by Brianna Crandall — March 25, 2019 — Global commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE recently announced the launch of “Host,” an expanded concierge services offering for corporate occupiers and institutional property investors designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for enhanced employee experience in the workplace. Led by people and enabled by technology, Host allows both corporate occupiers and institutional property investors to manage workplace needs through intelligent, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven experiences.
Host’s scalable product suite includes concierge-quality services provided by talented “Hosts” whose focus is on creating a helpful and comfortable atmosphere, and delivering exceptional experiences across all employee-facing services (reception, IT support, meetings and events); world-class customer service training and certification; and a powerful, enterprise-grade technology platform, including an agile, easy-to-use app that creates an employee-centric workplace experience.
Georgia Collins, joint global lead of Host, observed:
Employees today have new expectations for the workplace. This is driving corporate occupiers and landlords to offer curated experiences and high-touch customer service, enabled by predictive technology. By combining people and technology into an integrated offering, Host eliminates the barriers and shortcomings associated with tech-only solutions.
A rebrand and evolution of the CBRE 360 service offering, the Host name reflects the core attributes of all great service experiences: feeling welcomed, well cared for, and comfortable. Host concierge services build on CBRE’s deep expertise in managing facilities for corporate occupiers and properties for building owners/landlords. The offering also leverages CBRE’s expertise in workplace strategies and flexible space solutions.
Alex Andel, joint global lead of Host, stated:
Our foundation in facilities and property management excellence is a differentiator for Host in the marketplace. While our Facilities Management and Property Management teams keep their properties running seamlessly, our front-of-house teams — called Hosts — focus on anticipating and serving the needs of tenants and employees.
Host technology
Host technology is an experience platform that connects the employee to the work environments, amenities and communities that matter most. The platform, which can be tailored to specific client requirements, features a robust mobile experience that allows users to navigate the workplace, schedule meetings with colleagues, reserve workspaces, use food and beverage services, and access building and concierge services.
Its proprietary, AI-driven experiences and “recommendation engine” learn over time, delivering highly personalized experiences; they also ensure that all space needs are sustainably and efficiently met for building operators. Acting as an extension of the client’s brand, the look and feel of the Host app can be personalized, unlike any competing offering, points out CBRE.
Brennan McReynolds, global Product and Technology lead for Host, remarked:
The market suffers from “an app for that” syndrome. There is an app for visitor management, an app for controlling temperature, an app for booking meeting rooms…Host integrates specialty technology and end-user experience features on a single platform, allowing employees to access their workplace needs from a single app.
The technology is built in-house by a world-class team of CBRE product managers, designers, data scientists and engineers, and directed by a group of proven leaders who have expertise in building platforms at scale for some of the most innovative companies in the world. Host has been developed with collaboration from a robust ecosystem of partners and providers.
For more information on the Host offering of concierge services backed by technology, visit CBRE’s Host website.
