Nailing the brief for the perfect office since 2014

We’re going back to basics for this one, and giving some straight-up talk as to what we do, what it means, and how we can help your business.

Property can feel like a complicated industry sometimes, especially commercial property, and we want you to have the smoothest journey with us, which also means being able to decipher what to expect from each stage. 

We’ve also thrown in a few phrases you might hear knocking about during your search for an office. This is a jargon-free zone, after all. 

What we do 

Plain and simple…

👉 We’re a bespoke agency who help amazing companies find amazing offices to suit their brand and their budget, covering the entire market from flexible, to managed and leased spaces, handling pretty much everything during your search, from start to finish.

Think of us a bit like estate agents (or even a personalised RightMove) for office space, but much better. Someone who’s on your side, explaining everything, every step of the way. 

Let’s expand on that some more  

Forget the endless scrolling when trying to find somewhere you like, organising multiple viewings with different agents, being shuffled in and out alongside everyone else, and then asked for a best and final offer by Monday AM (and that’s before you even get into a bidding war, searches, or any of the legal parts). 

Kontor handles everything for you, from the searching to the shortlisting to the viewings to the negotiating to the design and everything in-between. 

Plus, you’ll only need to work with us as opposed to multiple agents, and you’ll still get the best outcome - we cover the entire market and can unlock some secret spots you may not otherwise know about…

Step-by-step 

So, this is what *usually* happens when you’re looking for a new office:  

📞 Brief - Once you’ve got in touch, you’ll get your own dedicated Kontor advisor, who will arrange a quick call to discuss your brief, budget, and everything in-between. 

✅ Bespoke office list - By the next day we’ll have delivered a list of top office picks suiting your requirements, accessible via your very own Kontor portal, which we can shortlist together. 

😍 Viewings - Now onto the really fun stuff! We’ll sort all the logistics and come with you of course, along with whoever else you think needs to be there. Although you’ll probably have your favourites after the first round, you can expect to do about 2-3 rounds overall. 

🤝 Negotiations - Once you’ve shortlisted final options we’ll handle all the negotiations (we know where the price should be). We’ll also handle the ins and outs of the contract negotiations too, when the time comes, and assist with helping designing, or fitting-out the space, depending on what type of office you’ve gone for.  

✏️ Sign on the dotted line - Once you’re all signed we’ll introduce you to Daniel, your Account Manager, who will help ensure everything’s ticking along smoothly once you’re in. 

🔑 Time to move in - Horray, it’s here! We’ll check in once you’ve cracked that bubbly (or put the kettle on), and be on hand to iron out any teething issues.

⏰ Agreement almost up - Although we’ll be in touch regularly during the course of the term, once the end of your agreement is approaching we’ll be on hand to start thinking about whether you want to stay put or move on, share the latest rent prices, and the hottest spots to suit.

What cities we cover 

London mainly, but last year we helped find 128 dream offices across a whopping 18 global cities, including Paris, Barcelona, New York, and Sydney.

Who we’ve worked with 

Some big, some small, but all progressive brands who deserve the best workspaces to help their teams thrive: 

Monzo, Deliveroo, Copper, Braze, Revolut, Binance, Atomico, GoCardless, HiBob, Chief, Lantum, Pension Bee, to name just a few. 

(We’re not here to name-drop, we’re just proud of the people we’ve worked with). 

Need-to-know phrases 

The handy go-to for internal conversations - You are now entering a jargon-free zone: 

Serviced - Also known as the flexible one. Fully serviced, everything’s included, better for shorter-term contracts (under 2 years). You get the keys and you’re good to go! 

Managed - The one in the middle of a serviced and leased space. Offers a managed service but you’ll need to sort more things compared to a flexi, better suited to brands wanting 1-3 years. 

Leased - The one where you can start from scratch, most-suited to longer terms between 3-15 years. 

Provider - A company like WeWork, or The Office Group (TOG), who provide the actual office space. We work directly with providers to get you the best space (and price). 

Fit-out - The spec & design of your office (usually only applying to leased) - how you make it a proper home with fixtures, fittings and furnishings, categorised in two main ways:

1. Cat A - A blank canvas where you can do whatever you like. 

2. Cat B - A ‘plug & play’, including everything like furniture and specific lighting, usually resulting in higher rent than a Cat A for the convenience.

Asset-owner - Does what it says on the tin; a property owner (previously known as a landlord).

By Jess Ward, Content Marketing Manager