SUCCESS STORY
INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CLIENT
The local Industrial Market had softened dramatically and there was a significant change in the client’s needs. Jim convinced the landlord that it would be better to agree to a substantial reduction in the current rent and extend the lease, rather than have an empty specialized building if the market did not improve. The outcome was a “win-win” transaction.
Statistics |
Services Provided |
Challenge
A large international industrial company had three and one-half years remaining on a fifteen-year lease for an 80,000-square-foot, single-tenant office/manufacturing/distribution facility. Over time, their needs had changed – not only did they not need as much space, but the layout was no longer ideal.
Strategy
The original build-to-suit lease had rental bumps and, coupled with the economic recession and declines in the Florida commercial real estate market at the time, the tenant was paying well above current market rents. Because of the remaining lease obligation, the only option was to attempt to restructure the lease.
Services
Having previously worked with the executive team for the North American subsidiary on several assignments, Jim Pratt was asked to represent the firm in attempting to restructure the lease to significantly reduce the firm’s costs. Partnering with the local Colliers’ team, detailed comparables were generated for similar requirements prior to conversations being initiated with the landlord/owner, a private investor from Germany.
To achieve success, it was critical to establish rapport, but also establish that any continuing occupancy at the expiration of the lease was contingent upon the lease being restructured now.
Results
Jim quickly gained the confidence of the landlord, enabling negotiations to proceed on a positive note. Detailed analytical tools were used to determine the terms to be offered and the net reduction in rent, and to structure a sliding scale compensation plan that aligned achievement of the tenant’s financial objectives with the fees earned. These tools enabled the tenant to compare the net savings of counter offers and revised offers. By agreeing to a five-year extension (which also had fixed rates in the existing lease), the net savings achieved by the tenant over the restructured lease term exceeded the $1.3 million and represented a 17.5% reduction, compared to the 20.4% reduction in the original proposal made on behalf of the tenant.
