REATA Blog
News & Updates
Forget Where’s Waldo? More Like Where’s The Office? – Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast, Episode #38
There have never been so many options available to companies for their office space. How do you decide among them and is your tenant rep able to advise you on all the options? That's today's topic on the Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast. Some of those...
5 Advantages to IoT in Your Office Space – Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast, Episode #37
The "Internet of Things" is abbreviated to IoT - and it looks like something from the periodic table! Listen to today's podcast and hear Bob and Jan take a deeper dive into how IoT will affect your workplace. Once again, I was reading Don Catalano's blog. He wrote...
Three Reasons Why Remote Work Won’t Last – Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast, Episode #36
Big corporate's dead and I'll never go back to an office without a body suit and my own breathing system. Oh, no, reality going forward is a hybrid basis. Forget about y'all, I'm going back to the office where I can finally get some work done! Heard any of these? ...
Intermediary, A Fancy Word for a Really Bad Idea – Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast, Episode #35
If someone filed a lawsuit against you, would you consider sharing an attorney with that person so you can both save money? Sounds ludicrous, right? That's because it is, but it happens in real estate every day with agents instead of attorneys. Listen to today's...
Evidence of Softening Rents
We’re now nearly 9 months into the COVID recession and I’m amazed at how many landlords continue to quote the same rental rate they were before this started. We received several proposals for an office client recently and many didn’t come off their quoted rate at all....
Subleasing Update (because we don’t talk enough about it as it is!) – Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #34
Sublease space available in North Texas now tops the 9 million square feet mark - what is going on here? Clearly this is being driven by office tenants being required to go home and then finding out that they really can work remotely. Guess we can call it pandemic...
What Tenants Need to Know About Property Taxes – Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #33
Property taxes are usually paid by the landlords, so tenants don't need to worry about them, right?!? Not even close-listen to our podcast to clear up confusion. Because, while landlords may write the check, tenants actually pay for the property taxes as part of...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #32 – Don’t Let Your Office Lease Kill the Sale of Your Business
By listening to today's podcast the nightmare described below can be avoided. As an asset manager, in the late 90s, working for a large owner of office buildings, I got a phone call from a guy who said he was buying one of the companies in a Dallas building we owned....
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #31 – How to Pull Off a Successful Office Move
While COVID and the dumpster fire that is 2020 has most companies trying to decide between returning to the office or working from home - or a hybrid of the two, many will face the possibility of a move in their future. Moving is a giant pain in the behind. It’s...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #30 – Evaluating Commercial Real Estate Proposals
How does a broker evaluate landlord proposals for the brokers' clients? Especially large spaces with a lot of different options: term, size, finish out, etc. Bob & Jan discuss this in detail in today's podcast. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast Episode #29 – How To Create The Perfect Office During A Pandemic
Jan and Bob are joined today by Andy Jones, President of Jones Commercial Interiors. Learn how to create the perfect office during a pandemic. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA Commercial Realty, Inc. which is a tenant advisory...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast Episode #28 – Lack of Technology Affects CRE’s Ability to Hire – Not at REATA!
Commercial real estate, in general, is slow to embrace technology, and this has lead to its aging employee population, but REATA aims to turn that around. Listen to Bob and Jan discuss their shop, the technological advances they have made, and the immediate hire they...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast Episode #27 – Top Things a Real Estate Attorney Wants You to Know About Office Leases
What is the number 1 thing people should do first when negotiating a lease? Today's podcast interviews Steve Potts with the Potts Law Group and he let us in on a lot of items tenants normally overlook in a lease negotiation. Listen to undercover his secrets. Bob...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #26 – Why Industrial Space is Booming…..Because of, or in spite of, COVID?
