As we step into 2025, property teams are facing a new reality: Amenities are only as valuable as their usage.
For years, CRE operators focused on building impressive amenity spaces, assuming tenants would naturally use them. But the challenge today isn’t just offering great amenities—it’s ensuring they drive engagement, retention, and revenue.
The biggest challenge? Tenant engagement.
It’s no longer a case of “if you build it, they will come.” Amenities that go unused are wasted investments. A smarter approach to amenities management ensures these spaces drive engagement, increase retention, and even unlock new revenue opportunities.
This guide lays out actionable steps to transform your amenities from passive offerings into active assets that tenants actually use.
What will you read in this article?
We know you’re busy, so here’s a quick summary. This article explores how property teams can rethink amenity management to ensure spaces are actively used, highly valued, and seamlessly integrated into the tenant experience.
Click to skip to any of the key sections below:
1. Transforming Amenities from Static Features to Active Assets
2. Data-Driven Decision-Making: The Key to Tenant Engagement
3. Expanding Amenity Access: Engaging External Bookers for Greater Utilization
4. Monetizing Add-Ons and Personalizing the Booking Experience
5. The Role of Visual Storytelling in a Competitive Market
6. Streamlining Tenant Operations for Efficiency and Satisfaction
7. Why Now
1. Transforming Amenities from Static Features to Active Assets
Amenities have historically been seen as check-the-box features designed to attract and retain tenants. But the reality? Many of these spaces sit empty because tenants aren’t naturally engaging with them. As competition grows and expectations evolve, properties must move from simply offering amenities to actively driving usage.
The biggest challenge isn’t just underutilization—it’s understanding why tenants aren’t using these spaces in the first place. Whether it’s a lack of awareness, complicated booking processes, or misalignment with tenant needs, amenities need activation strategies to ensure they become part of tenants’ daily routines. Property teams that make amenities easy, intuitive, and valuable will see stronger engagement and satisfaction.
Industry Trend Alert:
Flexible and adaptive spaces are becoming the norm. Properties that let tenants personalize and easily book amenities—such as reserving meeting rooms for co-working or transforming a single space into two different spaces—see significantly higher engagement and long-term retention.
Tech Features That Support Engagement in Adaptive Spaces:
- Modular booking – Let tenants reserve parts of a space separately.
- Smart availability management – If one section is booked, the other remains open.
- Custom rules & conditions – Set different usage parameters for various tenant needs
2. Data-Driven Decision-Making: The Key to Tenant Engagement
Managing amenities without insights is like navigating in the dark. Understanding how and when tenants engage with amenities is essential to making them more relevant, accessible, and valuable.
Platforms that offer robust analytics can provide real-time data on booking trends, tenant behaviors, and amenity preferences, allowing property teams to make informed decisions that increase usage and tenant satisfaction.
Data insights enable teams to:
- Identify tenant behaviors – See which amenities are most popular, when tenants use them, and what features they interact with the most.
- Optimize underutilized spaces – Repurpose or redesign amenities based on actual tenant preferences.
- Develop personalized engagement strategies – Offer tailored experiences, promotions, or events that match tenant interests.
Real-World Example:
Imagine discovering that your most popular conference room is consistently booked late into the evening, causing frequent HVAC overtime costs while other nearby meeting spaces remain underutilized.
By leveraging real-time amenity usage data, property teams could:
- Encourage tenants to use alternative spaces by promoting underutilized rooms during peak hours.
- Offer incentives for booking in less crowded areas, such as complimentary coffee or priority scheduling for future reservations.
- Optimize HVAC scheduling based on actual usage patterns, ensuring energy isn’t wasted on empty or low-occupancy spaces.
By shifting demand to underused areas, property teams can increase engagement across multiple amenities while reducing unnecessary operational costs.
Industry Trend Alert:
Data-driven amenity management is becoming a key focus in commercial real estate. Property teams are leveraging analytics not just for operational efficiency, but to drive tenant engagement by optimizing space utilization.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Commercial Real Estate Outlook, 81% of industry leaders are increasing their investment in data and technology to improve tenant experiences. One growing trend is using real-time demand insights to influence amenity availability and engagement strategies.
Forward-thinking properties are shifting away from static amenity scheduling and instead:
- Adjusting access to high-demand amenities based on peak usage patterns.
- Encouraging off-peak engagement by offering exclusive events or added benefits during slower hours.
- Implementing smart booking systems that allow tenants to easily find and book underutilized spaces, reducing bottlenecks in high-traffic areas.
By leveraging data to align amenities with real tenant behaviors, CRE teams are creating smarter, more engaging environments that foster long-term satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Expanding Amenity Access: Engaging External Bookers for Greater Utilization
While tenant engagement is the top priority for property teams, opening select amenities to external bookers can be a powerful strategy to maximize utilization, enhance amenity value, and keep spaces active.
Many premium amenity spaces—like conference rooms, event venues, and wellness facilities—remain underutilized during off-peak hours. By making these available to external users, properties can ensure that spaces are fully optimized while maintaining tenant-first access.
How External Booking Enhances Amenity Value
- Creates a New Revenue Stream While Maintaining a Tenant-First Approach – External users pay for access, while tenants continue to enjoy full, uninterrupted use of amenities with strategic scheduling to prevent conflicts.
- Prevents Underutilization – Ensures that high-value spaces remain active, reducing idle time.
- Keeps Spaces Maintained & Updated – More frequent use means spaces are regularly cleaned, refreshed, and improved.
