No two deals are the same. They also seem to be getting more and more complicated and taking longer and longer to close. But that’s not always the case. I recently leased a 9,200 sf warehouse in Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida. We moved from initial contact to close in less than a week. The decision maker on the tenant side was in England. The landlord was out of Chicago with offices in Boca Raton, and I represented the tenant out of Fort Lauderdale and wrapped up the deal from an AirBNB in Colorado.
I’m realizing that it may be worthwhile to take more vacations! That is the blessing and the curse of technology. I am thankful that I can be connected 24/7 in any state in the country or in any corner of the world. I can still go off the grid by choice. But it’s amazing that through a small device in the palm of my hand, I can be driving though the mountains of Colorado discussing final deal points with both the landlord and the tenant. Via WhatsApp, my client in England sounds like he’s right next door. I can also merge calls or share the spectacular background scenery over WhatsApp, Zoom or Google Meet. I can send a letter of intent to the UK from my rental car via DocuSign and get it countersigned in Boca Raton. Luckily, I am traveling with my wife who can navigate the apps while I navigate the mountainous terrain.
On the other extreme, another client will be opening a new showroom over three years after initial contact. We also still have a couple of months of construction ahead of us. We initially targeted space in Miami’s Wynwood before deciding that a Palm Beach location was more appropriate for their upscale clientele. This was another client from across the pond opening their first US location.
Imperial Plaza in West Palm Beach – New US HQ for SWD Bespoke from UK
It’s a rare treat when the stars align and I can close a deal in a matter of days. But whether a deal takes 3 days or 3 years, my focus is providing the best service to the client and becoming an essential member of their team. Communication is key and I remain connected as much as possible. That is my commitment to my clients.
We all need to take time off to recharge the batteries, but commercial real estate is a 24/7/365 business and that’s ok with me. Wrapping up a deal while driving to our AirBNB in Colorado more than covered the cost of next year’s cruise to Norway. I will certainly be off the grid while hiking the fjords. But if I need to put in a little time to take care of a client while enjoying a beverage on deck in the midnight sun, that’s ok with me. It just may give me a jump start on my vacation plans for 2026.
Working on the midnight sun for 2025. This was a Mediterranean sunset from 2023.
