Archive for the ‘Thoughts’ Category

Fresh & Easy Real Estate Director Making Empty Threats

Tweet I just had to post this.  I just closed a Fresh & Easy ground lease that was purchased by Fresh & Easy on 12/31/09.  Earlier today, we sent out an email blast announcing the sale of the property.  I received the following email (with his attorney cc’d as well) from UK transplant Tom Scorer, [...]

Since When Is Offering A Cooperating Broker Fee A Selling Point?

Tweet The image below is from an email blast sent out by a brokerage firm selling a retail property in Southern California.  Really, “Cooperating Broker Fee Offered” is your number #1 selling point?  I have cropped out the distinguishing portions of the image to protect the identity of the offending brokerage. Last time I checked, [...]

Introducing CNRPA, an Attempt to Distinguish CREOBA’s Business Model

Tweet I have just been notified, via Twitter that CNRPA is now following me.  So I go to check out who CNRPA is and I find the Commercial National REO Professionals Association!  Anyone who has read this blog for any amount of time will understand when I say I can’t remember the last time I [...]

Marketing 101

Tweet Just got this email from a friend this morning.  Not much commentary necessary other than to say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Here’s the email: I don’t know if you got this loopnet blast but it is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Below are two different blasts that [...]

Not a Chance in Hell

Tweet Here is an email flyer I got yesterday.  These guys are trying to sell 30 acres of raw land for commercial development in Murrieta in a “C” location (on its best day).  Who is buying 30 acres for commercial development in Murrieta right now?  I don’t know anyone with that strategy in their business [...]

NNNEX should be Part of Your Online Plan

Tweet I just got the email below from NNNEX, a listing website I have always liked for its simplicity and ease of use.  It does one thing and does it well: a Craigslist of retail investment properties, if you will. The message is a very powerful one.  It is just too bad most people in [...]

Top 10 Phrases Not Heard from Developers Since 2007

Tweet I’ve put together a list of the top 10 phrases that I have not heard for quite some time from developers.  Please feel free to add any others you come up with in the comments. #10 "I’m a preferred developer for Rite Aid." #9  "We have excellent banking relationships, financing is not an issue." [...]

Comments on CoStar Article About Institutional Transactions

Tweet This morning, CoStar published an article entitled Institutional Investors Throwing Big Money Around Class A Quality Retail Property.  The article highlights several recent large transactions that have taken place and interviews guys from CBRE, Marcus & Millichap and Jones Lange LaSalle for opinions.  A few of the points/quotes caught my attention and I thought [...]

First Look: Microsoft Retail Store Grand Opening

Tweet So today I decided to go check out the grand opening of the Microsoft retail store at Simon’s Shops at Mission Viejo.  I must say the store is impressive but the design does remind me of another retail store but I just can’t quite put my finger on which store that might be…..  The [...]

CRE Takeaways From Bill Gross’ Investment Outlook

Tweet Bill Gross, PIMCO’s revered managing director, has just published his most recent investment outlook.  In it, he calls the end of the recent market rally and warns of a necessity to come to grips with the fact that a new normal is headed our way.  The closing sentences sum up his point nicely and [...]

Buyer Requirement Email Done Properly

Tweet Yesterday I wrote a post about a buyer requirement email that was so all encompassing it was essentially useless to the author.  This morning a new buyer requirement email landed in my inbox and, as luck would have it, the email was well targeted and gives me some good content for a follow-up post.  [...]

Buyer Requirement Email – What Not to Write

Tweet Below is the text of an email I received this morning from a broker seeking investment property submissions from the CRE community.  The only problem is that the stated requirement is a buyer’s dream wish list and it warrants nothing more than an immediate “delete.”  Here is the email: Please forward me available properties [...]

Fresh & Easy Display Ad Spotted in the Wild

Tweet This is just a quick follow-up post about Fresh & Easy.  I mentioned in my last post about Fresh & Easy that I had recently heard radio advertisements for F&E.  Well coincidentally, I spotted a Fresh & Easy skyscraper ad on the home page of 89.9 KCRW while looking up the name of a [...]

CREOBA Resorting to Shilling

Tweet This is getting out of control.  The highly credible (cough) Commercial REO Brokers Association (CREOBA) has resorted to shilling as a counter to the negative press they have been receiving.  If you read the comments to this post you can see the evidence for yourself. I wonder if these guys really thought that I [...]

Have CRE Prices Bottomed?

Tweet I just came across this article in which Mike Kirby, Director of Research at Green Street Advisors claims that CRE values may not drop any further than they already have. My head is spinning now.  I don’t know what to think anymore.  Its almost as if everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Maybe [...]