Los Angeles-headquartered CBRE has opened a new office in Kitchener-Waterloo as part of its effort to embrace the technology industry that it tracks.

CBRE, a commercial real estate services and investment firm with over 75,000 employees worldwide, has released two reports specific to the Canadian tech ecosystem. One found that Toronto is Canada’s second-cheapest tech talent market, while its latest report noted that Kitchener-Waterloo is Canada’s fastest-growing tech talent market.

“Considering that Kitchener-Waterloo is the fastest growing tech market in Canada and the second

fastest in North America, it was integral to our strategy to be in the heart of the Innovation District. We have learned a lot from this vibrant tech region and I believe we have captured its essence within our new Kitchener-Waterloo office. The unique aspects of this space truly set it apart yet maintain the consistent high-quality client experience that we are delivering across all of our newly transformed offices,” said Peter Whatmore, executive managing director of CBRE in Southwestern Ontario. “Not only was it important for us to showcase our market leadership with our new space, it was critical that it provided an environment that inspired and motivated our teams. I am happy to say we have accomplished both feats.”

Located at 72 Victoria Street south, the new space is the company’s ninth office to be revamped over the past two years as part of its Canadian Workplace Transformation program. The brick-and-beam space includes cloud-based file storage solutions and a digitization program that reduced paper consumption by 85 percent, and sit-and-stand stations. The firm also included white-noise machines to dampen background noise.

“Leading organizations understand more than ever that employee health and wellness are now critical in driving their real estate decisions,” said said Ashley O’Neill, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at CBRE Canada. “We took a progressive and technology focused approach to designing our space while carefully considering the impact of each design decision on the wellness of our employees. When you consider that most workers spend approximately half their waking hours in an office, employers can have a real and direct impact on employee wellness and productivity.”