How to Choose a CBD Office That Actually Works: Don’t Pick by Price Alone

Choose a CBD Office That Keeps Your Team Online: What You'll Achieve in 30 Days

In the next 30 days you will walk away with a shortlist of CBD office options that balance rent, real commuting comfort, and reliable internet. You will be able to: narrow candidates using sheltered MRT access as a tangible metric, evaluate connectivity options with real-life speed tests and SLAs, estimate the true monthly cost per employee, and negotiate a simple clause to protect uptime. By the end of the month you’ll know which single metric to pay a premium for, and how much extra is worth it.

Before You Start: Documents and Tools to Vet CBD Offices

Gather these items before you visit spaces. They save time and stop you getting seduced by shiny lobbies.

Current rent and operating budget per desk (monthly target). Employee commute data - postal codes and typical travel modes. Floor plans and typical loss factors (usable vs gross area). List of incumbent internet service providers (ISPs) for the building, and any existing wiring info from the landlord. Power redundancy and emergency generator details from building management. A simple speed test app on your phone (Speedtest by Ookla or fast.com) and a laptop with Ethernet ability. Spreadsheet or simple calculator to run cost-per-employee and uptime impact scenarios. Copy of your contract template or must-have lease clauses for review by legal or a broker.

Bring a colleague who actually depends on fast internet for daily work. Their questions during viewing will reveal pain points you might miss.

Your Complete CBD Office Selection Roadmap: 8 Steps from Search to Signing

Step 1 — Set realistic cost bands including a premium for utility quality

Instead of a single maximum rent, create three bands: base, preferred, and buy-up. The buy-up band is where you will pay extra for either sheltered MRT access or guaranteed internet. Example: if base rent is SGD 6,000/month, preferred could be 7% higher and buy-up 15% higher for critical benefits.

Step 2 — Map commutes and sheltered routes

Make a simple map showing where people live against MRT exits. Note whether the path from the closest MRT exit to the office is sheltered, partially sheltered, or exposed. Measure distance in meters and average walk time.

0-100 m sheltered: excellent in heavy rain, typically 1-2 minutes. 100-300 m sheltered: acceptable, 3-5 minutes but watch gaps in canopy. 300+ m or exposed: expect arrival delays, wet clothing, and lower punctuality during storms.

Step 3 — Run a live connectivity reconnaissance

When you visit the building, perform these tests on a weekday morning and again in the afternoon.

Ask for the building's ISP list and any central fiber termination points. Run a speed test on Wi-Fi and over Ethernet if possible. Record download, upload, and ping. Ask about peak-time contention; in many shared networks speed drops 30-70% during business hours. Check for alternative carriers in the building and whether getting a separate fiber lead-in is feasible.

Step 4 — Quantify internet requirements

Calculate your team’s practical needs rather than theoretical maximums. Use this rule of thumb:

Standard office (email, docs, video calls for a few people): 10-20 Mbps per 10 people. Mixed use with frequent video calls and cloud apps: 1.5-4 Mbps per active user. Heavy usage (devops, video production, large cloud sync): 10+ Mbps per active user, plus dedicated upload.

Then add a 30% cushion. Example: 50 users with frequent calls = 50 x 2 Mbps = 100 Mbps baseline. Order 130-200 Mbps to avoid congestion.

Step 5 — Compare service models with a quick table

Connection Type Typical Speed Cost Range (monthly) Reliability Notes Shared broadband (cable/fibre residential) 50-200 Mbps $50 - $300 Cheap, variable during peak times, limited SLA Business fibre (contended) 100-500 Mbps $200 - $800 Better priority, basic SLA, usually single path Dedicated fibre/leased line 100 Mbps - 10 Gbps $500 - $5,000+ Low contention, strong SLA, fixed symmetrical upload 4G/5G backup 20-300 Mbps $50 - $500 Good failover, subject to cellular coverage and congestion

This table helps you see when paying a premium makes sense. For mission-critical services, the up-front difference is often small compared with the cost of downtime.

Step 6 — Visit during a rainy peak and simulate the commute

Schedule a visit on a rainy day or bring an umbrella and timing app. Walk from MRT exit to building at the hour most employees arrive. Note puddles, gaps in awnings, stairs exposed to rain, and elevator queues. Record actual time and employee feedback.

Step 7 — Draft measurable lease clauses

Ask the landlord for simple, measurable promises. Sample clauses:

Building shall make available at least two distinct carrier entry paths within 90 days of lease start. Landlord will permit tenant to install a dedicated fibre drop within 60 days, subject to reasonable costs. Rent abatement for loss of elevator access or building power exceeding 4 hours in a calendar month.

Landlords often accept practical, limited clauses if the request is reasonable.

