Beyond Amenities: How Cohesion's Smart Experience Platform Creates Tenant-Centric Buildings That Drive Retention

Occupant expectations have evolved rapidly in recent years. No longer satisfied with simply having access to a gym, café, or lounge, today’s occupants expect personalized, connected, and tech-enabled experiences throughout their workday. In this new landscape, property teams must think beyond static amenities and toward platforms that foster real-time engagement, seamless service, and deeper community. That’s where Cohesion’s platform comes in—transforming buildings into responsive, people-centered environments that drive satisfaction and long-term retention.

The New Era of Tenant Expectations

For decades, real estate focused heavily on physical perks—fancy lobbies, rooftop terraces, or stocked break rooms—as the key to attracting and keeping tenants. But in the hybrid and flexible work era, expectations have shifted. Occupants now prioritize digital connectivity, ease of access, and personalized service just as much as square footage or ambience.

Key shifts in expectations:

• From amenities to experience: People want daily interactions—from submitting service requests to accessing shared spaces—to be seamless and mobile-friendly.
• Desire for personalization: They expect spaces and services that adapt to their preferences, schedules, and routines.
• Increased reliance on data: They also now expect their needs and habits to be understood and anticipated, mirroring the consumer experience they enjoy outside the office.

This evolution calls for a new type of infrastructure: one that doesn’t just manage a space, but actively enhances it through intelligent, connected technology.

Defining a Tenant Experience Platform

A tenant experience platform is more than an app—it’s a centralized operating system for engagement, connecting the people in the building with the services, spaces, and amenities around them. It bridges the gap between operations and end-user experience.

Core capabilities of Cohesion’s Platform include:

• Mobile-first access to building services like work orders, visitor management, and amenity booking
• Real-time communication tools for updates, alerts, and engagement
• Personalized dashboards that reflect preferences and provide a user-specific building interface
• Integration with building systems such as access control, HVAC, and lighting for more responsive environments

Unlike traditional amenity management tools that focus on static offerings, platforms like Smart Experience enable dynamic, tech-forward engagement that can evolve with tenant needs. They centralize both backend functions and user-facing services, eliminating silos and creating a more cohesive experience across the building.

Workplace Engagement Technology: More Than a Buzzword

The concept of “engagement” is often thrown around—but in CRE and corporate real estate, it has a much more specific and  measurable impact. Workplace engagement technology empowers tenants and their employees to feel more connected, more supported, and more in control of their environment. This, in turn, leads to higher retention and a stronger sense of community within the building.

What workplace engagement looks like in practice:

• Streamlined communication between property teams and their tenants, reducing delays and confusion
• Mobile-first platforms that allow tenants to interact with the building, whether they’re reserving a room, accessing amenities, or checking service updates
• Built-in feedback loops, where occupants can share insights or concerns and see their input reflected in real-time changes

Cohesion’s Smart Experience platform gives building teams the tools they need to engage occupants throughout their time in the building. This consistency builds trust, drives satisfaction, and sets the stage for long-term engagement and satisfaction.

Occupant Retention Strategies That Work

Turnover is one of the most expensive and disruptive challenges in commercial real estate. The cost goes beyond just lost leases —it includes lost operational momentum, strained building staff, negative word-of-mouth, and the marketing and legal costs required to bring in new tenants. In an increasingly competitive CRE market, tenant retention has become a core strategic priority.

But retaining tenants today isn’t about offering more square footage or flashier lobbies. It’s about creating meaningful, day-to-day experiences that build trust, convenience, and value. Tenants stay in buildings where they feel seen, heard, and supported—and where daily frustrations are minimized, not tolerated.

Cohesion’s Smart Experience platform helps building teams shift from reactive support to proactive engagement by using real-time data, automation, and personalization to anticipate needs and resolve friction before it affects satisfaction.

Key retention strategies are built into the platform:

• Predictive insights: By continuously tracking data on amenity use, space bookings, work order activity, and even app engagement, Smart Experience helps teams detect early signs of disengagement. For example, a noticeable drop in a company’s use of shared spaces or services may signal dissatisfaction or reduced workplace presence, giving property managers an opportunity to check in and re-engage before a lease is lost.
• Customizable experiences: The platform allows for segmentation and personalization based on tenant behavior, business type, and stated preferences. From tailored announcements and targeted promotions to preferred lighting or access settings, property teams can create curated experiences that align with tenant goals and daily rhythms. This flexibility builds a stronger emotional connection between the tenant and the building.
• Frictionless service delivery: Everyday interactions—like reserving a conference room, submitting a maintenance request, or inviting a guest—shouldn’t require multiple steps or human follow-up. With Smart Experience, tenants can manage these actions independently through their mobile devices. The result is a smoother experience, fewer delays, and a greater sense of control and convenience.

Additionally, because the platform centralizes service history and communication, teams can respond more quickly to feedback, resolve recurring issues, and ensure that tenants feel consistently supported. This helps prevent small annoyances from becoming major complaints or reasons to leave.

By combining data-driven intelligence with user-friendly tools, Cohesion enables property teams to make occupant satisfaction a continuous, measurable process. Rather than waiting for tenant frustrations to surface, teams are equipped to engage in a proactive, responsive way—turning retention from a risk area into a competitive strength.

From Amenities to Engagement: Rethinking Building Value

Too often, amenities are treated as static features—build it and they will come. But without dynamic engagement tools, even the most impressive lounges or gyms can go unused. The modern tenant is looking for ongoing value, not just physical space. That’s why smart engagement is becoming the new differentiator.

