Many trends have emerged from the pandemic, but while the sourdough starters and the panic buying might not endure, other developments, like a reimagined office life, are expected to outlive the virus.

“As we look at the pandemic, there has never been a time in history where the actual physical building and real estate is higher on executives’ minds,” says Paige Steers, executive managing director of marketing at real estate giant JLL, on the latest episode of Ad Age’s “Marketer’s Brief” podcast.

Steers discusses how JLL has reopened 85 percent of its 350 offices with safety in mind. In addition to its own properties, which include shopping centers, JLL is also advising clients on the best way to re-open and keep workers socially distant.

While lingering has taken a backseat at malls, many consumers are taking advantage of curbside pickup services. In the more than 1,000 shopping centers it manages, JLL has rolled out signage and marketing around such services.

“We’re still seeing people come into malls,” says Steers, noting that many are buying online and picking up in person. She adds that the “community aspect of shopping” has been impacted by the pandemic, though some malls have been creative with using dormant space as expanded food courts, for example.

JLL recently introduced a marketing campaign designed to promote safety in the workforce and get employees confident about returning to work.

“The psychology of people being comfortable has to be what we project to clients,” she says. “We created a Step Forward campaign to give our people that corporate courage to come back.”

Along with things like one-way hallways, desk partitions and mandatory masks, Steers says employers also need to have a clear exit strategy in case someone gets sick—how that person can leave an area without infecting others.

She also talks about the long-term changes in corporate life, as many employers consider permanent work-from-home arrangements and a more flexible policy. Offices are also revising their layouts, moving away from the collaborative open office plan that has become popular in recent decades.