% in commerce. These results indicate a substantial increase in entries to different assets, aligning with the gradual return to normalcy in each sector.
While achieving 100% occupancy has not been realized, there have been noticeable advances. It is expected that as vaccination progresses, there will be an increase in both employee and visitor entries to the properties.
Biosecurity measures in place at each of the properties will persist for a while. In this regard, properties will continue to invest in effective measures to protect both employees and visitors, enabling the progressive occupation of spaces. This remains a challenge for property owners and administrators.
Property visitors have increased by 82% from 36,758 visitors in April 2020 to 207,088 visitors in April 2021, which shows that not only employees have increased their attendance at the premises to work, but also visitors, who represent higher income than the employees themselves.
It should be noted that income includes the three sectors studied, corporate, commercial, and industrial.
Medellin is the city with the highest occupancy of space according to the analysis. Bogota increased by 55% in the number of employees entering different spaces and 70% in the number of visitors; Medellin has had an increase of 60% in employees and 89% in visitors.
According to MTS projections, it is expected that by the end of the first quarter of 2022 the sectors will have their normal attendance of employees and visitors, although the alternation is here to stay, in the intensity adopted by each company.
Gustavo de la Torre Muñoz – LATAM Real Estate Director
