The most successful places aren’t just where people work, they’re where people belong.

Today’s tenants and investors are looking for more than space; they’re looking for meaning, values, and experience. They want to align with environments that support wellbeing, foster connection, and reflect their sustainability commitments.

That’s why storytelling has become such a powerful tool in commercial real estate marketing. When done well, it does more than describe a building; it brings to life a place's energy, culture, and conscience.

I recently hosted an Energised Thinking workshop for a major commercial real estate client.

The goal was simple: to step back from day-to-day activity and look at how marketing in our sector is evolving: what’s changing, what’s challenging, and where the new opportunities lie.

What struck me most was how much the conversation has shifted. Commercial real estate marketing is no longer about “space and specification”; it’s about purpose, connection and personalisation.

When most people think of a “brand,” they think of logos, colours, and typography. But a brand is far more than that. At its core, a brand is a promise. It is the visual and verbal embodiment of what an organisation stands for and what it commits to delivering to its customers.

When I first started in business, I believed that the best ideas naturally rose through the ranks. But the longer I’ve worked inside large corporations, the more I’ve seen how often innovation stalls in what’s often called the “frozen middle.”

Middle managers aren’t necessarily obstructive people, they’re often caught between corporate strategy and day-to-day delivery. But the result is the same: ideas get rejected, not because they’re bad, but because they’re perceived as risky.

In today’s Commercial Real Estate landscape, buildings don’t just lease; they must deliver experiences. Tenant experience has evolved from a “nice-to-have” to a core strategic differentiator, with tangible ROI for landlords, investors, and occupiers alike.

From Green to Gold: How Tenant Engagement Drives Value in Sustainable Real Estate

Sustainability in real estate is no longer just about ticking boxes or installing solar panels. It’s about creating places where people want to be, and that means engaging the people who use the buildings every day.