With the exception of a few lucky cities whose markets are raging back to life, we don’t expect vacancy rates for most US cities to ever go below 10%. Why? For starters, many older buildings need to be torn down. Vacant buildings quickly become homes to homeless people unless someone ... Read More
11
Apr2013
Last year, I sat on a panel led by Knoll with many designers and architects, and we discussed the ratio of people to a desk. Currently in most major companies, the ratio is 2-3 to a desk. In a sales organization the ratio can be as high as 20 employees ... Read More
April 11, 2013Lynn Drake
25
Mar2013
What I’m about to share with you might come as a surprise. Are you aware that the large insurance companies got together a few years ago and decided as a group not to offer notice of cancellation policies to landlords? Well, that’s not 100% true – you can get it, ... Read More
March 25, 2013Lynn Drake
11
Mar2013
Let me tell you a story. We were working with a nonprofit on a lease renewal in Ann Arbor. The original landlord of the building was excellent – the trouble only began when he passed away and his son took over. The lease had what we in the business call ... Read More
March 11, 2013Lynn Drake
27
Feb2013
Does the song sound familiar? Well, it’s a tune every tenant should be singing – twice a year. That’s right. Every tenant should check their lease expiration date twice, and make sure to start their search at least a year in advance. Wondering why? Doesn’t a year sound a bit ... Read More
February 27, 2013Lynn Drake
19
Feb2013
This past year, it seemed we ran into more landlords who worked against our clients than we did landlords who worked with them. In Virginia, every time we found a subtenant for a sublease, the landlord in question would lure them over to another listing in the building. Meanwhile, in ... Read More
February 19, 2013Lynn Drake
27
Sep2012
Most of my career the vacancy rate in the City of Detroit has been extremely high. Yet as 2011 turns into 2012 we see the City of Detroit making real progress with occupancy. According to Co-Star which measures all of the statistics Detroit is seeing improvement quarter over quarter. The ... Read More
September 27, 2012Lynn Drake
08
Mar2012
Some of us speak Greek, Spanish, French or Mandarin in addition to English. We think we can speak real estate, but you had better know someone who can speak fine print or your lease terms could get lost in translation.Pay careful attention to how a commercial or ... Read More
March 8, 2012Lynn Drake
28
Apr2011
For everyone that began to believe there really is such a thing as a free lunch and free rent, the game is changing. Landlords are willing to give a month, but the incredibly generous deals are fading as buyer interest picks up. Watch out if you find ... Read More
April 28, 2011Lynn Drake
28
Apr2011
Not all brokers are cut from the same cloth. Can you see through their list of impressive credentials to learn who they really serve?The best tenant representatives take time to get the low-down on area landlords, especially in prime rental markets. A traditional real estate broker may find it serves ... Read More
April 28, 2011Lynn Drake