Occupiers prioritise employee experience as building technology adoption increases

New research from international real estate advisor, Savills, shows that occupiers across the UK office market are increasingly adopting building technologies, with employee experience, reliable connectivity and sustainability emerging as the strongest drivers of investment. However, the findings also indicate that fully integrated smart workplaces remain limited, with organisations continuing to face barriers around system complexity, data security and uncertainty over financial returns.

The survey, completed by more than 200 tenants representing 100 organisations across 40 buildings in Q4 2025, reveals a market that is optimistic about the benefits of digitalisation but still navigating a fragmented and often complex technology landscape. According to the findings, almost half of respondents feel confident managing building technologies with the right expertise in place, and a further fifth (22 per cent) report no major challenges at all. A smaller proportion highlight the need for clearer standards and greater market transparency, while very few describe the environment as highly challenging. The advisor states that this suggests although the market is still maturing, most occupiers feel reasonably well supported in their decision making.

Adoption levels, however, vary considerably. A third of respondents report that they are already using multiple digital solutions within their workspace, while a similar proportion are still in the early stages of exploring potential applications. A further group is piloting a limited number of tools, and only a small minority state that they have achieved a fully integrated, technology‑driven environment. Savills notes that although interest is high, the majority of organisations remain at an early stage of implementation, reflecting both the rapid evolution of the market and the challenges associated with integrating multiple systems, even for widely used technologies such as smart lighting and climate control, digital‑twin–driven workplace analytics, and touchless access systems.

The research also highlights the factors shaping occupier priorities. Employee experience and wellbeing emerges as the dominant driver of technology adoption, followed by cost reduction and sustainability considerations. While futureproofing and digital connectivity remain important, they rank below people centred objectives, indicating that many organisations view building technologies primarily as a means of enhancing comfort, efficiency and workplace quality. When selecting a new office, reliable high speed connectivity is overwhelmingly the most influential factor, significantly ahead of environmental controls or energy efficiency features.

Despite this appetite for innovation, Savills finds that occupiers continue to face a number of barriers. Integration complexity is cited as the most common challenge, closely followed by uncertainty around return on investment and concerns about data security. Financial considerations, including high upfront costs or unclear longer term value, also contribute to hesitation among some organisations. In contrast, internal capability gaps and cultural resistance are far less prominent, suggesting that the primary obstacles to adoption are technical and financial rather than organisational. 

Ivo Krastins, Associate Director, Intelligent Buildings at Savills, stated: “We are seeing a clear and growing interest from occupiers in technologies that make buildings work harder for their people. As digital systems become more central to workplace strategy, organisations are increasingly recognising that they are no longer optional, rather a fundamental component of delivering comfort, sustainability and operational efficiency. The momentum we’re seeing reflects a wider shift towards data driven, service led offices that support the needs of modern occupiers, and subsequently an additional layer of challenge for asset investors, owners and operators to integrate as part of their overall design, delivery and operational methodology.”

Angus Miller, Associate Director, Global Occupier Services at Savills, added: “For occupiers, reliable and resilient connectivity is increasingly a baseline expectation. The real shift comes from an integrated data layer that provides visibility of comfort, utilisation and carbon across both base building and tenant systems. The barriers identified in this research: integration complexity, unclear ROI and security are the points where transactions either progress or stall. Our advice to clients remains consistent: specify interoperability from the outset, procure for outcomes rather than individual technologies and ensure robust data governance.”