Office access management has become a key part of the modern workplace experience. As companies adopt office-first, hybrid, and remote work models, building owners and operators must deliver seamless, secure, and digital access experiences that support tenant engagement. In this webinar recap, we explore the future of office access, changing tenant expectations, and how technology helps create a better workplace experience.
- Why is it important to engage office tenants now?
- What does it mean to deliver a world-class tenant experience across today’s workplace?
- What expectations are changing between owners and tenants?
These were some of the key questions discussed during a live webinar featuring VTS and a special guest from one of the world's most innovative companies. The discussion focused on office tenant experience, workplace access control, current challenges with office access, and what the future of office access management looks like.
Missed the live event? Here are the key takeaways.
The Future of Office Access in Today's Workplace
After years of return-to-office (RTO) uncertainty, large companies are taking different approaches to workplace strategy.
Some organizations, like Amazon and Meta, are mandating an office-first policy, while others, including Atlassian, Airbnb, and Dropbox, continue to embrace remote-first or hybrid work models.
There are unique advantages to each approach.
Remote and hybrid work remain popular among employees, while growing amounts of data continue to highlight the value of the office in supporting collaboration, workplace culture, and productivity.
The future may not be entirely remote or completely office-based. Instead, organizations are likely to continue adopting workplace strategies that best fit their employees and business goals.
Regardless of a company's RTO policy or workplace identity, one thing has clearly changed.
The workplace offers more optionality than ever before.
As a result, successful owners and operators must help tenants access and engage with office space using the same flexibility employees now expect from their workplace experience.
Why Office Tenant Experience Matters More Than Ever
Through VTS' proprietary data, it's clear that the tenant "flight to quality" continues across major office markets.
The top 10% of office buildings, those offering modern spaces, updated amenities, and a combination of digital and physical experiences, are achieving rental rates that are close to pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of buildings remain significantly below pre-pandemic rental performance.
The takeaway is clear.
From a leasing perspective, high-quality office buildings have recovered much more effectively than lower-performing properties.
Many owners, however, haven't had the capital required to completely renovate their buildings or introduce new physical amenities.
Fortunately, investing in high-quality digital experiences can provide another path forward.
Digital workplace experiences often require less capital investment while giving owners and operators more flexibility to showcase amenities, improve tenant engagement, and attract and retain tenants.
Tenants Are Turning to Owners and Operators for Solutions
The Growing Role of Digital Tenant Experiences
Traditionally, owners and operators have focused on workplace access control solutions primarily in buildings with turnstiles, particularly in markets such as New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
However, access doesn't stop at the building entrance.
What about access to the tenant suite itself?
Consider a common example.
When a new employee arrives at the office for their first day, who do they associate their building and workplace experience with?
Is it their employer?
Or is it the building owner or operator?
Across most workplaces, employees naturally associate the entire office experience with their company, even if many parts of that experience are actually managed by the building owner.
Because of this, workplace access experiences have become much more important.
A smooth, secure, and convenient access experience strengthens both the employee experience and the tenant's overall perception of the workplace.
Tenants are increasingly looking to owners and operators to help support their workplace strategy.
This includes access to the building, access to workplace suites, and even access to shared workplace amenities.
Providing seamless office access gives owners an opportunity to strengthen partnerships with tenants while improving one of the most frequent interactions employees have with the building.
How Digital Office Access Supports Modern Workplaces
Apple Wallet for Office Access Explained
Access control and access management have traditionally been complex.
Every building has unique infrastructure, different hardware, and existing access control systems.
Connecting those systems while delivering a consistent experience for tenants has often been a challenge.
VTS is working to simplify that experience.
VTS provides native technology that supports modern office access management.
By integrating with existing access control systems and readers, tenants can enjoy a seamless workplace access experience using their iPhone as the key to their office.
From entering the base building to accessing their workplace suite—or even other buildings and workspaces- they can simply tap their device for secure access.
VTS isn't just another middleware platform or application integrator.
The team works alongside owners and operators to understand existing systems, identify operational needs, provide strategic recommendations, and help deliver the workplace experiences they want to create.
Simplifying Workplace Access Management with Technology
Managing Office Access More Efficiently
Today’s methods of managing office access are often costly, time-consuming, and dependent on multiple disconnected systems.
