The Under-Utilized Tenant Representative

NOTE: This post applies more to small and mid-sized businesses than for large enterprises with in-house real estate and facilities employees.
Since I transitioned into commercial real estate, I have served as a tenant representative for thirteen clients across eighteen active or completed transactions.  About one-third of these deals have come from existing corporate clients, while [...]

Germ warfare

Ok, so this post isn’t about fighting with germs, but rather fighting against them.  A recent Crain’s Chicago Business article on germophobes set me to thinking.  I’m curious how much office productivity is lost by excessive concern or fear of germs.  Although we have seen some major advancements in office and restroom automation, I have noticed [...]

Better living through efficiency - reducing space to increase happiness

Who would believe that you could save money AND increase morale?  Although this article (Smaller Workspaces, Better Workspaces) is spread across five pages, the essential lesson is that strategic planning and out-of-the-box thinking can result in $1 million in savings over 10 years and simultaneously attain substantial morale boosts among office workers.  One workstation, Allsteel’s [...]

What if someone gave you $50 per square foot to remodel your home?

Would you redo your kitchen?  What about your bathrooms?  Add on a sundeck or a swimming pool?  And why would someone just give you that kind of cash, never expecting to see it again?
In the world of residential real estate, this concept may sound kind of crazy, but in the world of office leases, tenants are routinely [...]