With COVID killing retail space and pushing the pause button on office, what's happening with industrial space? Is there demand, and if so, why? Listen to Bob and Jan discover all the answers. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #25 – 11 Ways to Ensure a Healthier Office
This week's episode outlines an article in the September/October issue of Realtor Magazine detailing 11 ways to ensure a healthier office. As we gear up to go back into the office, we thought there couldn't be a better time in which to discuss this topic. Bob Gibbons...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #24 – Hidden Costs in Your Lease
While rent and common area maintenance are the big obvious charges, there could be many other potential expenses that could surprise you. Listen to today's podcast to hear Bob & Jan uncover these expenses. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #23 – Why Commercial Leases are Getting Shorter
We think it's fairly obvious why commercial leases are getting shorter - nobody wants to get tied down with long-term commitments they can't fulfill, but what will this mean for the owners of those buildings and how their assets are valued? Listen to today's podcast...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #22 – Insurance – landlords require so much, but it still falls short in COVID
Brian Hutson of Assured Partners is our guest this week to talk all things insurance. Landlords require so much insurance in leases. Why and is that good or bad for tenants? Brian explains it all to us. It sounds boring, but Brian makes it very tangible and...
Sublease Update
It’s no surprise that some companies are considering eliminating their offices in favor of a work-from-home strategy. If nothing else, the COVID crisis has proven that the technology exists for people to work from home. The jury is still out on whether they want to or...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #21 – Office Rents Headed Lower Due to Pandemic
Well, duh! This appears to be a bit obvious but in reading Steve Brown's Dallas Morning News article he does give background as to the hows and and whys. Listen to Jan and Bob discuss on today's podcast. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #20 – 6 Amenities Tenant Will Want Post COVID-19
What will it take to get you and your employees back into the office? Listen to Bob & Jan discuss six things that will be high on most tenants list in today's podcast. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA Commercial Realty, Inc....
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #19 – You Aren’t the Landlord’s Primary Client
Why you, the tenant, are NOT the landlord’s primary client…and who is. Who is the landlord’s secondary client and why. Who is the landlord’s third place client and why. How can tenants improve their leverage and influence with landlords to improve where they are in...
Sublease Listing – Office space in Addison, Texas
Client has up to 4,922 SF available in an office building deep in the heart of Addison. Please check out our flyer for all the details. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA Commercial Realty, Inc. which is a tenant advisory firm based...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #18 – What Your Landlord Doesn’t Want You to Know – Knowledge is Power
In 1597, Sir Francis Bacon is quoted as saying - “Knowledge is Power.” That’s as true today as it was when he said it and it’s our topic today on the Confessions of a Recovering Landlord podcast. Can you think of a single situation in which you’re better off when you...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #17 – Your Space, Your Culture – Office Space Your Way
Why is it important to talk about how the office reflects the culture of the company? How do you “create” this feeling? What about an open plan where everyone is on a wide-open floor? What if wellness and health are part of your company's core values? What about...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Podcast – Episode #16 – Top 10 Issues Affecting Real Estate in the Near Future
Crystal ball time again....on today's podcast we discuss the top 10 issues affecting real estate in the near future. Or at least what my BisNow subscription tells me The Counselors of Real Estate think the top 10 issues are. Of course, we'll throw in our own...
Confessions of Recovering Landlord – Episode #15 – What Will Returning to the Office Look Like – Part 2
Last week we discussed what going back to the office would look like and this week we take a deeper dive into the actual logistics of that. Listen to today's podcast as Bob interviews two experts in the field. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #14 – What Will Returning to the Office Look Like?
Housebound people are ready to get back to the office....or are they? In today's episode of the podcast Bob and Jan discuss various options people are considering in "re-opening" their offices and exactly what that will look like. Please click here to listen to the...
Sublease Listing – Office space in DFW Freeport/Coppell Market
Client has 3,529 square feet for sublease at 8615 Freeport Parkway, Suite 170, Irving, Texas 75063. Kindly check out our flyer for all the details. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA Commercial Realty, Inc. which is a tenant...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #13 – Lease Credit – Personal Guarantees, Cash Deposit, LOC’s, LLC/S-Corp
In today's climate especially, it's most important for tenants to show their prospective landlord that they can and will perform on the lease. Listen to today's podcast to learn how that can be accomplished. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate...
