Most work in property doesn't come from marketing.
It comes from a phone call. "Do you know a good..." followed by a surveyor, a planning consultant, a structural engineer, a lender, a lawyer, someone who can actually read a set of accounts.
I've been on both ends of that call more times than I can count. And it's the reason The Groves exists.
How work really moves in property
Think about what a single project needs. A site gets bought, designed, valued, financed, built, let or sold. Along the way it passes through:
- agents
- architects and designers
- surveyors
- lawyers
- lenders
- advisers of one kind or another
Each of those firms needs the others. Each of them is constantly asked, "who would you recommend?"
The ones who get recommended are, more often than not, the ones people know and trust. And the people you know best tend to be the ones you see regularly.
The problem with being spread out
In most cities, those firms are scattered. The architect has a studio in one postcode, the surveyor is across town, the lender is in an office block somewhere else and the lawyer works from a serviced floor that nobody can find twice.
They meet at events, swap cards, mean to follow up and then don't, because everyone is busy.
The relationships that do form often come down to luck. Somebody happened to sit next to somebody at a dinner.
Our answer: put them in the same building
The Groves is a workspace for professional firms that introduce work to each other, for example:
- architects
- designers
- agents
- surveyors
- lawyers
- lenders
- advisory firms
Thirteen suites, each let to one business, all working on the same kinds of projects for the same kinds of clients.
Then we do the bit that usually gets left to chance:
- We make introductions between occupiers.
- We run monthly social and business events, built around those introductions.
- We cross-refer work.
Every occupier also gets free hire of the event space for a monthly business event of their own, so you can bring your clients and contacts into the building too. The room takes up to 50, with AV and catering from our in-house team. There's more on our events page.
The aim
Here's the line I keep coming back to.
The deal flow you get from your neighbours should be worth more to your business than the cost of your suite.
I want to be careful with that. It's an aim, not a guarantee. Nobody can promise you work, and anyone who does is selling something.
What we can do is stack the odds. Put complementary firms on the same corridor, give them a coffee and wine bar to meet in, keep making introductions and keep running events. Over a year, that adds up to a lot more conversations than you'd have otherwise... and conversations are where the work comes from.
Why hospitality matters
People do business with people they like spending time with.
That's why The Groves is hospitality-led. The coffee and wine bar is run in-house, at the front of the building, as reception and social space in one. There's a kitchen with free tea, coffee and milk, and a boardroom for up to 12 when a meeting needs to be a bit more serious.
It's dog friendly too. You'd be surprised how many introductions start with a dog.
Who it suits
If your business already relies on referrals, The Groves is built for you. That might be:
- a small architecture or design practice that wins most of its work through recommendations
- an agency that needs good professionals on hand for its clients
- a lender or adviser who wants to be the first call when a deal comes up
- a surveyor or lawyer who'd rather meet the people sending them work than chase them by email
There's more on this on our page for professional firms.
What it looks like day to day
None of this needs to be formal.
Most of it happens at the bar, in the kitchen or in the corridor. Somebody mentions a project, somebody else knows exactly who should be working on it. We'll help that along by keeping track of who does what and making the introduction when we spot a fit.
A note on fit
Because one business takes each suite, and the whole point is that occupiers complement each other, we care about the mix. We'll talk to you about what you do and who you work with when you come to look round. It isn't an interview. It's just how we make sure the building works for everyone in it.
FAQs
Who is The Groves for? Professional firms that introduce work to each other, including architects, designers, agents, surveyors, lawyers, lenders and advisory firms.
Do you guarantee referrals? No. The aim is that the deal flow between neighbours is worth more than the cost of your suite, but no one can guarantee work. We make introductions, run monthly events and cross-refer where we can.
Can I host my own events? Yes. Every occupier gets free hire of the event space, for up to 50, for a monthly business event of their own.
If that sounds like your kind of building, book a tour or look at the suites.
Marcus