Workman is a property management and building consultancy specialist with 11 UK offices. Craig Watson, building consultancy partner in the Glasgow office, recently answered Project Scotland’s questions about the current state of the market
Q) What’s the history of Workman’s Glasgow office and how has the business evolved over the years?
A) Workman opened its Glasgow office in 1992 in response to a growing client demand to manage properties in Scotland. The office opened with a single employee and has grown to over 70 today, working on properties and projects throughout Scotland, Northern Ireland and throughout the UK. We continue to serve Scotland from Glasgow but have site teams across the country and are supported by a dedicated team of regional facilities managers.
Our property managers and building surveyors are experienced in Scots Law and the specific statutory requirements and obligations required to undertake their respective roles. We also have a team of 30-plus credit controllers servicing Workman’s clients across the UK.
Q) How would you describe the current commercial property landscape in Scotland? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities?
A) Like much of the UK, Scotland’s commercial property market is mixed, with some parts of the market healthier than others and Edinburgh notably retaining its position as a key financial centre.
Many prime city centre office investment deals are taking place behind closed doors, ‘off market’, offering a clear signal that the most premium space – or well-located buildings with inexpensive redevelopment potential – is sought after amongst a pool of largely regional operators and smaller funds.
With hybrid working well embedded now, good end-of-journey facilities – cycle racks, showers, and changing areas – are becoming an expectation for most occupiers.
Exceptional operational management of buildings is paramount to encourage flexible workers to collaborate and connect in office settings. Properties that lack good amenities are clearly redevelopment considerations, but only if the current high construction costs can weigh up viably with ultimate rental estimates. This can be a challenging balance to strike in Scotland, just as with much of the rest of the UK, and is a clear theme of the commercial property market generally.
In the retail sector, where Workman is also very active, retail park holdings are especially buoyant – with good occupier appetite and strong rental returns aligning favourably thanks to more moderate wider occupational costs found here for brands. Alongside the major city centre and super regional malls, these remain strong choices for funds and property companies to acquire and hold profitably.
Q) What projects do your building consultancy division take on?
A) Our building consultancy team delivers projects of every scale across the length and breadth of Scotland, providing strategic advice and technical expertise to a diverse range of clients and property portfolios. The breadth of our work is reflected in the variety of projects we undertake. Instructions have ranged from overseeing the redecoration of a historic lighthouse on Scotland’s east coast and coordinating specialist snow and ice removal works at an indoor ski facility, through to delivering major development projects such as new purpose-built student accommodation in the heart of Edinburgh.
Working closely with both internal and external clients, we help protect and enhance the value of their assets through planned investment and improvement programmes. These projects often include car park refurbishments, roof replacement and repair schemes, the renewal of critical building services plant, and the restoration of traditional stonework.
Our team works across a broad spectrum of property types, from historic sandstone buildings and listed properties to modern commercial developments, shopping centres, retail parks, offices, and industrial facilities. This diversity ensures that no two projects are the same, providing a dynamic and varied workload while enabling us to support clients with tailored solutions throughout the entire property lifecycle.
Q) What trends are you currently seeing?
A) Innovation and occupier experience is a primary focus for our clients. In achieving that focus, we are looking at how buildings can be more sustainable, as well as how we introduce more technology to allow us to achieve this.
The use of data and how we analyse it is also a large focus in the delivery of our services. We, like many of our client’s occupiers, need our staff to enjoy where they work and we are trying to take those learnings on board in the buildings we work on.
Q) What can you tell us about your future plans?
A) Our Scottish office has been based in St Vincent Street for over 20 years and we have noted many changes in the building we occupy and those around us. With a growing team and a focus on the wellbeing of our people, we are considering how best to ensure our Glasgow home best meets the needs of our staff.
With much of our time being spent in Edinburgh, we are also looking at how we best position ourselves to serve our clients across Scotland. Watch this space.
