How an Engagement Begins

Step 1: Enquiry

The first contact — via the website form or direct email — gives us enough to understand what you are working on and whether we are the right advisor for it. We ask for a brief description of the mandate, the approximate scale, and the timeline.

We do not ask for a formal brief at this stage. The enquiry is the start of a conversation, not an application.

We respond within one business day.

Step 2: First Conversation

The first conversation is always complimentary. Its purpose is mutual: we want to understand the mandate well enough to be genuinely useful, and you want to assess whether Shilden is the right firm for your context.

We will typically ask:

• What function or organisation is the GCC or office serving?
• What is the approximate seat count, now and in three years?
• What is the timeline for lease execution?
• Are there sustainability certification requirements?
• Is there an existing India portfolio that the new space needs to work with?
• What is the internal decision-making process and who are the stakeholders?

From this conversation, we can advise on whether a full engagement makes sense, what the scope would look like, and what the timeline to lease execution typically is for mandates of this type.

Step 3: Engagement Letter

If both parties assess fit, we prepare an engagement letter setting out the mandate scope, the timeline, the deliverables, and the fee structure. The engagement letter is brief — it is not a legal document of weight — but it is specific: it names the submarket parameters, the building specification criteria, and the negotiation authority.

From execution of the engagement letter, the active engagement begins.