Once your office needs are identified, as discussed in my previous blog, your office broker should be able to provide you with a list of properties that meet, or come close to meeting, your geographic parameters and physical facility needs.  In many markets, such as the market my firm, CARMEN Commercial Real Estate, primarily works, which is the Indianapolis commercial real estate market, a search can uncover many possible alternatives.  Therefore, in order to conduct an effective evaluation of the property alternatives it makes sense to make a first pass through of the property survey provided by your broker to further identify the best alternatives to meet your needs.

 It may seem easy to eliminate building alternatives that at first glance don’t appear to meet your needs; however, be cautious and maintain an open mind in tossing out the weaker alternatives.  Often times, the buildings which are most frequently dismissed can be a “diamond in the rough” because owners of these buildings will frequently discount the rental rates or provide tenants with greater tenant finish and other moving related allowances to induce tenants to lease space in these buildings. 

Once the survey provided by your Commercial Real Estate Broker has been thinned out you will be prepared to take the next step, which often times is an actual tour of the various properties