Data, Demand & the Future of Office Performance

In conversation with Greg Blanchard, Portfolio Manager at TSP

Data has become a big theme in conversations about the future of offices. Why is it so important right now?

The office market is becoming increasingly polarised. In central London, tenant demand, ESG performance and pricing are clearly separating best-in-class buildings from secondary stock.

Data gives landlords real clarity on how their buildings are actually being used, what occupiers value, and where capital should be deployed. That insight is critical to protecting income, staying competitive, and safeguarding long-term returns.

What does good data look like in practice?

There’s a wide range of data a property manager can capture, but at its core, good data needs to be accurate, insightful and actionable.

Key markers for me would be energy usage, rent collection and, especially in the current climate, tenant behaviour and service requests. There’s no better way to understand occupier trends than by looking at how your own tenants are interacting with the building. That kind of data helps answer commercial questions around leasing, operating costs and ESG targets, while keeping the tenant experience front of mind.

How does the way data is used in property management typically compare with the approach at TSP?

We approach it a little differently because our business model is different. TSP is built around a more modern approach to tenant management. We’re gathering insights from a new generation of occupiers who arrive with higher expectations, often having moved from fully serviced environments like WeWork.

That means our data comes from day-to-day tenant experience, rather than purely lease-led models. It’s this focus on how space is actually used and experienced that sets us apart from more traditional service providers.

What happens when data isn’t at the forefront of decision-making?

It comes back to what I mentioned earlier about allocating capital to the right things. Without a clear, data-led understanding of demand and occupier expectations, landlords risk investing in trends that have already passed.
In central London, that can mean higher voids, longer void periods and weaker rental growth.

There’s also growing risk around ESG – failing to track the right data or keep pace with regulation can affect compliance and investor appeal. Strong, relevant data sets are becoming increasingly important to forward-thinking investors.

Can you give an example of where data has informed a core decision at TSP?

Managed Space is one of our key USPs, and data sits at the heart of our asset strategy, particularly around leasing. By identifying trends in demand and changes in occupier profiles, we’ve worked closely with landlords to ensure CapEx is aligned with what the market actually wants.

That’s led to a more balanced mix of space – from fully fitted CAT B offices for managed tenants, through to CAT A space for more traditional leases. This flexibility helps attract a wider range of occupiers, shorten void periods and ultimately let space more quickly.