Depending on the working preferences of agents, brokerage buildings can often have available space. Tenants may leave or the brokerage may acquire a new property with unoccupied space. Owners or management will be responsible for maintaining and caring for the property, and good maintenance increases the possibility of not only leasing the property sooner, but achieving a higher rental rate for a longer period.

Prepare the Property for Lease

Property conditions will directly relate to the success of the businesses that will be leasing. So, when preparing to lease, follow these tips to prepare the office space.

Remove Furniture & Clear the Space

It’s much easier for potential clients to visualize how their office will appear in a space if the floor layout is empty without old furniture, items, or trash left behind by a previous occupant. Anything that is not included in the lease should be removed. Cluttered space will not aid potential renters in imagining how their business will be accommodated in the space. The space should be ready to lease when you show it.

Clean the Space for Lease

Once old furniture, items, and general clutter have been removed, dirt and dust will be visible. Clean your space thoroughly including vacuuming, dusting, window washing, and carpet cleaning if carpeting is installed. Depending on the size of the space and the cleaning to be done, you may want to bring in professionals to get the job done. Consider cleaning expenses an investment to obtain a higher rent for your space.

Consider Replacing Flooring or Carpeting

Once old furniture and clutter are removed, you will be able to evaluate the condition of flooring or floor coverings. Most may need to be replaced especially if you are renting office space to a business that receives the public. Stains, holes, and smells will dissuade potential renters from selecting your space to lease. When installing new coverings, invest in stain-resistant, neutral colors.

Paint & Repair

Expect minor wall damage from nails, hangings, etc. Have walls repaired with plaster, or drywall if necessary, and plan on adding a fresh coat of paint. This will afford the space a fresh clean appearance. Select a neutral but light shade to give your space a larger feel. Consider that colors will appear darker on walls than on a display strip.

Renew or Replace Lighting

Bright lights improve office space, so clean and repair any lighting. You may want to install brighter LED lighting to keep energy consumption lower. Consider replacing old fixtures or at least cleaning older fixtures thoroughly before you present your space.

Photograph the Space

When you have completed repairs and cleaning and are ready to show the space to prospective clients, take lots of photographs. You may want to call in a professional photographer that can get you the best angles and images of doors, flooring, windows, ceiling heights, lighting, interiors, and exteriors. You may want to include photos of heating and cooling elements if not centralized and electrical panels or similar.

The Role of the Broker

Even before property maintenance and repairs, the professional broker will aid in the leasing procedure. Brokers act as professional negotiators and should have a well-versed knowledge of the local market.

The property should be listed on the brokerage’s website as well as on other industry-related networks. Market listings with floor plans and details need to be prepared. Define various leasing aspects such as:

• Terms
• Prices
• Cancellations, early exits, and extensions
• Utilities, heating, and electric
• Parking
• Security
• Taxes
• Trash disposal
• Maintenance
• Build-out allowances

Leases will vary but the broker’s role is to recommend what’s best for the property owner.

Decreasing the Brick-and-Mortar Risks of a Brokerage by Subleasing

One option for reducing the expenses that are associated with unoccupied office space is to sublease. Often brokerages may lease office spaces to mortgage officers, title, or home warranty companies. Most leases allow for some subleasing, but subleasing rights and how far they extend must be determined in advance.

Covid-19 revolutionized the workplace. Shorter workweeks and remote work have left many companies with more office space than they need, which can drain company coffers. While the lease will dictate exactly what a lessee can do, are a more productive option than default or early termination of leases. Default generally ends in lawsuits with no benefit for the defaulting tenant. Early termination clauses can be included in leases but will come with additional costs.

Considerations for the Commercial Tenant

Signing a commercial lease for office space is an important step for businesses and commercial leasing is complicated. While signing the actual lease before moving your office into a commercial property may be your final act before moving and getting your business up and running, it requires a certain amount of research to make sure there are no unwanted surprises on the horizon.

Begin by researching who owns the building and who the landlord is. Learn what local zoning laws require of businesses and get to know the neighborhood you will be located in. Environmental regulations and nuisance laws that refer to smells, noises, or equipment should also be considered when researching. Basic environmental laws may not automatically be defined in your lease, and they can be used against businesses.

Your financial responsibilities are paramount to your business’s success. A short-term lease offers flexibility while long-term leases can be great investments if you are in an area that is growing. Keep in mind that some leases may include a monthly payment that covers everything while others require extra payments for individual expenses. Find out:

• How much rent will you pay
• The required security deposit
• How the space can be used and the usable square feet
• The duration of the lease
• How much will rent increase each year during the duration of your lease
• Are utilities included (electric, gas, water)
• What kind of insurance do you need if it is included and how much it costs
• Maintenance and repair costs both interior and exterior
• Types of building security technology implemented, such as security cameras and
• Any nuisance clauses
• If you will be required to pay a portion of property taxes
• Additional costs
• Parking
•  If you can make interior or exterior modifications and required permits
• Potential late fees
• Indemnity removing all liabilities for injury, damage, loss, or claims from the landlord

Subletting or lease assignments should also be defined clearly if your business closes or if you decide to move it.

