Congratulations, you’ve decided to move your business from your home office to a larger space. This type of growth is a significant milestone and one that is worthy of celebration.
However, one thing that can put a damper on your achievement is signing a lease for the wrong commercial space. Hiring a commercial real estate agent is a great way to avoid this if you choose the correct person.
You may look for someone you get a long with and that you find trustworthy, but that may not be enough. The purchase of your new office space is too important to not look further into a prospective commercial real estate agent.
Perform a self-assessment
No one knows you or your business like you did. That makes you most qualified to determine what you need in your next space. If you foresee growth and filling out a full staff someday, maybe you need a kitchen and conference room. Perhaps it’s just you and you just care about air conditioning and a nice view for when you’re in the office.
Of course, the more must-haves on your list can increase the cost of a property as well as your responsibility. For instance, having private bathrooms may add expense and you would also have responsibility for maintaining that bathroom.
It’s important to know what you want when starting the process so you can better identify the agent who can help meet those needs.
Ask questions
Put yourself in control of the commercial agent hiring process and know that you’re hiring the best person. Asking your prospective agent about their experience with businesses of your type and size in the area is a good place to start. Inquire into what things they’ve found makes or breaks businesses like yours based on that experience.
Asking questions is a great way to determine if you and this agent have aligning visions for your business’s new office space.
Never settle for less
Buyers want to buy a property, not a future lawsuit. O’Brien Legal helps buyers perform due diligence prior to closing to avoid situations like this. One way is hiring the right commercial real estate agent to help you in the hunt for your new office.