Moving from features to functionality:

• Static amenities like game rooms or rooftop patios may not meet evolving needs if they lack scheduling, promotion, or feedback integration.
• Dynamic, tech-enabled touchpoints—like mobile booking, tenant surveys, and personalized access—create everyday value and a sense of ownership.
• Measurable ROI: Unlike amenities that quietly sit in the background, platforms like Smart Experience generate data on usage, satisfaction, and engagement—allowing property teams to optimize investments in real time.

Buildings that prioritize experience over infrastructure aren’t just more pleasant—they’re more profitable. Engaged tenants are more likely to renew leases, recommend spaces to others, and contribute to a positive building culture.

Building Community Features for Modern Real Estate

One of the most powerful but underutilized tenant retention tools is community. Buildings that facilitate connection—between occupants, companies, and the property team—create a sense of belonging that is hard to replicate elsewhere. Cohesion’s platform supports this through built-in community features designed to foster interaction and collaboration.

Community-building capabilities include:

• Smart event scheduling and promotion: Users can view, RSVP, or suggest events through the app, while property teams can track interest and engagement.
• Spaces for connection: Digital tools support coordination of common spaces, lounges, and flexible work areas—making it easier to meet up, host events, or collaborate.
• Community hubs: Bulletin boards, chat features, and push notifications help build dialogue between tenants and between companies in multi-tenant buildings.

With community driving both experience and retention, Smart Experience helps teams create environments that feel more human—and much harder to leave.

Seamless Operations Through Centralized Technology

While much of the tenant experience focuses on the end-user journey, operational efficiency is what keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. A major benefit of Cohesion’s Smart Building Platform is its ability to centralize building operations—from service requests to access control—within a single, intuitive interface.

Operational functions unified by the platform:

• Work order management is streamlined, with requests submitted, tracked, and resolved within the same app used for daily engagement.
• Visitor management and access control are integrated, allowing teams to issue credentials, view entry logs, and manage permissions without switching between multiple systems.
• Automated processes, such as recurring tasks or system alerts, reduce manual oversight and free up time for strategic work.

By connecting day-to-day operations with the tenant experience layer, the Smart Experience platform creates a seamless flow between teams, systems, and services, resulting in faster response times and fewer dropped tasks.

Empowering Tenants with Self-Service Options

In today’s consumer environment, users expect control. Whether it’s ordering food, booking a meeting room, or adjusting workspace settings, convenience is everything. Cohesion’s platform reflects this shift by offering tenants real-time, self-service functionality—putting everyday building interactions at their fingertips.

Examples of self-service features:

• App-based amenity and space booking, giving tenants control over their schedules and helping prevent conflicts or overcrowding.
• Wayfinding and navigation tools that make it easier to move through complex buildings or multi-tenant campuses.
• Personal dashboards where users can manage preferences, access building information, submit feedback, and track service requests.

These tools empower tenants while reducing reliance on front desk staff or property teams for routine requests—improving both autonomy and satisfaction.

Making the Experience a Differentiation in Competitive Markets

With office occupancy still stabilizing post-pandemic, tenant attraction and retention have become competitive battlegrounds. To stand out, real estate leaders must offer more than space—they must offer experience. That’s where platforms like Smart Experience deliver measurable value.

Differentiation drivers include:

• Smart building capabilities that showcase innovation and tech-forward thinking to prospective tenants.
• Custom branding and personalization within the app, aligning the experience with your building’s identity and elevating perceived value.
• Stronger leasing narratives, backed by engagement data, that demonstrate tenant satisfaction and operational excellence.

In portfolios and market listings, buildings equipped with Smart Experience stand out as future-ready, flexible, and premium, positioning them for longer leases, higher occupancy, and better tenant reviews.

Data-Driven Decisions for Property Managers and Owners

What gets measured gets managed—and Smart Experience delivers a robust data layer that enables smarter decision-making across operations, tenant engagement, and capital planning.

Actionable insights include:

• Occupancy and engagement trends, highlighting how spaces and services are being used—and where they aren’t.
• Benchmarking tools, allowing property teams to compare building performance across regions, assets, or tenant types.
• Custom reporting and dashboards that help justify investments, identify friction points, and optimize operations at scale.

With Savvy, Cohesion’s analytics platform, property teams can turn tenant activity into performance intelligence, fueling decisions that drive both experience and ROI.

Future-Proofing Properties with Scalable Technology

Tenant expectations aren’t static, so your building experience platform shouldn’t be either. One of the greatest strengths of Cohesion’s Smart Experience platform is its ability to scale and adapt as buildings grow, technologies evolve, and tenant needs change.

How the platform supports long-term flexibility:

• Modular features allow teams to roll out capabilities over time, layering in workplace engagement tools, integrations, or community-building functions as needed
• AI and machine learning compatibility position buildings to incorporate smarter automation and predictive services in the near future
• Sustainability and ESG alignment is made easier through integrated systems and data insights that support green certifications and reporting

By investing in a platform that grows with you you ensure continued relevance, responsiveness, and results—regardless of how the commercial and corporate real estate  landscape shifts.

Elevating Tenant Experience Beyond Amenities

The next generation of buildings and spaces won’t be defined by amenities alone, but by the quality of the experience they offer everyone - tenants, employees, staff, and visitors -  every day. From seamless operations and personalized services to community-building and predictive analytics, Cohesion’s platform helps buildings go beyond “nice-to-have” features and deliver what occupants truly value: ease, engagement, and connection.

With tenant satisfaction directly tied to retention and portfolio performance, the smartest investments are those that bring you closer to your occupants—and make your building a place they choose to stay.

Ready to create a tenant-centric building strategy? Contact us to explore how Cohesion can help your property stand out and thrive.

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