Archive for March, 2011
QR Codes: Have they Found a Home in Commercial Real Estate?
Mar 31st
The residential real estate industry seems to be embracing the practice of using QR codes (Quick Response Codes) in their property signage as a fast and easy way to share information or drive traffic to a website, but it seems we have yet to see a proliferation of their use in the commercial industry (at least that’s the case here in the Los Angeles area). If you are unfamiliar with the practice, perhaps you should take a closer look. More >
Landlords Faced With the Decision of Giving Rent Reductions
Mar 31st
By Michael Schiff, EVP, Branch Manager
Flash back to September of 2008 when the first massive wave of the recession hit and it felt like the sky was falling. The Dow dropped 778 points in its biggest single-day point loss ever, and giant companies like Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were collapsing before our very eyes. During the weeks and months that followed, almost every landlord received the influx of calls from their tenants who were saying, “I am going to go out of business if you don’t give me a rent reduction”. More >
Is the market really as bad as they say?
Mar 30th
by Rick Gold, Senior EVP, Branch Manager
If the activity we are seeing in our West Los Angeles office is any indication, the market is certainly a lot better than what we read in the papers or hear on the streets. It appears that tenants and buyers have come to the realization that the market may have hit bottom and if they don’t react now they may be left on the sidelines wondering where all the good deals have gone. More >
There is an Old Saying: “Time is money”
Mar 30th
Savvy business people inherently know time equates to money. When we waste our working hours, we are wasting personal earning potential for ourselves and income and profit for our employer. Valuing one’s time is the first step to a successful career and prosperous life. More >
Recent Transactions: Week of March 28, 2011
Mar 29th
NAI Capital announces the following recent transactions:
SIMI VALLEY, CA - David Young, SIOR and Chad Gahr of NAI Capital’s Encino office represented the buyer, Entertainment Earth Holdings, LLC in the purchase of an 81,646 square foot industrial property located at 61-69 W. Moreland Road, Simi Valley from RGH Holdings, L.P. The value of the transaction was not disclosed. More >
Broker Rejuvenation: Measuring Success
Mar 29th
By Bob Scullin, CEO, SIOR
If it were possible to determine how successful companies became successful, then perhaps we could apply the same metric and determine how unsuccessful brokers could become successful. It is an axiom that successful brokers do the things that successful brokers do, so it is not too much of a stretch to suggest that un-successful brokers should do the same things that successful brokers do. Fortunately there are a lot of metrics that can be useful in this regard. More >
Do your small business clients know the provisions of the new health care law?
Mar 25th
by Michele Stein, Director of Operations
Is your client a small business that would benefit from healthcare credits, but they have no idea that they are available? More >
Is There an App for That?
Mar 24th
by Jennifer Ortado, Manager, PR, Advertising & Social Media
I’m a Verizon Wireless customer and have been since AirTouch formed its joint venture with Bell Atlantic back in 1999. My loyalty to the brand has kept me from jumping on the iPhone bandwagon because I wasn’t convinced of AT&T’s service. So, I’ve been running around with my Android, playing the waiting game until the much anticipated Verizon iPhone – which is now here (hooray!). The downside is that I’ve got another year before my contract is up for renewal. By that point, I figure they’ll have all the kinks ironed out. In the meantime, Droid and I have been bonding. More >
Big Box Specialist Vicki R. Donkin Joins NAI Capital as Senior Vice President
Mar 23rd
Vick R. Donkin Joins NAI Capital
ONTARIO, CA (March 23, 2011) – NAI Capital, a full service commercial real estate brokerage headquartered in Encino, California, announced that Vicki R. Donkin has joined the company as Senior Vice President within the firm’s Ontario office, effective immediately.
Ms. Donkin brings over 18 years of commercial real estate experience to NAI Capital where she will continue to specialize in investment and land sales/leasing, and marketing and cost benefit analysis for retail and non-retail properties. More >
Recent Transactions: Week of March 21, 2011
Mar 23rd
NAI Capital announces the following recent transactions:
ANAHEIM, CA – Andy Batcheller represented the lessee, UPS Protection in the lease of a 4,940 square foot industrial building located at 1401 E. Ball Road, Unit G, Anaheim from Harvey Capital Corporation. The value and terms of the lease were not disclosed.
IRVINE, CA - Brent Mork of the Orange County office represented the lessee, Puretech Water Systems, Inc. in the lease of a 15,900 square foot industrial building located at 1702 McGaw Avenue, Irvine from Marshall Family Trust. The value and terms of the lease were not disclosed. More >
Broker Rejuvenation: The Road Less Traveled
Mar 23rd
By Bob Scullin, CEO, SIOR
All brokers eventually confront a figurative fork in the road and ponder which of two career paths to choose. There will always be one road not taken, but which is the right one to take? When Robert Frost (1874-1963) wrote these words in The Road Not Taken he well described a situation confronted by brokers on a daily basis as they try to rejuvenate their careers.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both…
There is dispute what Frost’s words actually mean, but I choose to take him literally because the poet makes the difficult choice seem easy. It is only when looking back that it may be obvious whether the chosen road was in fact the better road. More >
A Marathon Deal: Pounding L.A.’s Retail Pavement
Mar 22nd
By Luis Valenzuela, Executive Vice President, Branch Manager
Dedicated brokers will do just about anything to make a deal if it’s in their clients’ best interest. To illustrate this point, let me share with you the experience I had with my client and good friend, Min Chae. We were in the process of negotiating a lease with a major tenant for his shopping center, Plaza México. He did not want to accept the proposed rent and concessions that the tenant offered. After several rounds of counter offers, we came very close in the negotiations, but he still was not convinced he should agree. More >
Tips to Sell Yourself Through Email Marketing
Mar 21st
by Kathleen Howard, Executive VP, Branch Manager
Despite the widespread use of social media behemoths Facebook and Twitter, email newsletters remain one of the best ways to create, build, and maintain client relationships. In order to deliver your message you will need to follow the proven rules of successful email marketing. More >
Are gourmet meals on wheels gobbling up QSRs?
Mar 17th
by John Cserkuti, Senior Vice President
Once known to us all as the infamous “roach coaches” seen at construction sites or in front of office buildings at lunch hour, you’ve probably heard the buzz about the new crop of gourmet food trucks taking the country by storm. You’ve surely seen or maybe even sampled from some of these traveling restaurants on wheels that are seemingly looking to take a piece of the food pie away from traditional brick and mortar restaurants all across town. More >
Real Estate Investment Partnerships: Cathy Scullin Interview – Part Five
Mar 17th
NAI Capital Senior Vice President, Cathy Scullin continues her discussion on the commercial real estate industry in this final portion of a five part interview with Ken Himmler of KTLK 1550 AM Money Talk.
In this fifth and final portion Cathy talks about how to evaluate investment partnerships.