Understanding Shifts in End-User Decision-Making

Editor’s Note: Wish you had a clear explanation of how decision-making in the built environment has changed? After six months of intensive research, ThinkLab has the answers — and its data can help you reframe your approach to win more projects. ThinkLab spent six months immersed in its 2024 Hackathon, engaging directly with end users across sectors including corporate, healthcare, hospitality, education and real estate development to understand what has shifted over the past five years, and what shifts are here to stay. It is releasing its findings throughout Season 6 of its podcast, “Design Nerds Anonymous.” They’ll be sharing abbreviated highlights here, exclusively for officeinsight readers. They’ll start with Episode 1 titled, Bridging the Gap: ThinkLab Data Meets Global B2B Insights.

The Big Idea: General B2B Data Doesn’t Always Apply

While firms like McKinsey, Gartner, and Forrester provide invaluable insights into broader B2B trends, ThinkLab’s data reveals that these broader concepts don’t always apply to decisions in the built environment. While their research provides invaluable insights into decision-making evolution across B2B industries, their findings frequently miss the unique nuances of this highly collaborative, relationship-driven sector.

Decision-making for the built environment often differs from B2B trends. Here’s some examples of how:

We aren’t ready to be rep-free. Gartner reports that 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free buying experience. In contrast, ThinkLab’s findings show that only 3% of end users in the built environment share this preference. In this industry, the decision-making process relies heavily on trust, relationship-building and deep expertise — elements that no automated or rep-free process can replicate. This highlights the critical importance of human connection in guiding decisions for large-scale, high-stakes projects.

Boomers & GenX still dominate end user decision-maker roles (for now). Millennials and Gen Z now dominate most B2B buyer demographics, representing 65% of decision-makers in general, according to Gartner. However, only 31% of decision-makers in the built environment fall into these generational categories, signaling a slower generational shift in leadership. This insight underscores the need to understand and bridge communication preferences across age groups. It also presents a unique opportunity: By studying how other sectors adapt to younger decision-makers, the built environment can prepare for similar transitions when the scales inevitably tip.

There are now double the number of decision makers on the average project committee. Forrester reports that B2B decision-making committees now include an average of 2 to as many as 14 people, a sharp increase from past norms, but still quite broad. ThinkLab validated this trend within the built environment, digging even deeper with specific insight that the average decision-making committee has officially doubled in size over the past five years.

This could mean even broader communication expectations, increased collaboration needs, and more complicated stakeholder alignment. For sales teams, this demands strategic adjustments in how time is spent and what tools are leveraged to engage and influence increasingly diverse decision-making groups.

If this interests you, dive deeper into these findings by listening to episode one of Design Nerds Anonymous, season 6 Bridging the Gap: ThinkLab Data Meets Global B2B Insights.” And if you would like to be included in ThinkLab’s next research study, join ThinkLab’s research community to share your perspective and help shape future insights. Sign up here to contribute your expertise and stay connected.