Best in Class, High EPC Buildings Are No Longer Enough. You Need An Experience-led Office That Drives Value.

For years the office market believed that better was enough. Grade A space. High EPC ratings. Prime locations. Modern finishes.

But better does not mean memorable.

We don’t choose business class for the seat width alone; we choose it for the feeling of being looked after so we can sleep and find silence. The value isn't the aircraft—it’s the elevation of the journey. We pay for the transition from "traveller" to "performer," ensuring we arrive feeling refreshed and battle-ready rather than exhausted. It is a premium paid for a mental state, not just a physical space.

We do not go to restaurants just to eat. We watch chefs cook in front of us. We film Nusret sprinkling salt because the performance becomes part of the meal. We do not go to gyms for equipment alone. We go for the music, the lighting, the atmosphere and the environment designed around how we want to move and feel.

Work has now entered that same psychological wave.

People no longer want offices they simply occupy; they want offices they experience. This experience is multi-layered and intentional, woven into every detail, from the physical to the sensory. It is found in the warmth of the natural light, the quiet precision of the acoustics, the ease of the technology, and the intuitive "vibe" of the shared spaces. It’s not just one thing, it is the curation of everything—colour, sound, scent, and service—working in harmony to remove friction and elevate the day. When these layers align, the office stops being a place you "go to" and becomes a place that supports how you feel. The phrase “it doesn't feel like work” has become the ultimate compliment.

The Specification Trap

This is where traditional Grade A buildings often fall short. They deliver the necessary quality, but quality without this emotional layer is forgettable. We have reached a point where high EPC ratings and sustainability are essential for compliance, but they do not create attachment. The specification provides the bones, but it does not create the memory.

There is now a widening gap between what buildings technically provide and what people actually respond to. To bridge it, we must look beyond the physical asset.

The Flight to Lifestyle - Experience-Led Offices that Drive Value

Walk into an experience-led office and the difference is immediate.

The welcome feels warm and human. More like entering a luxury hotel than a commercial asset. You feel a sense of care. The building has a presence. It has personality.

Light fills the space. Views matter. Terraces are places where people pause and breathe and catch the sunset. The building changes how the day feels.

You control your environment. An app adjusts the temperature. The lighting responds. Spaces adapt around you. Everything works quietly in the background removing friction from the working day.

This is not about adding more amenities. Gyms, showers, saunas, fitted kitchens and televisions are now expected. They improve specification but they do not transform experience.

Experience is about the orchestration of atmosphere. It is a multi-layered harmony where the sensory details meet a truly frictionless product. It is about environments tailored so precisely to how people actually work, focus, and perform that the building itself feels like a partner in their success. These buildings have soul.

Like a resort you once stayed in and still think about years later. A place you did not want to leave. A place you would return to without hesitation. The memory lingers.

And people pay for that feeling.

Kentro Real Estate are the experts in developing experience-led offices that drive value, where experience anchors demand, strengthens retention and supports long term income.

Occupiers are willing to pay meaningful premiums of 10-20% because the value is obvious. Kentro helps landlords invest in what truly matters. Leasing accelerates. Retention strengthens. Net Operating Income follows.

The Kentro Expertise: Developing Experience-Led Value

Kentro Real Estate are the experts in developing experience-led offices where atmosphere anchors demand, strengthens retention, and supports long-term income. We help landlords invest in what truly matters, ensuring leasing accelerates and Net Operating Income (NOI) follows.

Our approach is rooted in our team’s heritage at Fora, the UK’s most premium flexible office provider. We bring that same commitment to high aesthetic standards, premium service, and frictionless experience to every asset we touch. By blending hospitality-led operations with a deep understanding of investment performance, we deliver environments that feel like a partner in an occupier's success.

Our focus is twofold. First, we partner with equity investors to acquire new assets or form Joint Ventures with existing landlords to recapitalise and reposition incumbent office buildings through an active, sustainable management mindset. Second, we support institutional landlords with comprehensive Investment Management (IM) and Development Management (DM) services across traditional, fitted, and managed office models.