National Development's Tenant Engagement Transformation with HqO

National Development is a multifaceted real estate company that manages The District Burlington, a 1.3 million square feet suburban office park located in Burlington, MA. The property is one of the only mixed-use environments of its kind in Greater Boston and is 96% leased to a diversified roster of 60+ regional, national, and global tenants. The company is known for its tenant engagement initiatives and was acknowledged by their 2020 TOBY Award. National Development is committed to enhancing their tenant engagement in modern and creative ways and strengthening their workplace culture across the property’s large campus.

National Development, a multifaceted real estate company, was faced with the challenge of enhancing tenant engagement in their suburban office park, The District Burlington. They were tasked with uniting and strengthening their workplace culture across the property’s large campus. The company was heavily reliant on tenant gatekeepers for communication, which often led to breakdowns in the communication process. This was due to the gatekeeper’s presence in the office and their ability to quickly disseminate information. National Development realized that depending on email was not an efficient way to inform people of property-wide events and information. They needed a way to directly own the tenant communication process, cutting out the middlemen and connecting directly with their building’s consumers. They also recognized that the modern tenant population was more technologically advanced and that capturing a larger audience relied on a mobile app that would place these communications right in the palms of their tenants through their smartphones.

To address these challenges, National Development partnered with HqO, a workplace experience technology provider, in February 2018. Through the HqO app, they were able to disseminate information to all of their tenants and employees, spreading their workplace culture to people they were previously unable to reach. The partnership also allowed National Development to combine forces with HqO’s best-in-class ecosystem of technology partners from HqO’S Marketplace. Through partners such as EXOS, a leading fitness and wellbeing provider, they were able to supplement their on-site amenities in new and exciting ways. For example, by leveraging digital programming, EXOS enhanced their health and wellness offerings through virtual classes, hosting individual digital coaching and group check ins, safe in-person registrations, and more. They also deepened their connection with their surrounding community through promoting their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Through Building Impact, they were able to offer unique, virtual volunteer opportunities.

• The partnership with HqO has allowed National Development to streamline their communication process, eliminating the need for tenant gatekeepers and directly reaching their tenants through a mobile app. This has significantly improved their tenant engagement and has allowed them to spread their workplace culture to people they were previously unable to reach. The partnership has also allowed them to supplement their on-site amenities in new and exciting ways, enhancing their health and wellness offerings through virtual classes, individual digital coaching, group check ins, and safe in-person registrations. They have also been able to deepen their connection with their surrounding community through promoting their corporate social responsibility initiatives, offering unique, virtual volunteer opportunities.

• The District Burlington is a 1.3M SF suburban office park and is 96% leased to a diversified roster of 60+ regional, national, and global tenants.
• The property has excellent visibility and dominant branding seen by 225,000 commuters daily.
• The property boasts an 8,000 SF fitness center, yoga studio, cafe, and private shuttle service to and from Alewife to provide an amenity-rich culture for nearly 4,000 employees.