3 Crazy & TRUE Commercial Property Management Stories

Commercial Property Management is more than managing trash service and changing light bulbs. Some people think commercial property management is uneventful and a bit boring. We see a lot more than you do! In the stories to follow you will get a taste of what commercial property management does on a regular basis. Crazy and true!

Story #1: Mother Nature and commercial buildings

When big storms hit, it’s not only devastating to trailer parks, but commercial buildings get a punch too. How do we prevent tragic setbacks? Regular inspections of commercial building roofs is a great start. In the Spring of 2023 a big storm rolled through our area. One of the buildings that was affected was a multi-unit commercial building with a few restaurants, liquor store, and a retailer. We heard from a friend that the roof wasn’t in good shape before the storm hit, apparently, it had a small uneventful leak. However, after the storm, the leak got so large the roof caved in and shut down three of the businesses for over a year! On top of it all, the owner of the commercial building didn’t have insurance. Ouch! Disclosure: We do not know who was managing the building.

What would excite Commercial Management do?

Mother Nature is not open to negotiations. When she wants to crash, she’s going to do it with an narcissistic attitude. If excite Commercial Management were managing this property, we would have inspected the roof upon managing the property and would have fixed any leaks, no matter what their size. Foundations and roofs work together to protect the structure. When one of them is out-of-whack, the entire building is vulnerable to attacks. Knowing that weather is changing rapidly and with more punch, we need to do what we can to prepare for her dance.

Secondly, we would have made sure the owner had insurance upon managing the property or we would have helped the owner get insurance before they needed it.

Story #2: Owner tries to save a few bucks

We all like to save money, however, it’s the way you save money that truly makes you save money. In this story, a commercial property owner had a friend managing his property. The friend didn’t have much experience, but commercial property management is easy, right? After-all, the friend gave him a good price and he’s helping the friend out! However, after some complaints and an odd-looking bank account, things weren’t adding up.

Come to find out the property had HVAC problems, a tree was growing on the roof (unintended), there were other roof issues, and a tenant didn’t pay rent for six months! This “money-saving” tactic backfired and cost the owner $1000s to fix, not to mention his time involved. This all could have been preventable if he hired excite Commercial Management. In fact, the owner would have not only saved money, but would have made money with excite.

Story #3: The best for last.

If this last story doesn’t freak you out, then I don’t know what will. The owner of this particular commercial property hired a professional manager. Unfortunately the professional manager didn’t hold up to their promises. Over the course of five years, leases were not renewed; the tenants were running their businesses on outdated leases which could be tragic for not only the property owner, but for the tenant!

The “professional” manager also did not collect shared expenses from the tenants; over the course of three years this equaled a total of $30,000. Shared expenses are normal fees in commercial buildings. Things like snow removal, garbage service, and other shared costs fall into this shared expense category. All in all, this professional manager caused this owner to lose thousands of dollars, not to mention his reputation and impact on the community.

Concluding the sagas of commercial management

When it comes to managing commercial property, know what you’re getting into if you choose to do it yourself. Managing a building and it’s tenants is not a parade of roses. When hiring a professional manager do your homework and ask around. Research companies and meet up with them to see if they are a good fit. We want you to be successful as a commercial property owner because your building not only impacts the tenants and the lives they live, but it sets the tone in the community.

Before you go, please know!

We hope you enjoyed these true commercial property stories and learned something new. The quote from Mark, “It’s in the details whether you succeed or fail” stands firm. Details matter. We’d love to talk to you about your commercial property details. Please know at excite Commercial Management, we can customize our services to your needs. For a free property analysis contact us here!

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