Sublease Listing – Full Floor Office in East Quarter
Client has 8,949 square feet for sublease at 2030 Main Street, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75201. Kindly check out our flyer for all the details. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA Commercial Realty, Inc. which is a tenant...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord Episode #12 – What should you expect of your tenant rep after the lease is signed?
Found your space, inked the lease and moved in, now what? Listen to Jan and Bob discuss how REATA handles leases for their clients, not just at signing, but throughout the lease term....
Sublease Listing – Industrial Space in Farmers Branch
Client has 52,305 SF - 138,716 SF for lease at 11414 Mathis Avenue, Farmers Branch, Texas 75234. Kindly check out our flyer here for all the details. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA Commercial Realty, Inc. which is a tenant...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #11 – Is Your Building Growing??
In today's podcast Bob and Jan discuss understanding rentable versus usable square feet - and does it matter? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/confessions-of-a-recovering-landlord/id1501898669 Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor & Tenant Advocate with REATA...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #10 – Why Does Anyone Really Need a Tenant Rep??
Ain't nobody got time to think about office space, especially right now. But if you need space and/or it's time to renew your current lease why should you use a tenant rep? Listen to today's podcast where Bob and Jan discuss this and much more! Bob Gibbons is...
Sublease Listing in Richardson
***Update: Sublease is off the market.*** Our client recently relocated their offices (and combined several) and now need to sublease their Richardson office space. Kindly take a look at our flyer here and enjoy a 360 degree virtual tour as well. This...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #9 – Rental Rates and How to Know if You Got a Good One!
Rental rates for office and warehouse leases can be just downright confusing. Base rent, triple net, industrial gross - these terms can definitely be tough to interpret for the uninitiated. Listen to today's podcast where Bob and Jan discuss all things pertaining...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #8 – Subleasing – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know, Plus More…
With the number of layoffs we are seeing due to the pandemic, will business owners need as much space as was originally leased? What are the options out there? Listen to Bob and Jan discuss all things subleasing in this week's podcast episode -...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #7 – Should You Buy or Lease Your Office Space?
Listen to our most recent podcast concerning what is the best way for your business to house its business - owning or leasing. We are often asked by business owners whether they should consider buying a building instead of continuing to "throw away money" leasing -...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #6 – The COVID Legacy on Offices
What will be the lasting impact of the COVID crisis on office space? Bob and Jan discuss many aspects of this including: Office space configuration; flexibility of office needs; landlord preferences - what will they expect; insurance considerations - business...
Open Office Dead??
Is the open office dead? Or just evolving? One of our favorite interior design firms wrote a short article showing how an open office can easily meet a 6-foot separation for employees. They also discuss other issues to help create a healthier office environment. ...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #5 – Don’t Renew – Renegotiate!
Learn about renegotiating, not exercising your renewal option, for your commercial lease by listening to our latest podcast - https://anchor.fm/landlordconfessions/episodes/0005-Dont-Renew---Renegotiate-ecqn0e/a-a1uml1n. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor &...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #4 – Renegotiating in a Down Market
Bob and Jan discuss what options are available to tenants when negotiating lease extensions, expansions or reductions in a market where rental rates are expected to fall - https://anchor.fm/landlordconfessions/episodes/0004-Renegotiating-in-a-Down-Market-ecjjuj Bob...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Episode #3 – Landlords Respond to Rent Relief
In this episode, we explore the ways that landlords are responding to tenants that request rent relief during the COVID-19 crisis. https://anchor.fm/landlordconfessions/episodes/0003-Landlords-Respond-to-Rent-Relief-ec5sa2. Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate Advisor...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord – Podcast Episode #2 – Business Interruption & Rent Relief
COVID-19 has brought this week's topic front and center in many people's mind. Learn how to approach your landlord if you need rent relief. https://anchor.fm/landlordconfessions/episodes/0002---Business-Interruption--Rent-Relief-ebldtl Bob Gibbons is a Real Estate...
