What CRE Can Learn From Multifamily About Building Community

For years, commercial real estate has focused heavily on location, amenities, access, and the physical space itself. But as tenants’ expectations continue to evolve, one factor is becoming increasingly important: community.

Multifamily has been navigating this shift for years. Apartment communities aren’t simply selling four walls and a lease—they’re creating experiences designed to make residents feel connected to the place they call home.

Commercial real estate can take a page from that playbook.

Whether it’s an office building, mixed-use development, retail center, or industrial property, the strongest CRE assets are becoming more than functional spaces. They’re becoming destinations where people want to spend time, connect with others, and feel like they belong.

CRE and Community

Community Is More Than an Amenity

Multifamily operators have learned that a pool, fitness center, dog park, or resident lounge alone doesn’t create community. It’s what happens around those spaces that matters. Resident events, communication, shared experiences, and opportunities to connect turn amenities into something more meaningful.

CRE can apply the same principle.

A rooftop lounge doesn’t automatically create connection. Neither does a shared conference center or beautifully designed lobby. The opportunity is to create intentional experiences around the space.

Think networking events, tenant appreciation gatherings, wellness programs, educational sessions, local partnerships, pop-up markets, or community-focused programming.

People Want More Than a Place to Work

The workplace has changed dramatically. Employees have more flexibility in where and how they work, which means commercial properties have to compete for their attention in new ways.

If someone can work from home, the office needs to offer something that home doesn’t. Community can be part of that value proposition.

A building where employees can grab coffee, attend an event, meet other professionals, enjoy lunch outdoors, or participate in a wellness activity creates an experience that extends beyond the individual office suite.

For employers, that experience can become another reason to bring employees into the office. For property owners and managers, it can help create a more engaging and differentiated asset.

Property Managers Are Community Builders

One of the biggest lessons CRE can borrow from multifamily is the evolving role of property management. In multifamily, property teams are often the face of the community. They’re responsible for more than maintenance and operations; they help shape the resident experience.

CRE property managers have a similar opportunity.

Instead of viewing tenant relationships primarily through the lens of leases, work orders, and building operations, property teams can become connectors between tenants, businesses, employees, and the surrounding community.

That might mean introducing businesses to one another, organizing events, highlighting local businesses, gathering tenant feedback, or simply creating more opportunities for people to interact. The result is a property that feels less transactional and more relational.

Local Connections Can Strengthen the Asset

Multifamily properties often integrate themselves into the surrounding neighborhood. CRE can do the same.

Partnering with nearby restaurants, coffee shops, fitness studios, nonprofits, artists, retailers, and service providers can create a stronger connection between the property and its surrounding community.

Consider a commercial building that regularly features a local coffee shop, hosts a farmers market, supports a nearby nonprofit, or brings local vendors into tenant events. These initiatives can accomplish more than creating an occasional perk. They can help establish the property as an active part of the neighborhood.

And that matters when companies are evaluating where they want to locate and when employees are deciding where they want to spend their time.

Community Can Support Retention

Building community can also have significant business implications. When tenants feel connected to a property, their relationship with the building can become more than a financial transaction. A tenant who values the convenience, relationships, programming, and experience surrounding their space may have more reasons to stay.

The same concept applies to employees. If a workplace location provides opportunities for connection and engagement, it can contribute to a stronger employee experience. For CRE owners and operators, that makes community-building worth considering as part of a broader retention strategy, not as an amenity or marketing initiative.

Start Small and Listen

CRE doesn’t need to completely reinvent the tenant experience overnight. Start by asking a simple question: What would make people want to spend more time here?

Then ask tenants what they actually want.

Perhaps it’s better food options. Maybe it’s networking opportunities, fitness classes, outdoor programming, family-friendly events, or more opportunities to connect with other businesses in the building.

The answer will vary by property, market, tenant mix, and asset type. That’s why community-building shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all strategy. The most successful communities are built around the people who actually use them.

The Future of CRE Is More Human

Multifamily has spent years shifting from selling apartments to creating communities. CRE has an opportunity to make a similar transition. The future of commercial real estate isn't just about where people work, shop, meet, or do business. It's about how those places make people feel.

Properties that create connection, encourage interaction, and become meaningful parts of their neighborhoods may have an advantage in an increasingly competitive market. Because at the end of the day, a building is a physical asset, but a community is what makes it valuable to the people inside it.

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Creating a connected, engaging property experience starts with the people behind it. BG Staffing helps commercial real estate teams find the talent they need to keep properties running smoothly, tenants engaged, and standards high. Contact us!