Step 8 — Final cost-per-employee calculation and sign-off

Build a short spreadsheet with: rent, estimated fit-out, recurring internet costs, backup power, cleaning, and transport subsidies. Divide by headcount. Now run two scenarios: base building and buy-up building. Which shows better net utility per dollar?

Avoid These 7 Office-Selection Mistakes That Waste Your Budget and Productivity

Choosing the cheapest option without testing real internet performance. Low headline speed does not always mean poor experience, and high headline speed doesn’t guarantee uptime. Ignoring sheltered access. Rainy-season lateness costs show up as missed meetings and higher churn, especially in cities with heavy downpours. Assuming Wi-Fi equals internet. A beautiful Wi-Fi system will still be limited by the WAN pipe and building ingress. Counting only download speed. Upload and latency matter for video calls, backups, and cloud applications. Overlooking single points of failure: one carrier, single entry duct, or no generator can lead to extended outages. Failure to document landlord responsibilities for cabling and access. Verbal promises are not enforceable. Skipping a trial period. If possible, negotiate a 3-month out clause based on performance metrics like average monthly downtime.

Pro Office Selection Strategies: Advanced Negotiation and Connectivity Tactics from Brokers

Here are targeted strategies that add durability to your office choice.

Buy redundant entry paths instead of raw bandwidth

Rather than paying for double capacity on one provider, negotiate access to two physically diverse carriers. Two 100 Mbps links from different ducts often beat a single 200 Mbps connection when a cut happens.

Request an SLA credit structure

Ask for an SLA that specifies credits for downtime measured monthly. Typical credit might be 10-50% of the monthly charge for each hour beyond a defined outage threshold. Even if the landlord can’t promise this, an ISP will.

Leverage co-working negotiation data

If similar buildings show multiple carriers and low install times, use those facts in negotiation. Landlords dislike long vacancy periods and will often fund reasonable cabling to secure a tenant.

Use a staged roll-out for critical teams

Place your most connectivity-dependent teams on the highest-grade circuit and the rest on a less expensive line for the first 3 months. This phased approach reduces risk and allows you to measure real usage.

Thought experiment: The cost of a 2-hour outage

Imagine a 50-person company where average billable hourly value per person is $50. A 2-hour outage during core hours equals 50 x $50 x 2 = $5,000 lost. If a dedicated fibre costs $700 more per month, that's under two months to cover the outage cost. This simple calculation often reframes the rent discussion in practical terms.

Thought experiment: Rainy-day retention

Picture a team where 30% regularly arrive late on rainy days because their walk is exposed. If late arrivals reduce effective productivity by 10% on those days, and there are 30 heavy-rain days a year, you can estimate lost productive hours and compare the annual cost to https://propertynet.sg/premium-coworking-spaces-in-the-heart-of-singapores-cbd/ paying for an office with sheltered access. The math often surprises managers.

When Your Office Choice Fails: Troubleshooting Lease and Connectivity Problems

If you end up in a problem space, use this pragmatic checklist to recover fast.

Issue: Frequent midday slowdowns

Run continuous speed tests for a week at different times. Chart results to show landlord/ISP. Switch critical apps to a separate leased line temporarily if business impact is high. Ask landlord for proof of contention ratios and historic network stats.

Issue: Regular wet commutes and high absenteeism on rain days

Survey staff to quantify impact. Use simple questions: lateness frequency, morale impact, cost of rain gear reimbursements. Install temporary covered walkways or subsidize shuttle from a covered MRT exit until a permanent move is feasible. Negotiate a rent reduction if the building promised certain access features and fails to deliver.

Issue: Landlord blocks a fibre install

Request written reasons. Often the objection is procedural; offer to pay for professional installation upfront. Escalate through management company or jointly approach a carrier with a proposal that benefits the building. If blocked and vital, consider a clause for early termination without penalty tied to infrastructure access.

Issue: Unexpected power or elevator outages

Document every incident with time-stamped photos and staff logs. Use these to seek rent abatement or credits. If outages persist, seek to add a formal service level to your lease or plan relocation if it threatens core operations.

Final checklist before you sign

Walk the route from MRT entrance in wet weather. Confirm two carrier options and averaged peak-time speeds in writing. Ensure at least one backup internet option (4G/5G router) is in place day one. Include a clear remediation clause for prolonged outages or access failures. Run the cost-per-employee comparison with and without your chosen upgrades. Keep a 3-month exit window tied to documented service failures if possible.

Picking a CBD office is not just about the monthly rent number. It’s about predictable days, uninterrupted work, and employee comfort when the elements are playing against you. If you take these steps, you’ll be able to quantify what matters, negotiate from a position of data, and avoid the most common traps I see companies fall into when they choose by price alone.

If you want, I can help you build the spreadsheet mentioned above with sample formulas for cost-per-employee, outage ROI calculations, and a template email to request carrier info from landlords. Tell me the city you’re looking in and your headcount and I’ll tailor the numbers.