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Retail real estate is changing…slowly, yes, but perhaps finally and forever!

In the retail world of Commercial Real Estate, what was big and fat is now being honed down in size, shape, color and message.

For most of my career retail centers, gerenally speaking, all looked the same. All shopping malls have been essentially the same and all open air centers were all the same. Town centers…same! Strip centers…yep, same! With few exceptions, there existed little or differentiation in the marketing or the appeal. With the exception of Outlets and higher end centers, retail has been essentiall the same, tame and lame story.

Design is free when you get to scale. The riskiest thing you can do now is be safe…safe is risky. — Seth Godin

One of the most important ingredients in retail today is the ability of a location to “stand out” as a unique place that delivers a constant stream of products that are remarkable and irresistible to “unique” people and groups. Emphasis on “REMARKABLE” and emphasis on “UNIQUE.”

Listen to Seth Godin from TED on the topic of standing out.

The commercial real estate industry has been traveling a windy, dusty road since 2007.

There has been a lot of talk about pent-up demand, cash on the side lines and investors in the wings. So far we have not seen the long awaited collision of reduced prices and pent-up demand.

We travel down the road, wearied and parched, as months go by without our seeing a passing vehicle.

Small and intermediate investors, those most strapped for cash reserves, are running low on fuel waiting for the collision of buying power with what they fear is their last price adjustment they dare make before the notes are called and new refinancing is required. The NOI isn’t there, neither are the tenants or the buyers.

The good news is that we are seeing the dust of approaching vehicles just over the hill. There is the noise of oncoming traffic.

Those of us in the Northern Arizona commercial market are seeing a measurable increase in traffic. We are seeing more tenants, slight increases in rental rates and in general more activity on the retail and industrial fronts.

Although we are not yet ready to pop the corks on the Champaign bottles, we are least sipping some cheap wine in anticipation that perhaps 2011 will bring the collision between lower rates and pent up demand.

Barring any overreaching government intervention and further reluctance of lenders, I am now finally ready to at least acknowledge the prohibited collision is predictably logical.

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Donald Teel is a Senior Associate and Principal with Arizona Commercial, an Arizona commercial real estate brokerage and property management firm, headquartered in Prescott, Arizona. Need more information? Please call 1-877-777-9100 or, if you prefer, you may email Donald Teel

Driving gives me an opportunity to think about what I am doing, some of the challenges we are facing in the buisness and how my clients can weather what I call “The Tenant Trough.” Rather than simply tool down the long and winding road, I have decided to utilize my drive times by engaging in a little Commercial Real Estate Road Kill.

The following video was shot on a recent drive to Phoenix and is the first of what I hope will be a regular feature entitled CRE Road Kill. In this installment, I am addressing what I call the Tenant Trough, what it is the problems it creates for owners. In Part 2 I will talk about solutions…stay tuned.

Merriam-Webster defines “trough” as follows:

• a long and narrow or shallow channel or depression (as between waves);
• the minimum point of a complete cycle of a periodic function;
• the low point in a business cycle

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Donald Teel is a Senior Associate and Principal with Arizona Commercial, an Arizona commercial real estate brokerage and property management firm, headquartered in Prescott, Arizona. Need more information? Please call 1-877-777-9100 or, if you prefer, you may email Donald Teel

My first Broker, the Del Webb Corporation, was big on fast failure. The principle and skill of what I now call Terminatio Simulatio Velociter was drilled into the head of each fledgling Sales Counselor whose job it was to meet, greet and qualify prospects who visited the Sales Pavilion in Sun City West.

Now, some nearly 25 years hence, I truly do recognize the importance of “sorting” and the notion of elimination has become more and more a part of representing my commercial real estate clients effectively.

Of late, and driven by market conditions, there has emerged a new brand of bottom-feeding. It’s a concept I call “LOI Shopping” or, maybe “Networking the Deal” for better terms.

There is no doubt in my mind that this carp-like behavior among prospective tenants is a product of too much inventory and the desire of often marginal tenants to continue their vain attempts to shrink or even collapse the pricing envelope.
Continue reading “Terminatio Simulatio Velociter”

Retail shopping center owners, tenants and consumers are experiencing an unprecedented economic crunch. In short, all three are drifting in the same boat.

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), publishes a “Shopping Habits Report” in the first quarter following the end of a calendar year.

