When marketing commercial real estate, there are three major concerns that you should address with respect to property maintenance. These are the overall appearance of the property ("curb-appeal"), perception of past maintenance, and of course, any safety issues. All three of these items will impact a prospective tenant. That impact can be either positive or negative.

I was recently contacted by a property owner who was having difficulty leasing his building. I agreed to inspect the property with him and make suggestions. Before we even got into the building we had to walk on what was left of a lawn to avoid a bush that had completely overgrown the front walk. Next, there was a dead bird in front the building entrance door. Believe it or not, the inside was worse. A dank smell, peeling paint, debris, inoperative light fixtures, and a lavatory in shambles. What a picture! No wonder prospective tenants ran screaming from the building..... (MORE)