CBRE’s “Host” Meets Growing Demand for Employee Experience

CBRE today announced the launch of Host, an expanded service offering for corporate occupiers and institutional property investors designed to meet the rapidly growing demand for enhanced employee experience in the workplace. Led by people and enabled by technology, Host allows both corporate occupiers and institutional property investors to manage workplace needs through intelligent, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven experiences.

Host’s scalable product suite includes concierge-quality services provided by talented “hosts” whose focus is on creating a helpful and comfortable atmosphere, and delivering exceptional experiences across all employee-facing services (reception, IT support, meetings and events); world-class customer service training and certification; and a powerful, enterprise-grade technology platform, including an agile, easy-to-use app that creates an employee-centric workplace experience. 

“Employees today have new expectations for the workplace. This is driving corporate occupiers and landlords to offer curated experiences and high-touch customer service, enabled by predictive technology,” said Georgia Collins, joint global lead of Host. “By combining people and technology into an integrated offering, Host eliminates the barriers and shortcomings associated with tech-only solutions.”

A rebrand and evolution of the CBRE 360 service offering, the Host name reflects the core attributes of all great service experiences: feeling welcomed, well cared for, and comfortable. Host builds on CBRE’s industry-leading expertise in managing facilities for corporate occupiers and properties for building owners/landlords. It also leverages CBRE’s expertise in workplace strategies and flexible space solutions.

“Our foundation in facilities and property management excellence is a differentiator for Host in the marketplace,” said Alex Andel, joint global lead of Host. “While our Facilities Management and Property Management teams keep their properties running seamlessly, our front-of-house teams—called Hosts—focus on anticipating and serving the needs of tenants and employees.”

Host Technology

Host technology is an experience platform that connects the employee to the work environments, amenities and communities that matter most. The platform, which can be tailored to specific client requirements, features a robust mobile experience that allows users to navigate the workplace, schedule meetings with colleagues, reserve workspaces, use food and beverage services, and access building and concierge services. 

Its proprietary, AI-driven experiences and “recommendation engine” learn over time, delivering highly personalized experiences; they also ensure that all space needs are sustainably and efficiently met for building operators. Acting as an extension of the client’s brand, the look and feel of the Host app can be personalized, unlike any competing offering.

“The market suffers from an ‘app for that syndrome.’ There is an app for visitor management, an app for controlling temperature, an app for booking meeting rooms…Host integrates specialty technology and end-user experience features on a single platform, allowing employees to access their workplace needs from a single app,” said Brennan McReynolds, global Product & Technology lead for Host.

The technology is built in-house by a world-class team of CBRE product managers, designers, data scientists and engineers, and directed by a group of proven leaders who have expertise in building platforms at scale for some of the most innovative companies in the world. Host has been developed with collaboration from a robust ecosystem of partners and providers.

For more information on Host, visit host.cbre.com.