Emergency Space Helps Prevent Hunger During COVID-19 Crisis
What does a non-profit in North Texas do when it needs emergency space in a crisis? Tell Jamee Jolly. Jamee is the Executive Director of the Plano ISD Education Foundation and the past president of the Plano Chamber of Commerce. Jamee is amazingly connected and loves...
Rent Relief Request Template
After writing our March 17, 2020 blog post titled Business Interruption & Rent Relief, we recorded two podcasts on the same subject. Many discussions followed with clients and friends asking for help in the actual implementation of the advice we provided. The...
Business Survival in Crisis
We’ve all heard more about COVID-19 than any of us ever wanted to hear, so I’m not going to comment on how to avoid the virus or how often you should bath yourself and everything you own in Purell. Instead, I’m simply going to ask, how will this crisis affect your...
Business Interruption & Rent Relief
Sorry this will be so long, but over the last couple days, we have received several inquiries from clients asking how to go about seeking rent relief from their landlords. Their businesses have no income due to shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and they won’t...
Confessions of a Recovering Landlord
We've begun a new podcast entitled, Confessions of a Recovering Landlord. Wait, before you write it off as a boring old monologue, let me tell you that it is filled with delightful dialogue and cheerful (?) banter as Jan is on it with me, grilling, I mean questioning...
How Would Your Lease Respond in a Crisis?
Distributed work force – the latest euphemism for working from home…although it could include some people working from home, some in an office and some in an executive suite or coworking space. However, many companies are choosing to do this and in today’s world of...
CRMs – Love Affair/Terrorist Plot?
Ok, perhaps I was a bit dramatic, but come on, have you ever found THE perfect Customer Relationship Manager program?!? CRMs are great and provide lots of ways to manipulate your content, but I’ve yet to find the perfect one. We recently transitioned from a...
Workplace Safety
I just got another alert on my phone – two people killed on a college campus and another injured. Am I embarrassed to say that these events simply don’t register as they once did? It wasn’t a particularly high body count, right?!? Can you believe I’m even typing...
Kobe, Kobe, Kobe
You cannot turn on the TV or check any of your social media feeds without reading about Kobe Bryant and his untimely, very sad, fatal helicopter accident. The fact his daughter and others were with him makes it just that much worse. The void this accident has...
Is A Tenant Rep Really Necessary?
People sometimes ask us if hiring a tenant representation broker is really necessary, especially when they’ve already selected the building where they wish to lease space. They’ve already spoken to the leasing agent and even seen their ideal space. Let me ask...
DFW Office Market Still Rocking
Costar, a commercial real estate research and listing service, reported that the Dallas Fort Worth office market closed out 2019 with 5.2 million square feet (SF) of net absorption which is the highest since 2014 which had 6.9 million SF of net absorption. Net...
8 Reasons to Buy a Building Instead of Leasing
Most companies lease the office and warehouse space they occupy. There are many reasons for that: don't want to be a landlord; don't have the down payment; want to keep the money in the business where it will earn a higher return than in a real estate investment;...
Estoppel? Condition or gift??
Estoppel. Sounds like a medical condition you don't want to talk about in polite company. Or something you'd need a medicated cream to clear up. Think of the embarrassment of checking out at the grocery store when the cashier gives you that knowing smirk. But an...
Passive Income for Realtors While Being a Hero to Your Clients
Most residential agents get to know their clients fairly well during a transaction - where they work, what their hobbies are, the names of their kids and what sports they play, etc. This information can be useful in earning additional income. I'm not talking about...