Industry Trend Alert:
The flexible space economy is expanding, with more CRE owners exploring hybrid-use models that allow for a mix of tenant and external reservations. As highlighted by Visitt’s CPO, Jonathan Kroll, in Commercial Observer, many office owners are rethinking traditional space utilization to make buildings more dynamic and experience-driven.
By strategically integrating external bookings, property teams can ensure their amenities remain vibrant, well-maintained, and fully utilized—without disrupting the tenant experience.
4. Monetizing Add-Ons and Personalizing the Booking Experience
Modern tenants expect more than just a basic amenity reservation—they want flexibility, customization, and a seamless booking experience. Property teams can enhance tenant engagement by offering fully personalized amenity setups with premium add-ons that cater to specific needs.
Rather than viewing amenities as fixed assets, CRE teams are creating on-demand, customizable experiences by allowing tenants to upgrade and modify their bookings with value-added services.
How Personalization Enhances Engagement:
- Offer à la carte room setup options – Tenants can choose between different layouts (boardroom, classroom, theater-style) to fit their specific needs.
- Enable enhanced technology upgrades – Give tenants the option to book premium AV equipment, high-quality sound systems, or video conferencing tools.
- Provide cleaning and refresh services – Offer deep-cleaning or quick-turnover services between meetings and events to maintain a high standard of quality.
Pro Tip:
Make amenities feel like tailored experiences. Giving tenants control over how a space is arranged and serviced ensures that every booking meets their needs—driving repeat usage and long-term engagement.
Industry Trend Alert:
Today’s tenants expect more than just office space—they seek dynamic, engaging amenities that support flexible work and collaboration. Boardrooms with premium setups, wellness spaces, and on-demand event venues are increasingly in demand, ensuring that amenities remain relevant and actively used.
By leveraging data and tenant feedback, CRE teams can optimize existing amenities without major capital investment. Offering à la carte services, tiered memberships, or exclusive booking options ensures that every space contributes to engagement and usability.
As highlighted in Colliers' "The Race to Amenities", a well-curated amenity strategy can transform a building into a destination. With office footprints shrinking, landlords that focus on high-touch, experience-driven spaces will stand out.
Some are making bold investments—JBG Smith is investing $40 million to revamp 2011 Crystal Drive with a grab-and-go market, coffee shop, cocktail bar, upgraded lobby, and first-floor conference rooms, fostering an environment that encourages tenant interaction beyond work hours.
5. The Role of Visual Storytelling in a Competitive Market
We live in an increasingly visual and digital world, which is why the way amenities are presented matters just as much as the amenities themselves. High-quality, customizable image galleries and virtual tours allow property teams to showcase their spaces effectively, highlighting unique features such as scenic views, modern finishes, and flexible layouts.
Why It Works:
Visual content reduces miscommunication, sets clear expectations, and instills confidence in tenants. A tenant who knows exactly what they’re booking is far more likely to become a repeat user.
Essential Tech Features to Make Your Amenities Stand Out:
To drive tenant engagement through visual storytelling, property teams need the right tools to present amenities clearly and professionally.
- Customizable Image Galleries – Display high-quality images that showcase your amenities in the best possible light, helping tenants visualize the space before booking.
- Unlimited Image Uploads – Provide multiple perspectives of each amenity, including different room setups, furniture configurations, and available add-ons.
- Close-Up Detail Highlights – Emphasize key features, such as premium finishes, technology setups, and flexible layouts, ensuring tenants have all the information they need.
By using stunning, well-organized visual content, property teams can make it easier for tenants to discover, explore, and book the right space.
6. Streamlining Tenant Operations for Efficiency and Satisfaction
Modern tenant operations require property teams to balance efficiency with high-touch service. By leveraging the latest technology, building operators can create a streamlined, tenant-centric operational framework that supports seamless communication, faster issue resolution, and proactive engagement. This includes simplifying amenity reservation processes, enabling tenants to book shared spaces, meeting rooms, or event venues with ease—enhancing their operational experience while ensuring optimal utilization of building resources.
Pro Tip:
Streamline amenity reservations by integrating a centralized platform where tenants can view availability, book spaces, and customize services like room setups or catering. Providing automated confirmations and reminders reduces administrative work for property teams while ensuring a great experience for tenants.
Tech Features That Streamline Team ↔ Tenant Engagement
Seamless communication between property teams and tenants is essential for boosting engagement and ensuring smooth operations. To drive real-time interactions and make amenity usage effortless, the right technology must be:
- Mobile-First – Tenants expect on-the-go access to book amenities, submit requests, and receive updates instantly from their smartphones.
- Real-Time, Chat-Based Communication – A direct chat feature enables quick responses to questions about bookings, service requests, or amenity availability—reducing delays and improving tenant satisfaction.
- Easy to Adopt & Use – A simple, intuitive interface ensures that tenants and property teams can quickly navigate the system without extensive training.
7. Why Now is the Time to Reimagine Amenities Management
With hybrid work still reshaping tenant expectations, amenities have evolved from a nice-to-have to a must-have for engagement and retention. Tenants are looking for seamless, flexible, and personalized experiences, and how amenities are managed plays a crucial role in their overall satisfaction.
The success of an amenity is no longer defined by its existence but by how often and how well it’s used. Properties that prioritize ease of access, thoughtful programming, and adaptability will see stronger tenant participation and long-term loyalty.
By reimagining how amenities are managed, property teams can create spaces that tenants actively choose to use, reinforcing the value of their buildings and fostering a sense of community. The future of amenities isn’t just about offering spaces—it’s about ensuring they become an essential part of the tenant experience.
See how intuitive, data-driven amenity management can transform tenant engagement—book a demo today.
