Five Minutes With… Sebastian Moritz, Founder and Director at Moricon

 

As the heat builds up, we take a break to listen to Sebastian Moritz and learn more about his journey within property development. Sebastian founded Moricon, a London-based consultancy that sets up bespoke hospitality, amenities and operations structures for the pre-opening and mobilisation phase of development projects. Read on to find out more…

Please could you give us a bit of background about Moricon?

I started the company in 2017. I had just finished a project where I had discovered a niche in the market – to help developers find the red thread from conception through delivery. I took the plunge and started my own company to service this need.

Can you tell us a bit about your services?

I liaise with the construction team, suppliers and vendors to ensure cohesion of service delivery from start to end. Ideally, I review the architectural plans at the beginning to confirm whether a client is creating a structure that supports the front- and back-of-house services. Unfortunately, when developers take every space to commercialise they often forget about the back-of-house structures and how to support the team.

How do you suggest ways to improve the plans?

I create a narrative based on the aspirations of the services. A fictitious family who lives at the property acts as a catalyst: I describe their life – such as when they travel by foot, by car, by taxi, when they have visitors when they go to the spa, etc. This helps create a whole vision of the service and highlights the usage of all the available spaces.

We then disseminate this through the development and design process. Take biometric readers: everyone is keen on the latest tech, but someone who’s just bought an apartment for £15 million is unlikely to part with their thumbprint. Instead, they’re more likely to give someone a key and are used to fobs. This simple choice can save considerable costs.

We also help with design advice from an operations view. You need to understand how a building is run to design it. For example, the front of the house might be operating CCTV monitors, a printer and a computer. It would help if you made sure all those things are planned for in the design of the concierge desk, such as including enough power points. It would help if you also made this front-of-house area comfortable. If it’s dimly lit or uncomfortable, staff will eventually leave, which will incur recruitment costs and disrupt the service that the clients in the building are paying for.

When do you join a project?

Often too late! I like to be there at the very beginning, where I can already help save money. For example, one client had no private access to their boiler house. The only point of entry was through a busy retail space. I highlighted the problem, and they were able to change the design so that service members wouldn’t be carrying boiler equipment through the shops.

What sets you apart in the world of prime property?

I don’t think anyone out there does what I do. I am like the hub in a wheel that the spokes are connected to. My primary skill is a deep understanding of the impact of service delivery on the different disciplines and connecting the points keeping the aspired customer experience at the forefront of the various stakeholders.

How did you come across Bold & Reeves?

I got introduced by another company. I then met Henry, and we hit it off. It works well because if a developer selects Bold & Reeves, I can give them the keys to the castle and ensure everything is in perfect working condition. My role fits with their structure, management philosophy, operating guidelines and contract with the client.

What do you have lined up in the future?

I recently started a mystery shopping business because I think there is a gap. It focuses on how the potential tenant experiences the service of a building. We have just started with our first client, but it’s all part of the customer experience. All our services are with the client at heart. Do the uniforms of the staff look clean? Does the building smell okay? Are people smiling when you enter? People are paying a huge amount for these services, which need to be empathy-driven, so you don’t lose the customer.

 

To find out more about Moricon, please visit www.moricon.net.