You will need an idea of what your overhead will be regarding the property. Also, it benefits you to understand your exposure to risk is and if you must offer personal guarantees.

The post Leasing Out Office Space from a Brokerage Building appeared first on Blog | »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp.

By 2030, emissions from commercial buildings will . What are commercial construction companies doing to reduce this figure, and how is it affecting the market for commercial office space?

The commercial office real estate sector took a hit following the pandemic. Is the emergence of green design a potential aid in the sector’s resurgence? Keep reading about green design and its effect on the commercial office market.

What is the Relationship Between Green Design and the Commercial Office Real Estate Market?

The commercial office real estate market is still recovering from the events of the pandemic. Businesses are choosing to opt for remote and hybrid work models, which lessens the demand for office space.

The found that energy-efficient green buildings had superior rental rates and higher occupancy levels. Green buildings could present a solution with the commercial office and real estate market still shifting.

Businesses that have switched to hybrid work models are looking to downsize their office spaces. By investing in green design, real estate companies can offer smaller office spaces with more energy efficiency, reducing costs and the carbon footprint for businesses.

Commercial office real estate investors and agents could generate more leads by procuring and marketing green properties to their commercial clients. Next, we will discuss the top components of a green design .

What Makes Office Space Green?

There are many ways you can make your commercial office spaces greener and better suited to the hybrid work era. Here are the top green features for commercial office space.

No More Assigned Office Space

Eliminating assigned office space makes commercial office buildings greener and more suitable for hybrid work. Employees visit the office for collaboration and communication and do not visit the office daily. It would be redundant for these employees to have a private office. More and more commercial offices are implementing flex spaces, which can be used for many purposes. Employees sit in teams in these collaborative spaces, and everyone in the company can utilize the space.

Why are flex spaces greener? Several factors make flex spaces greener:

• More natural light – with open office spaces, fewer walls allow more natural light to flow through the area, eliminating the need for artificial lighting. The abundance of natural light in office spaces will also benefit employee productivity and mood.

• More efficient HVAC systems – if your office consists of one multi-functional space, commercial tenants can make the most out of their HVAC system, managing the temperature in the space more efficiently.

• Space that can be repurposed – by providing open space that can be repurposed for various needs, there will be less reason to renovate or alter the area down the line. You can easily repurpose empty spaces to suit business needs.

Glass Walls and More Natural Light

Green office design creates an abundance of natural light to minimize the need for artificial lighting. Natural light helps to improve focus, productivity, and mood, which makes natural light even more of an asset in the commercial office market. Glass walls throughout the office and large wall-to-wall windows not only make the space more attractive but they make it greener and more conducive to a productive workforce.

Eco-Friendly Materials and Furniture

The carbon footprint of office space doesn’t just concern daily operations in the area and the materials and processes involved in constructing and designing that space. Sustainable and eco-friendly design, flooring, and eco-friendly office furniture can contribute to making a commercial office space greener.

Solar Panels

Implementing renewable energy sources is one of the best ways to make your office spaces greener. By implementing solar panels, you can ensure that the commercial office is not wholly reliant on non-renewable energy sources, significantly reducing the long-term carbon footprint of the building.

Building Management Triggers and Access Controls

You can repurpose security tools in commercial office buildings to perform energy-saving functions.

Access control systems installed throughout the building prevent unauthorized users from entering spaces. If access control integrates with IoT devices, you can ensure room heaters, lighting, and appliances are off when someone enters the space. Smart building management is an attractive feature for commercial office tenants, significantly reducing their monthly overheads.

Micro-Filtering Plants

An emerging trend in the green commercial office industry is the introduction of micro-filtering plants to minimize air pollution. Many designers incorporate plants into building interior design and exterior design to help create cleaner air and mitigate the building’s carbon footprint. For instance, many facilities implement green roofs and incorporate plants into the exterior building design.

Summary

Green office buildings present an opportunity for commercial real estate to thrive, taking advantage of the demand for spaces that facilitate hybrid working. Buildings with more energy-efficient innovations have more substantial occupancy rates, and commercial office investors could benefit from investing in green offices.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the focus of workplaces towards ensuring the safety and wellbeing of employees, reducing the risk of the virus spreading. There are now that you must implement to protect health in the workplace. 

