"Recession is a boom for development"

Jens Larsson, Business Area Manager at FOJAB for Commercial Real Estate, on seeing potential in the dysfunctional and being a partner to the customer all the way from vision to reality.

What does the Commercial Real Estate business area cover?

- It is a large umbrella that covers our areas of expertise offices, retail, hotels, building maintenance, transformation and real estate development. In addition, it borders on urban development and also has many points of contact with interior design.

- What unites us is that we work with strong concepts to create places and attraction for those who use the buildings; for tenants, hotel guests and shop visitors. When we work more closely together, it is easier to find synergies that create value for our customers.

How has the business area developed in recent years? 

- Today, much is about developing the existing. We rarely get new building projects these days - and that's as it should be, of course. You rebuild or add on, operate in an existing environment. It suits me personally very well to work like that, to see opportunities and potential in the dysfunctional and turn it into something good.

What are the future developments?

- The challenges are slightly different across the business sector. Offices have had a tough time since the pandemic, and the recession on top of that means that inefficient offices in poorer locations are having an extra hard time. An office today needs to be super attractive in many aspects to compete. The hotel industry has recovered better and travel to and within Sweden is increasing with a focus on health and experience rather than business. The economy is also changing our buying patterns, which affects retail.

- At the same time, recession is a kind of boom in real estate development. People are reviewing their properties and many properties are also changing owners. It's important to be on the ball when the new owner wants to make changes. At FOJAB, we do not sit and wait for assignments. We are there, suggesting and guiding our customers to a good deal.

What can FOJAB offer (that no one else can) in your business area?

- In addition to specialist knowledge in the office, hotel and retail segments, we have a wide range of experience in the team in circular construction and transformation, with a comprehensive offer in reuse. We are familiar with cultural environment issues, building conservation and urban logic. As a customer, you get access to the office's collective expertise.

- We are a partner all the way. We identify opportunities in detailed plans and act as advisors in the early stages. We carry out development and volume analyses, climate calculations and daylight calculations. We carry out real estate inspections, due diligence, in real estate purchases and investigate the full potential of each property. We make tenant adaptations and work with placemaking.

- But most importantly, we can combine those innovative ideas with a wealth of experience in design and construction. And it's not just about maximizing square meters, it's just as much about creating attractive, healthy, good environments. We know how to realize visions and create value over time.

Want to know more? Get in touch with Jens!
E-mail: jens.larsson@fojab.se
Mobile: +46 761 65 61 63