"All modern tenants see the internet as a basic requirement. Yet, contracting telecoms services is only possible when the building has been ‘pre-connected’, or in other words, fitted with the necessary physical infrastructure to make this happen."
- Chaim Grunfeld - Prime Connect
From lighting and comfortable seating to conveniently placed plugs, a lot of effort goes into ensuring a commercial building is tenant-ready. Landlords and managing agents alike need spaces to fill quickly to secure profit over losses, yet one critical oversight continues to let them down.
What is wayleave?
All modern tenants see the internet as a basic requirement. Yet, contracting telecoms services is only possible when the building has been ‘pre-connected’, or in other words, fitted with the necessary physical infrastructure to make this happen.
In order for telecommunications teams to come onto the site to make these fittings, the landowner must have signed a legal agreement known as Wayleave, granting them official permission to access and maintain the privately owned site.
Why Wayleave can’t wait
Unfortunately, wayleave paperwork can be complex and costly, particularly where parties are unclear on their legal rights. This can result in snags and delays, which, if left until after tenants have entered the building, only lead to frustration. Property developers may find themselves dealing with spiralling costs in turn, as ultimately, a building without day-one connectivity is a building without tenants.
Co-working spaces and office buildings are at heightened risk here, seeing existing and prospective clients walk away from their otherwise premium offer, because of a setback that should have been avoided. Fibre is money for businesses of any kind, with bandwidth-heavy sectors like finance, tech, and media often unwilling to sacrifice even hours of profit to waiting for the installation of key services.
Delays cost
When tenants arrive only to discover that high-speed connectivity is weeks away, reputations suffer just as much as productivity and development timelines. It only takes one bad review or exasperated word-of-mouth comment to tear down the image that developers have so carefully built, all because they held back on securing a relatively small yet fundamental contract.
The one key step to follow
For better outcomes, the parties responsible for turning the barebones building into a thriving hub of connectivity must act with foresight. A growing number of developers are now pre-connecting their buildings during the construction or refurbishment stage, working with telecoms providers to ensure tenant-ready internet access before the premises have even opened. In addition to preventing critical delays to timelines, this also protects buildings from unnecessary damage and tenants from avoidable mess and noise.
By installing fibre infrastructure early on, landlords can minimise the need for telecoms companies to cut into walls or pull up flooring. Seeing such maintenance go on before their eyes can signal to tenants that the building is not quite ready and perhaps unprofessional, whereas, if all wiring and cabling is installed before they move in, all they will see is the finished, polished building, aligned with the desired property image.
A competitive advantage
Pre-connection takes all the uncertainty out of the telecoms process, improving development outcomes whilst signalling excellence to prospective clients. People signing up for managed buildings want to see that their chosen location is fully ready to move into, as is, from day one. They want spaces that look good, feel comfortable and calm, and offer full functionality, with ready-to-go potential for internet, often becoming the deciding factor for those evaluating several different locations in the already competitive commercial property market.
Property owners who opt to pre-connect may even gain access to building ranking lists and certifications when using strategic foresight, with many of these accolades having an increasingly significant influence over tenant decisions. A strong digital infrastructure enhances visibility and appeal, especially in tech-driven cities where excellent internet services can make or break a deal.
With reduced void periods, faster lettings, and a more attractive proposition for both new and existing tenants, pre-connected buildings boast a subtle yet undeniable asset, where being pre-prepared means future-proof success.
By planning for connectivity from the outset, landlords, property developers and building owners can bypass unnecessary disruption to deliver what tenants need the most: a space honestly ready for real-world business and life.
