Media Sector Group

We can help to streamline entire media property portfolios for maximum flexibility and efficiency, or to help you satisfy a specific property requirement as part of a one-off transaction. In all cases we seek to align business objectives with real estate solutions.

In an industry where contracts are often short-term, resulting in vacillating headcounts, there are opportunities to ‘right-size’ your footprint, as well as introduce flexibility by taking options for expansion for the future.

Who should use this service?

Any media company looking for expertise and solutions across all property types – offices, industrial or retail – both owned and leased.

We can help on a case-by-case basis or provide you with a single point of contact to access any service relevant to your property needs, from transaction support through to space planning, project management and building consultancy.

How we can help

There are many ways in which we have helped our media clients, but we have identified below some services which have proved particularly relevant in a challenging economic environment.

Controlling property data

Our lease administration team can review all portfolio leases and ensure that data is accurately captured. Tracking critical dates allows efficient portfolio management and facilitates portfolio analysis to identify potential opportunities to increase efficiency of occupation. Documentation is collated so that you can be prepared when opportunities arise. Examples include identifying surplus space and critical lease dates that could facilitate right-sizing.

Renegotiation of occupational leases

As rents fall and vacancy rates rise, landlords are increasingly keen to retain tenants. This presents a window of opportunity in which tenants with forthcoming breaks and expiries can negotiate with landlords to extract value from continued occupation. Possible savings can include: lower rent payments; rent free periods; capital contributions; reduction of future liabilities such as dilapidations; and capping of service charges and other fixed occupational costs.

Space planning and flexible working

Advances in technology and more affordable and flexible modern furniture have meant that space requirements per person in the media sector can often be reduced. We can re-examine your space requirements to consolidate your footprint and release surplus space from your portfolio. This might be achieved by consolidating rooftops or right-sizing the amount of space within a particular location. Examples of efficiency savings include:

re-stacking to improve density of occupation
introducing flexible working such as hot-desking to minimise the number of workstations
studying use levels to understand whether spaces such as break-out areas and meeting rooms are being used to capacity
portfolio review of locations and critical dates to identify where rooftops may be reduced if compatible with business synergies.

Reducing occupational costs

After people, property is the highest cost for many media businesses. There are a number of areas that can be reviewed to reduced occupancy costs:

reviewing facilities management contracts (many of which were negotiated in a more affluent economic climate)
service charge audits
business rates reviews
achieving economies of scale on insurance and utilities for larger occupiers.

Adding value – the benefits of our approach

Best practice and client care

We have established a range of processes and best practice tools for assisting media clients with their real estate. We also place great emphasis on the need for effective communication and agree methods and frequency of reporting with our client at the start of every project.

Bespoke solutions

Whilst certain themes apply across the whole media sector, we recognise that all media businesses have unique objectives and requirements. As such, whilst we deliver both sector specific experience and market knowledge, we aim to listen to what each client wants and to be proactive in delivering innovative ideas and solutions to match every requirement.

Experience and resources

Our established team of experienced professionals works regularly with media clients across Europe. Each country has a dedicated country champion who understands what matters to media clients and who acts as the local market expert. Where a company has multi-national requirements we can also provide a coordinated and consistent cross-border response through this network.

We have a strong track record of working with media occupiers and landlords both in the UK and globally. Interpublic Group, Omnicom, The BBC, Disney & NBC Universal are just some of the organisations who have trusted us to help them with their real estate. We have also worked with landlords and developers, such as Peel on its Media City scheme.

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