Tenant/Buyer Representation Services

Avant Properties offers professional representation services designed to promote our clients’ best interests whether leasing or buying commercial real estate. Our specific goal is to add value to the transaction by saving time and money and to assure the very best facility is acquired at the lowest cost. The following is a brief summary of our approach to tenant/buyer representation.

Strategic Planning - Before a facilities plan can be formulated, a thorough review of the existing lease or ownership situation is imperative. Trigger dates are identified to verify that all parties are aware of existing options, notice provisions and obligations. Economic benchmarks are established to compare future relocation, lease renewal and acquisition terms.

Team Development - Skilled professionals are selected based upon legal, architectural and construction needs. A space plan is developed and specific economic, geographical, and timing parameters are established as an appropriate road map to guide the flow of activities.

Market Review and Evaluation - With the organization's goals and objectives in mind, we develop a list of the most suitable options and the advantages and limitations of each. Pertinent industry trends including vacancy rates, new construction, supply/demand, recent sales and other market information is compiled and analyzed. Facility/property tours are conducted and the preferred options are "short listed."

Comparative and Financial Analysis - We compare the costs associated with each option over the life of the lease or acquisition in several ways: monthly/annual expense, rent escalations, operating expenses and real estate taxes. We calculate the present value of each option and if appropriate, we will prepare a lease versus own comparison. A detailed summary is developed, highlighting key economic and non-economic concerns. Specific client concerns such as corporate fiscal year, cost per employee, relocation costs and other variables are incorporated.

Historical Transactions - Real estate consultants are only as good as the information they provide and successful transactions are guided by accurate market information. Avant Properties goes to painstaking lengths to deliver accurate and timely market information. Reports produced are in a format our clients can easily understand. This one of a kind tool helps make the most informed decision, and enables us to negotiate the best possible terms.

Letter of Intent - After several rounds of negotiations among competing sites, the preferred building and/or property is selected and letter of intent terms are negotiated. During this phase, we solidify key business and legal issues, remove the preferred space from the market and lay the groundwork for smooth lease or purchase negotiations. Since this is the foundation for the final agreement, we take extra care to incorporate important provisions that may otherwise be disputed during the Document Review phase.

Document Review - The lease or purchase agreement is reviewed and negotiated to verify consistency with the Letter of Intent and establish legal protection over the term of occupancy. The primary goal of this phase is to protect our clients’ interests by identifying problematic provisions and incorporating pro-tenant/user clauses into the final agreement. We strongly recommend document review by competent legal counsel during this phase before signing a lease or sales contract.

Construction Coordination - Working closely with the chosen architect (if applicable) and construction team, we confirm that all build-out allowances and landlord concessions are applied properly and landlord profit centers are eliminated in accordance with the lease.

Monitoring Future Costs - Very often, operating expense and real estate tax increases are administered annually by landlord representatives who were not present during any part of the lease negotiations. Simply filing away the lease and accepting the landlord's annual cost statements without examination can result in thousands of dollars of unwarranted costs over the lease term. We provide follow-up service in the areas of operating expense reviews and lease audits to ensure the legitimacy of costs passed on to our clients.

Additional Services - As business needs change, we provide additional support in the areas of expansion, subleasing, renewal negotiations, market research, arbitration or legal proceedings, and general real estate counseling. Commercial real estate is a dynamic industry and Avant Properties is committed to keeping pace.