Many business owners seeking office, retail or other commercial spaces, believe that when a landlord or broker delivers a lease to a tenant it is a ‘take it or leave it’ scenario. However, this is far from the truth. In fact, it’s actually the tenant that has the ball in their court. The best way…
You’ve searched for the perfect commercial investment space, gone through the necessary steps to purchase it, and suffered through lengthy renovations and building improvements. After months of hard work and stress, it can be tempting to fill your building with the first tenants that come along, but that could be a costly mistake. When tenants…
What Does “Base Year” Mean and Why is it Important? When it comes to determining your operating expenses as a tenant, one of the most important yet commonly overlooked stipulations in your lease is the “base year.” The base year is a key framework for how you, as a tenant, pay for building expenses. In…
One of the most common questions that come up when leasing commercial space is whether a tenant is better off signing a long-term or short-term lease. While there’s no right answer — as every company’s needs are different — there are certain advantages and disadvantages to each that, when carefully analyzed with the help of…
The key differentiator between having a fruitful and a loss-making deal when acquiring, selling or investing in commercial property is knowing how much it is worth. Whether you are seeking to lease a retail shopping space or invest in an industrial park, you will automatically want to assess the value of the property to have…
Why is a CAM audit important? As an owner, your goal is to maximize your return on investment – which includes optimizing cost sharing with your tenants. Although common area maintenance (generally referred to by the catchall term “CAM”) charges are a typical element in most commercial leases, their terms can vary significantly. Because of…
Commercial buildings must provide a safe and secure environment for both the tenants that occupy it and members of the public. Commercial inspections take place at various times. During the early stages of construction, building inspectors may examine the foundations and drainage to ensure that all legal regulatory standards have been complied with. Before being…
Don’t Be Fooled… From handling the day-to-day operations to tenant sourcing and screening, the fact is that a good commercial property manager, for many busy owners, is a true lifesaver. However, believe it or not, some owners are apprehensive about hiring one. The worst part is that their decision is based not on fact or…
Many real estate investors fail to recognize the importance of the market analysis. Whether they lack the skills and knowledge to complete the market analysis or just don’t understand the benefits, market analysis is an undervalued asset in real estate investment – when in actuality, it is the most important element in evaluating a real…
Whenever you embark on any form of construction work in an existing building, you’re first request from the design team should be for As-Built Drawings — for review, and to form the basis of the design process. More importantly, the availability and compilation of As-Built documents (after a project is complete) should form part of…