In many buildings, both property teams and workplace administrators must separately manage credentials through third-party systems while coordinating with one another throughout the process.
VTS has created a more efficient way to grant, manage, and revoke access credentials.
First, property teams can manage base-building access credentials directly within VTS Activate, creating a central command center to oversee the building, tenant experience, and daily operations.
Instead of navigating multiple access control systems or additional third-party solutions, VTS Activate integrates existing systems and synchronizes credentials automatically in the background.
Next, tenant administrators can manage base-building access themselves directly within VTS Activate.
This removes the need for ongoing back-and-forth communication with busy property teams and makes credential management much faster and easier.
While managing credentials is essential for building security, it also creates an opportunity to improve the experience delivered to tenant administrators and their employees.
What's Next for Office Access Management
Using Data to Improve Tenant Engagement
Delivering an exceptional office access experience is important, but it represents only one part of the overall tenant experience.
Every interaction between owners, operators, and tenants contributes to the long-term relationship and overall satisfaction with a building.
VTS Activate provides owners and their teams with valuable insights to better understand tenants, their preferences, and how they engage with the workplace.
These insights help teams create more meaningful experiences throughout the tenant lifecycle.
Combined with the broader VTS platform, owners gain a 360-degree view of their tenants—from initial leasing activity through ongoing engagement and renewal. As commercial real estate continues to adopt AI-powered workflows, having accurate, connected data becomes even more valuable. Learn more about what it takes for AI in commercial real estate to work and why a strong data foundation is essential for better decision-making.
This enables leasing, property management, and operations teams to make faster, more informed decisions while delivering a more connected workplace experience.
Although many technology providers make similar claims, VTS is designed to bring these capabilities together within a single commercial real estate platform.
Looking beyond access management? Organizations that are preparing for the next generation of commercial real estate technology can also explore The Complete Guide for AI in Asset Management to understand how AI can support portfolio performance, asset operations, and decision-making.
Interested in up-leveling the access experience you deliver, but not sure where to start?
Take our quick Apple Wallet Readiness Quiz and get your score.
Our team of access experts is available to help you understand your current environment, align technology with your goals, and identify the best approach for delivering better workplace access experiences.
You can also watch the webinar on demand to learn more about the future of office access with VTS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is office access management in commercial real estate?
Office access management refers to the technology and processes used to securely manage how tenants, employees, and visitors enter office buildings, workplace suites, and shared amenities.
Why is office tenant experience important for building owners?
A positive tenant experience helps improve tenant satisfaction, strengthen long-term relationships, increase retention, and make office buildings more competitive in today's market.
How do hybrid work models affect office access strategies?
Hybrid work creates more flexible workplace schedules, making digital office access, credential management, and seamless building entry increasingly important for both tenants and building owners.
What are the benefits of digital office access for tenants?
Digital office access provides a faster, more convenient, and secure experience while reducing reliance on physical credentials and simplifying workplace entry.
How can building owners simplify workplace access management?
Owners can simplify access management by using integrated technology that centralizes credential management, synchronizes access systems, and allows both property teams and tenant administrators to manage permissions efficiently.
How does technology improve tenant engagement in office buildings?
Commercial real estate technology helps owners better understand tenant behavior, improve communication, streamline workplace experiences, and deliver more personalized services throughout the tenant lifecycle.
Key Takeaways: Office Access Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage
The workplace continues to evolve, and so do tenant expectations.
Whether companies adopt office-first, hybrid, or remote work strategies, employees now expect secure, flexible, and seamless access experiences that support the way they work.
As highlighted throughout this webinar, high-quality buildings are differentiating themselves by combining physical amenities with digital workplace experiences that improve tenant engagement and simplify office access management.
By using technology to streamline credential management, support workplace flexibility, and better understand tenant needs, owners and operators can strengthen relationships while creating a more connected workplace experience.
Ready to modernize your office access strategy? Discover how VTS Activate helps owners and operators simplify workplace access management, improve tenant engagement, and deliver seamless digital office experiences from the building entrance to the workplace suite.
Watch this webinar on demand to learn more about the future of office access with VTS.
