After an eleven month search and tour of more than a dozen properties, one of my best clients has decided to…stay where they are. There were many factors involved with moving an organization that has (in five years) become one of Inc 500’s fastest growing companies in America. In fact, there were at least 20 factors…and those were just the real estate aspects. What made this search, well, unique, was the need for 90,000 square feet which included a large modern office footprint within a moderately sized warehouse. The most difficult issue my client grappled with was projecting what kind of volume they’d be doing in three years after having grown 2,400% in the previous three years. In the end, their existing warehouse complex offered the best combination of floor plan, pricing and near term expansion opportunity.
There is great value in negotiating space needs wisely and having just enough room to grow without having to move again. But what if you negotiate and plan poorly without considering you might not grow 1,200% next year? The consequences remind me of a scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: think of your company as the guy who ““.
Clients sometimes apologize if a search takes a long time due to changing parameters or if they delay making a decision. There’s no need for apologies, it is all just part of the process. What is most important for me is sourcing and negotiating the best deal for the most efficient space on the market. Expansion is a leap of faith…a leap that is best made without a broker pushing to close a file.
