There are countless questions to consider when choosing new office space. How will it affect employees’ commutes? Will it inspire your team and maximize their productivity? How many square feet does a growing association need?

Our organization, the National Apartment Association, experienced exponential growth—new company divisions, 26 new employees hired in the last year, and an operating budget exceeding $30 million. We decided we had outgrown our office footprint.

In advance of a relocation, the leadership team started asking questions as it considered an office move. Just as NAA staff are dedicated to serving 160 affiliate associations and more than 75,000 member companies, we wanted a process that best served our staff, so that they had room to thrive and succeed in the future.

The process to select and build out NAA’s new headquarters was led by Chief Operating Officer Kevin Madden and SVP of Human Resources and Administration Nancy Carbone. Real estate advisor CBRE aided in the search, negotiations, and getting a tenant improvement allowance.

As we prepared for a Goldilocks-esque search that was “just right,” we also worked closely with our staff to ensure that we were considering their needs and objectives. The search team identified five key questions while seeking our new headquarters:

How do staff feel about the new space? Staff involvement was a top priority throughout the process of choosing the new headquarters. NAA wanted a space that felt motivating and inspirational to its employees, so the entire team participated in office and furniture tours, as well as focus surveys that helped in planning the office layout and design. Staff feedback was consistently incorporated to help guide the search.

Does the new location affect our employees’ commutes? NAA staff are located across the Washington, DC, metro area and use multiple modes of transportation, including walking or biking, to get to work. Their commute times were one of the largest considerations when selecting a new space.

Early in the process, CBRE examined the ZIP codes of all current employees and found the geographic center was approximately two miles west of our current office, which helped focus our search to a specific corridor in Northern Virginia. Agreeing on this location, which is near public transportation and close to NAA’s current headquarters, meant there would be minimal disruptions for daily commutes.

Will the new space attract future talent? Keeping our current employees’ needs in mind was a top priority, but with the level of growth we’re experiencing, we also had to ensure the new space would lure future talent. Based on our understanding of general demographic and work-life trends, and the specific requests our employees made through the survey, we knew that a workplace designed with current staff needs would also help to attract future talent.

Is there enough space for our team to grow? It’s an age-old question: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? NAA had to consider team growth because we’ve doubled in staff in six years. We needed a headquarters that allowed for continued expansion and flexible space. Having already grown out of our office twice, we made sure our new office maximized all usable square footage.

What building amenities and perks are available? The search team knew that it wanted an open layout to foster collaboration while providing breakout rooms for larger meetings or private calls and conversations. It was equally important that NAA have state-of-the-art technology and onsite amenities like a large café, mother’s nursing room, and wellness and workout spaces. Expansive views and windows with natural light were high on the list of must-haves too.

Even though the process was time-consuming, NAA’s leadership team understood that new office space was important and would help recruit and retain top talent. There were equal parts pressure and excitement in the decision. As we narrowed our choice to two spaces, we again asked for staff feedback.

As it turns out, what we as a team were searching for was directly above us—four floors up, to be exact. The wide-open floor plan with 180-degree views allowed us to increase collaboration between our growing teams. Commutes for employees remained the same, and moving within the building caused minimal disruption of day-to-day work. With 23,500 square feet, we now can effectively grow without continual shuffling.

When you’re choosing new office space, consider creating a core group of staff leaders for the search while collaborating with all staff to ensure you’re finding the best space for your team.