Get Out While the Gettin’s Good
Get Out While the Gettin’s Good With over 1,000 office buildings on the market for sale today, the DFW market has reached a 5-year high in property owners trying to cash in on their holdings. This is according to Costar, a commercial real estate research firm. And...
Office Market Vacancy Rate
Dallas Fort Worth has always been known for its low cost of living, ease of doing business and highly skilled labor pool. Its central location, great airport and low tax burden for both individuals and companies make it a very attractive place to do business. So its...
Office Rents Rising
A rising tide lifts all boats. So the saying goes. But is it true in office building rents? Definitely. As demand for office space increases, landlords start testing the waters by increasing rents. Eventually, that demand and those rents get to a point that justify...
WeWork – Will it Work in a Downturn?
We're updating this blog in light of a story that is currently in the news. WeWork is considering the anticipated valuation of its IPO...that it could be too high. Skepticism is rising over the business model. One of the concerns is what we pointed out here a little...
Don’t Let Your Lease Kill the Sale of Your Business
As an asset manager, in the late 90s, working for a large owner of office buildings, I got a phone call from a guy who said he was buying one of the companies in a Dallas building we owned. He said his company planned to close on the sale the next day and he wanted...
Feeling Cramped in the Office?
Have you ever noticed how food manufacturers sometimes shrink the size of your favorite candy bar or bag of chips? The price stays the same, of course, but you just don't get as much. Well, offices have been getting smaller for a long time at the same time that prices...
Open Plan Office Configuration – Productivity Killer?
Open plan offices have been taking it on the chin for a while now. And now Harvard is piling on with a study that says open plan configurations actually reduce face-to-face interactions instead of increasing them as commonly thought. Inc. did an article in which their...
Another One Bites the Dust
The Houston Chronicle reported on Friday that yet another tenant-rep-only firm has sold to a full-service firm. Jackson & Cooksey has been a commercial real estate firm solely focused on representing users (tenants & buyers) of commercial real estate since 1982. They...
British Real Estate Investment Firm Gives WeWork a Go
A colleague of mine in London who is a member of the Alliance of Tenant Representatives with me sent the following article about an old established commercial real estate investment firm that tried officing in a WeWork location for a while until their new office was...
Wal-Mart – IT??
Do you think of IT when you hear Wal-Mart? Most people don’t, but Wal-Mart has an emerging technologies office which makes sense when you consider that Amazon and other online retailers are likely taking a chunk out of its sales. Wal-Mart already has 2,000...
US Office Vacancy Lowest in 10 Years
According to a report produced by Transwestern, office vacancies in the US as a whole are at their lowest in 10 years. That's pretty amazing when you consider that they also report that 70.7 million square feet (SF) of new construction has been started during that...
A Ban on Dual Agency Fails…For Now
As you probably know, at REATA, we only represent users - companies that lease or buy office and warehouse space. We won't take landlord listings for lease because it has the potential to create conflicts of interest. Furthermore, we don't think that real estate...
Tax Reform – Another 1986?
Our government is talking about major tax reform. That will make you really nervous if you were in the commercial real estate business in the 1980’s. You will remember how a Republican president signed into law a tax law which killed our industry for 10 years. Sure,...
Working from Home – Does It Work?
One of the pioneers of allowing employees to work from home is IBM. They started doing it in 1979 and had 2,000 IBMer's working from home within 4 years. By 2009, 40% of their 386,000 employees in 173 countries didn't have an office. IBM even sold buildings which they...
Your Building May be Growing – Rentable Square Feet Get an Update
Your building may be growing. That sounds like a ridiculous idea, right? But it may be true. Not physically, of course, but in the way the size is determined. We have blogged in the past about buildings are measured and the difference between the useable square...
Are You Safe At Work?
The news of late has been nothing less than tragic – disgruntled employees and/or former employees returning to their work sites and opening fire on a specific person or just a crowd in general. No place appears to be immune anymore: churches, offices, industrial work...
