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Real Estate

"Real estate development is one of the hardest things for a franchise," says Philip Schram, chief development officer and chair of Buffalo Wings & Rings.
  • Sara Wykes
  • 1,120
Multi-Unit Franchising Conference session outlines how franchisees can deal with landlords to get better deals when negotiating a lease.
  • Multi-Unit Franchisee
  • 4,453
Politics, federal law, and franchisee assets. There are several significant steps that can be taken to help reduce estate taxes.
  • By Hugh Roberts
  • 26,199
Are your real estate commission dollars working as hard as you are? You can put your commission dollars to work by aligning your interests with those of your real estate broker. Take control of the commission process and base compensation on results.
  • By Randy Airst and Susan Airst
  • 29,349
How financing and site selection strategies play a significant role in multi-unit franchisee expansion.
  • By John T. Hewitt
  • 14,257
Now is a great time to consider selling your franchise restaurant. Here are three steps that will help you get the most out of the deal.
  • By Kevin Burke
  • 9,710
Corporations are holding record levels of cash, interest rates are low and the housing market is rebounding.
  • Multi-Unit Franchisee
  • 8,071
After 34 years of negotiating leases for 150 hair salons in California and the New York Metro area, Gary Grace appreciates the advantages of being part of a franchise system with a well-known name.
  • By Helen Bond
  • 9,622
Hopefully, you are adopting a standardized real estate process that encompasses a clearly defined all-in-one strategy for site selection, lease negotiation, and legal review.
  • By Scott Simcik
  • 1,534
Hopefully, you are adopting a standardized real estate process that encompasses a clearly defined all-in-one strategy for site selection, lease negotiation, and legal review.
  • By Scott Simcik
  • 1,628
Hopefully, you are adopting a standardized real estate process that encompasses a clearly defined all-in-one strategy for site selection, lease negotiation, and legal review.
  • By Scott Simcik
  • 1,749
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Hopefully, you are adopting a standardized real estate process that encompasses a clearly defined all-in-one strategy for site selection, lease negotiation, and legal review.
  • By Scott Simcik
  • 5,990
Franchising can be a tough business. Franchise growth and expansion can be even tougher. More and more brands - and franchisees - are fighting for space and market share today and certain markets are saturated with operators.
  • By Kerry Pipes
  • 8,462
When Greg Thomas decides whether to fix or ditch a financially troubled store, he typically thinks big
  • By Helen Bond
  • 11,104
One of my greatest concerns is agents who are supposedly working for the tenant while accepting a commission from the landlord. I have hesitated writing this article for months lest it be considered an attack on real estate salespeople or agents. Nothing could be further from the truth. If it weren't for real estate agents and brokers, landlords would have half-empty buildings. My purpose here is to enlighten franchise tenants, open some eyes, and let you decide for yourself about this important issue.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 3,806
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and its international affiliate, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), are currently reviewing proposed new lease accounting rules that, if approved, will significantly affect the retail and restaurant industries.
  • By Dwayne Shackelford
  • 9,212
Restaurant franchisees gathered in New York last month for the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show. The event typically attracts restaurant owners and partners (34% of attendees last year were from the restaurant industry and 40% of these individuals were managers and key decision makers) who come to bone up on the latest strategies, techniques, and technology. There's always plenty to see and do at the event.
  • By Rick Lauber
  • 4,674
Measure twice so you only pay once. I have found that some landlords are over-charging multi-unit franchisees for more square footage than the actual available space. Are you paying too much? Unfortunately, incorrect square footage figures are a common oversight in commercial leasing. Multi-unit franchisee tenants often trust the reported square footage of their leased premises. However, the amount of reported square footage can easily be wrong--whether this figure was accidently reported by the landlord or reported by a property owner who has never even seen the site. The result is that multi-unit franchisee tenants could be needlessly paying an increased rent.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 5,100
Among the many costs associated with running a successful franchise are staff wages, marketing campaigns, and product costs (with regard to ordering and maintaining an inventory). One of the biggest expenses, without question, has to be your commercial rent. Higher income from rent-paying tenants, like you, will make a landlord happier. However, this remains as money out of your pocket. By decreasing your monthly rent, your profits will increase. Doing this is not impossible. Know that the amount of rent that you agreed to pay at the beginning of your lease term is not necessarily the amount of rent you will pay on your renewal. I have been quite successful in negotiating midterm rent breaks and lease renewal rent reductions for many clients - both independent business owners and franchisees.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 21,277
A great franchise in a poor location will become a poor business. When it comes to site selection, one difference between an independent tenant and a franchisee is that, presumably, the franchisee will be getting real estate help and support from the franchisor.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 63,042
Should a franchisor sign the head lease and sublease the space to a franchisee or allow the franchisee to enter into his or her own lease agreement with the landlord? Both options are viable, but which is more practical and better for you?
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 7,457
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As a franchisee, you may have found it quite easy to secure a lease with a commercial landlord; however, you may face many roadblocks if, or when, you need to terminate your lease prior to the end of the term.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 10,914
Often when I speak at franchise shows and conventions a tenant will ask me, "What is the best lease length?" The term, or length, of your commercial lease is an important part of your franchise business plan and ensuing lease negotiations. However, most franchise tenants do not take enough time to consider that one day they will eventually want to sell the franchise. Alternatively, they may want to expand/downsize, relocate, or close and so do not give the term of the lease the attention and consideration it truly deserves.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 9,643
Whether you purchase or lease commercial space is one question. Whether you can find good commercial space to purchase is another matter unto itself. Although commercial property purchasing options exist across the country, they are less abundant than leasing opportunities. It is my opinion that, the better the location you need for your own business, the less likely you will be able to find a suitable space for purchase.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 34,921
As a franchisee, you may have found it quite easy to secure a lease with a commercial landlord; however, you may face many roadblocks if, or when, you need to terminate your lease.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 33,079
As "The Lease Coach," I am a magnet for leasing questions. In fact, I receive hundreds of questions from independent and franchisee tenants each year; I am approached after my seminars, e-mailed, and called. One telephone call that I received was from a woman who had recently purchased a franchise. She started by telling me that her franchisor had offered to do her site selection and real estate work for an extra $3,500. Not knowing much about commercial real estate, she had thought that was a great deal and had accepted the franchisor's proposal for help. According to the franchisee, she was to meet and spend the day with a local real estate agent looking at sites, which she did.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 2,624
Whenever I speak at a franchise convention, I inevitably meet many struggling franchisees leasing commercial or retail space. These tenants desperately need a rent reduction ... right now. The recession is taking its toll on all industries including franchising; sales are down, business expenses are rising, and the high cost of leasing space is closing in on tenants. Your monthly rental payment to the landlord can be one of your biggest monthly expenses. Therefore, reducing this monthly lease payment is imperative for businesses like yours to stay viable.
  • By Dale Willerton
  • 7,338
We all know to expect death and taxes, but tenants can add one more thing to that list: lease renewals. A lease begins to expire the day it's signed. Yet, how often have you found yourself scrambling to negotiate a renewal in the last couple of months or weeks before the last day? If you're waiting until the last minute to make the critical decision about renewing, and on what terms, you're clearly not dealing from a position of strength.
  • By: Jeremy Behar
  • 3,721
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