Sior Lease: Fill & Download for Free

The foregoing answers covered a lot of ground. Just know that what is customary in one market is not in another.One of the answers stated that cancellation clauses, or options are almost never found in leases, implying that you might be stuck if you grow (or shrink). That is not entirely true, particularly in the current market, It's fairly likely that you do know how big you'll be in the first year. In my market, New Haven, CT, it not uncommon for a LL to sign a one year lease with four one-year options, or a one-year with a three-year renewal option. You won't get much tenant fit-up which should also be asked about for a lease, paint, carpet, etc.Also, the answer that stated a Broker is paid by the LL so they want you to pay the most and sign up for the longest. That's not true. First, we are bound by fiduciary responsibility to our client, which legally prevents that, but second and more importantly, that is just bad business. No one wants to rise or fall on one transaction, they'd rather build a relationship with you and move you for the next 20 years while you're both in business. Work with a quality professional broker, an SIOR or a CCIM. Someone for whom the vocation is an avocation. Not all brokers are used car salesmen.Finally, to the lease questions:If you're in a large building - the operating hours, plenty of larger buildings have operating hours for lights and utilities, cutting back overnight and on weekendsLook for the landlords right to move you. Many larger landlords reserve that right.Be very aware of the increases and how they are measured. If they are tied to CPI, choose a specific index.Net Charges, know what they are and what your rights are.Maintenance, will you be required to sign service contracts and how much liability insurance will LL require.Someone else mentioned rentable vs useable square footage. Someone called it marketing. It's not marketing, it's a way for the LL to have their building, exterior wall to exterior wall fully paid for. Stairs elevators, are all covered, but it can also be a profit center, so if the building's "core factor" is more that 12%, investigate.There are entire classes written for SIOR (society office industrial realtors) on hot button lease clauses. I suggest a pro and remember, if you are worried about a conflict of interests, you can also pay their fee. They are worth what they save and teach you. Don't forget in this era of wariness, Landlords are vetting tenants harder than ever, it's nice to have someone who does business in the industry to vouch for you.

I would suggest a segway property for your first commercial investment. If you've never invested in a garden apartment building of six to ten units, dip your toes in there. Get used to the idea of managing tenants, structuring leases, common area maintenance, mechanical systems issues and structural issues that might arise. Or buy a mixed use property: a property with residential on the second floor or upper floors and office or retail on the first floor.The best asset one can purchase in Commercial Real Estate today is flexible. As Tim mentioned retail floor sizes are shrinking. Wal*Mart is working their express model now, just 14,000sf and on-line presences are building for retail. However, office is also changing with personal space shrinking yearly and specialized small group meeting rooms or huddle rooms are becoming integral to the construction of new office buildings. Corner offices are disappearing, so if you were to buy an existing office building, be prepared to invest in construction to make the office building one of today. Also be aware of how much clear span office space you can capture, and realize that, as another poster already said, vacancy times, especially today, can be long so you need to be prepared to not recoup the costs of separating utilities or demising smaller spaces.The one thing I would disagree with Bruce about is: unless you're buying a REIT don't even consider being a "passive investor" on your first property. In a soft market, tenant retention is key. You need to walk by that property, touch the glass, see that the seals are still tight and there is no haze in the windows. You need to know how quickly your management company responds to tenant issues because there will be conflicting reports and too many of those will lose you a tenant. Quiet enjoyment clauses, business interruption clauses, they can be your best friend and your worst enemy.I say go for it but start small. Get your feet wet with a property where you know you can handle all the physical issues yourself, and because I am one, hire a good commercial broker to fill the spaces, not the one your cousin Larry likes, but an SIOR a CCIM, a member of ICSC, it will be well worth it. You may be able to lease your space but more often than not, three months of vacancy costs you more than a commission and with a broker you get knowledge, not just of today's market but of the market ten years ago and the trends for the future.

Without knowing your use of the information I would suggest contacting an appraiser or a broker for more localized comparables. They generally have better data. Very often people lie to CoStar or the information is out of date because of their archaic data collection methods. CoStar actually drives around and calls brokers. Not to mention they charge an exorbitant fee. An appraiser or broker will have relationships with the sources earned over time and hopefully more accurate information. Very often an appraiser or broker will give you the comps for free. Brokers and appraisers also trade information, verify and corroborate it before relying on it. This scrubbed data will likely be more accurate. I would suggest using an MAI appraiser or a CCIM or SIOR broker. These professional organizations require education and a portfolio of experience evaluated by their peers.If you are looking for aggregated data then CoStar might be a better, however a broker from a national or international firm will have access to this data and will likely give it to you for free. Many of these firms will also put out quarterly reports for the MSA with great information as part of their marketing.It is important for you to realize that these people are not volunteers but rather professionals who rely on transactions or services to get paid. If you are planning to use this data for an acquisition or appraisal purposes these people can be a tremendous asset. Please do not discount these people because of a poor experience you have had with one in the past. As a real estate developer I have found them to be an incredible asset and well worth every fee I have ever paid.