Upcoming technologies are the best way to enforce systems that keep employees and the workplace safe. If you are running a commercial real estate property, you must ensure that the space is safe and hygienic for occupants and employees.

This article will cover how technologies can help increase hygiene and safety in your commercial real estate properties by providing touchless access, managing occupancy levels for social distancing, and much more.

Benefits of Integrating Tech in Commercial Real Estate Properties

Having all your security and workplace safety measures integrated into one system will allow for easier management, as you can host all your security information in one place.

Some of the benefits of integrating technologies in your commercial real estate properties include:

• Streamlined route to access multiple sources of security data and information.
• Increased speed in identifying and addressing security breaches.
• User-friendly operation of security technologies.
• Easier management of occupancy to avoid overcrowding and promote social distancing.

Most allow you to integrate building and business technologies used in your everyday life for property management.

How to Optimize Safety & Hygiene in Commercial Real Estate Properties

Increasing security measures and health safety measures using technology will make your employees feel safe at work and improve the security of your commercial real estate properties. Here is a list of the technologies you can use to promote a culture of safety and hygiene in your commercial real estate properties for a safe return to work.

Touchless Access Control

When entering and exiting commercial real estate properties, you will likely need to touch doors that many other people have touched. This can be a source of contamination and can make your workplace less hygienic.

This is why you should implement a touchless and keyless access control system. Your employees can have a , which allows them to open doors without touching them.

Touchless and keyless access control systems also come with Bluetooth features that allow employees to wave their hands over the access pad, which collects verification information from their mobile device.

The touchless access control system integrates with building security technology, allowing you to pair access control with video security to verify identity in accordance with access logs from your touchless access control system.

This can aid in verifying identity to ensure that access has not been misappropriated and can allow you to manage visitors or employees as they move around the building.

Desk Management Software

In shared workspaces, you will need to ensure that employees have access to desks of their own to prevent overcrowding in the office. Desk management software makes this process easy by allowing employees to book a desk for themselves.

Desk management software works by showing a graphic of the office floor plan to indicate which desks have been booked by employees. Seeing who has booked which desk means that employees can check whether there is space available to work safely, maintaining social distance.

By implementing desk management software, you will make shared workspaces in your commercial real estate properties safer and more organized, reducing the exposure to germs through social distancing.

Visitor Management

You need to use visitor management tools to keep track of who is coming in and out of your commercial real estate properties.

Using visitor management tools will allow you to keep an accurate log of your visitors via digital registration. In the digital registration process, you can provide wellness checks and gather their contact information should coronavirus compromise the workplace and cause a need for contact tracing.

Automated Wellness Verification

Automated wellness verification is a great way to screen for coronavirus symptoms in your employees before they can enter the building.

Daily surveys on their health and symptoms will allow you to grant access to healthy employees and protect your building by blocking access to employees showing symptoms.

You can also block access for an extended amount of time which helps enforce self-isolation procedures and keep your other employees safe.

Summary

If you want to protect employees in your commercial real estate properties and promote a safe and hygienic approach to working, you should install an integrated security system. This way, you can increase the efficiency and ease of access regarding your security and safety protocols.

The post Use Tech to Optimize Your Commercial Real Estate Properties for a Safe, Hygienic Return to Work appeared first on Blog | »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp.

At »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp, we dedicate ourselves to the four pillars of our value proposition: Brand, Technology, Concierge and Training. Each one of these pillars plays an integral role in every enhancement we make for our network, with the ultimate goal to maintain healthy company growth and a successful future for all. Our network is made up of innovators and entrepreneurs, which is why for over 50 years »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp has been the trusted real estate expert by the most productive, efficient and successful professionals. The four pillars of our value proposition are a true representation of why our network continues to choose »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp as the place to call home.

Brand: Our brand is our people. We are the only real estate company named for our greatest asset – you. For over 50 years, »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp has become one of the largest and most established real estate franchise systems in the world being the first 100 percent commission-based real estate company. The ongoing strive to provide top-of-the-line technology, tools and customer service to our network is what makes us a game-changer in the real estate community, charting a course for the next 50 years.

Technology: We are the first real estate franchisor to develop a technology platform that was created for our people, by our people. We own the technology assets, giving you the comfort of knowing we have no dependencies on third-party providers. Our platform’s functionality gives you the ability to perform at the highest level. Our top of the line technology includes on-demand mobile marketing, personalized web services and free custom listing and video automation, which gives you the ability to perform at the highest level while saving you time and money.  

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Training: Our team provides ongoing training opportunities and unique training programs to propel our real estate professionals to the next level. Available through the new EXEC® University, our exclusive, free and focused training programs provide an on-demand library including webinars, franchise trainings and more. Each program and/or resource is crafted to help our executives reach their greatest success.

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