SHB Group Tech – Our client’s unique advantage
The commercial real estate industry stands at a fascinating crossroads with technology.
While many firms explore digital transformation, we’ve been quietly experimenting with what’s possible when you build from the ground up. Since 2019, we’ve developed five proprietary platforms that point toward a new direction for occupier and landlord services. These systems have helped us across over 900 clients, and we’ve taken our learnings about how technology can genuinely enhance the client experience in our sector.
The transformation started with a single hire and a shared vision.
Our catalyst moment
When our Director of Technology joined in 2019, bringing fresh perspectives from the agency world, we faced the same challenges plaguing most property firms.
Working directly with our CEO and leadership team, this collaboration set out to solve real problems with custom technology. Not off-the-shelf solutions that half-work and don’t get buy-in from teams. Purpose-built platforms that help client outcomes.
Starting as a one-person function, our technology leadership has since built a high-performing team of five. Each hire is strategic and each system solves genuine friction points.
The approach was methodical:
→ Identify the problem
→ Build the solution
→ Test with users
→ Iterate on feedback
→ Keep improving
Centralised source to build on
Our first major project became the backbone of everything that followed.
The central CRM platform, built on Salesforce, is now integrated with 18 third-party tools, serving as the connection point for every client-facing activity. Unlike typical property CRM implementations that achieve limited adoption, this system has become indispensable and the centre of our operations, with every team member using it every day.
We embedded team feedback into every design sprint. Surveyors helped shape the tools they would use to benefit their clients. Operations teams influenced workflow automation. Leadership guided strategic reporting features.
This collaborative approach overcame the typical silos that slow innovation in traditional firms. As our needs evolved, so did our ambition.
We developed specialised tools for predictive market analysis, commute analysis, lease event tracking, portfolio management and matching demand to available space. Each platform is connected to the central system, and each one solves specific client challenges.
Our next 4 systems built for clients
Our group’s comprehensive suite of technology is built to enhance surveyor services, help clients secure savings and manage values of their property throughout the entire lease lifecycle.
SHWR (2018-present) – blends data sources to predict occupier movements and upcoming spaces, giving both sides of the table a clear advantage.
GIGA (2021-present) – matches client portfolios with market availability to pair lease events with off or on-market spaces, leaving no opportunity undetected.
LOC8 (2022-present) – automates a highly manual postcode analysis process to aid in talent retention and reduce the environmental footprint of an office move.
TERA (2024-present) – standalone occupier lease management tool giving portfolio managers a focused view to strategically consolidate, manage, track and action commercial lease events. It helps standardise tracking, improve team collaboration, scale portfolios, automate processes, track expenses at the portfolio level, and monitor performance.
All contribute to delivering tangible results, saving our clients money and time, and reducing the environmental impact of their property decisions.
Breakthrough platforms
TERA – Streamlined portfolio lease management for multi-site occupiers
Our lease management product represents the clearest example of technology creating tangible value.
This standalone platform now serves multiple subscribing clients. It centralises critical lease data, automates complex workflows, and helps occupiers identify portfolio risks and opportunities before they become expensive problems. One client avoided a £300,000 cost through timely intervention, which the platform enabled.
Available soon outside of our services – contact us to be first in line to try.
LOC8 – Postcode commute & submarket analysis
We also built a postcode commute tool that integrates multiple data sources for location-specific comparative analysis. As companies navigate hybrid working models and office relocations, this tool provides invaluable insights for decision-making.
We’ve controlled for every factor affecting real teams. The technical complexity remains hidden, with the user experience simple, saving countless hours. Each platform was designed with the same principle: to solve real problems with intuitive solutions that add value to each property project.
Cultural transformation
The technology transformation reshaped how we work as an organisation.
Manual processes became automated workflows, fragmented information became unified dashboards, reactive services became predictive insights.
Cross-departmental collaboration evolved through shared systems and performance data. Surveyors now operate with greater speed and precision. Client relationships deepened through data-driven recommendations and significant savings from our solutions.
We fostered a culture where innovation happens at every level.
The metrics tell the story.
Opportunities per client increased by 28.77%.
Average savings per opportunity reached 2.45x our target.
These numbers represent real value delivered to real clients through purposeful technology integration.
Competitive edge
Traditional property firms often struggle with technology adoption. They buy expensive, rigid systems that create more friction than value.
By building custom platforms that solve specific problems, we created competitive advantages that can’t be easily replicated. Our technology isn’t just supporting our business model; it is the future of our business model.
The five platforms work together as an integrated ecosystem for our clients working with our surveyors. Data flows seamlessly between systems. Client value multiplies through connected experiences. This integrated approach transforms how professional property services are delivered in commercial real estate.
Future-focused foundation
The transformation continues expanding beyond our original vision.
Our technology team of six now supports the launch of our growing, tech-first group companies. The platforms serve as foundations for new service offerings and the data insights reveal opportunities we hadn’t previously considered. What started as solving internal inefficiencies became a strategic differentiator in the market.
The lesson extends beyond our specific industry.
Strategic technology leadership can transform traditional service models when approached with a clear purpose, collaborative development and a top-down focus on user adoption.
We haven’t just digitised existing processes, we reimagined how commercial real estate services could work when technology and industry expertise combine effectively. The results speak clearly through client outcomes, team performance and what we can offer moving forward.
As commercial real estate continues to evolve and present new challenges for occupiers and landlords, our plans are still growing with new ideas on the horizon, building on our systems.
To discuss our tech-driven approach and services, including property acquisition, occupier identification, and unique market intelligence for workspace solutions, please get in touch with our team.