As a retail leasing specialist, I digested the entire 2009 report, subtitled, How the Recession has Impacted Consumer Shopping Habits, and discovered that indeed center owners need to be on top of the consumer game.

The “2009 Shopping Habits Report” contains invaluable information about the future consumer trends that will impact center owners, whether large or small in size.

You can read the report for yourself and draw your own conclusions. However, three things stuck out to me in the report:

• 58% of consumers believe their income will stay the same or become significantly less in 2010
• Most consumers have and will continue to throttle their discretionary spending through 2010
• Strip centers and “Lifestyle Centers” attract the highest frequency of repeat traffic

For those of you who are my clients, I want to briefly focus on the strip center/lifestyle traffic models, which run in the 70-75% repeat traffic level. In 2010 and 2011, my Company, is seizing on the concept of “life-styling” centers that have a higher than normal tenant mix by creating “Center Websites” that serve as a marketing destination point for Broker and tenant inquiries and present a center personality to the viewers.
Continue reading “Consumer Shopping Profile = New Marketing Approaches”

I read with a great deal of interest “Bright Ideas for Driving Traffic” in the February, 2010 issue of Shopping Centers Today magazine.

The relevance of the piece was the central focus of creating consumer recognition and value…what else is new in the shopping center marketing game?

What captured my attention in the article was the renewed interest in utilizing events and promotions as a traffic magnet for center impressions in the minds of consumers, tenant recognition and of course, foot-traffic.
Continue reading “Magnetism – Creating Center Value through more Consumer Exposure”

This property is located on one of Prescott, Arizona’s high traffic internal corridors, Miller Valley Road, with more than 24k vehicle impressions daily. These retail/office spaces are accompanied by the national auto parts chain, Checker Auto. Download the flyer.

Three suites are currently available and are priced at $9.50 per square foot, triple net with graduated annual rent incentives and half rents for qualified tenants. Download the flyer.

Owner is offering graduated lease rates with half-rent incentive for qualifying tenants. Download the flyer.

Watch the short video below to preview this property

For more information about this property, contact Donald Teel by email or, if you prefer by calling 928.777.8100. Visit CommercialWebPage.com. Download the flyer.

Goodwill of Central Arizona has just signed a new 10 year lease offering an 8% Cash on Cash return.

This is an excellent opportunity for an investor to acquire a value added, well located commercial investment property in Prescott, Arizona.

The existing lease is a new 10-year absolute NNN lease with increases and percentage rent and two five-year options to renew.

In addition, the property includes a 4,500 sf pad for retail expansion.

Property Description:
ASSUMABLE FINANCING. 5.75%, 27 year note, 15 years with option to renew at market rates. 8% CASH ON CASH. Single Tenant new 10-year Absolute NNN Lease with Escalations and Percentage Rents. 25,000 sf. Investor opportunity to acquire a well located, value-added asset with no landlord responsibilities. Includes a 4,500 sf Pad for additional expansion. Goodwill of Central Arizona is one of the largest and oldest nonprofits operating in the state of Arizona for more than 60 years.

Location Description:
Located within the Prescott Towne Center, a 53,000 sf retail center comprised of 3 buildings directly across from Village at the Boulders with Super Wal-Mart, Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, JoAnn’ s and Dollar Tree.
Continue reading “25,000 sf Retail Investment in Prescott, Arizona”

One square foot = 0.09290304 m2.

Okay, now what about Prescott, Arizona’s commerical market on a per square foot basis? What does it mean to owners and buyers. Is it time to buy? Is it time to sell? If so, how?

My recent suggestion to my Broker didn’t go over too well. “What we should be doing is pricing property for sellers on a ‘per square yard’ basis and for buyers on a ‘per square foot’ basis,” I said. He grimaced…I walked away.

High Value Market

We are a high value marketplace. Commericial real estate values in Central and Northern Arizona generally and in Prescott, Arizona in particular are declining creating an interesting investor market. Indeed, we appear to be nearing the bottom of the trough and it is and has been for some time…a buyer’s market.

We won’t be changing the marketing analysis to a per square yard formula but the principle behind the notion spells out the reality.

Resisting the Market Realties

Some owner’s are resisting the truth inherent in the current makret realities and in so doing they are actually capitalizing the reduction of their property value.
Continue reading “Prescott, Arizona…Per Square Foot”