War Stories on Showing Space

Whether it’s the dog days of summer, the dead of winter or dangers of vacant buildings, commercial real estate agents have seen it all when trying to show space.  Our agents go the extra mile to complete a transaction and work with their clients in all situations.  Here are a few of their stories: 

     “The worst experience I had was showing a vacant restaurant.  The Landlord had turned off the electricity.  The previous tenant had left food in the freezer and refrigerator.  The stench was unbelievable, not to mention the maggots.  Needless to say, I did not lease the building that day."  Mary Katherine Greenlaw, office sales and leasing specialist in Thalhimer’s Fredericksburg office.

     “During a winter tour, we walked in one office building and it was sleeting outside (with 2 inches of snow/ice in the parking lots), then it was snowing when we came out, then it was sleeting again, then snowing again….trudging through the snow and ice and getting soaking wet in 20 degree weather.  I really thought the client would cancel that day but I was wrong.  We saw at least 6 locations that day, and then I had to defrost my feet afterwards.  All in a days work though.

Non-weather related, but in preparation for a downtown office building tour, I arrived early to cut on the lights prior to the appointment and upon exiting the elevator, which opened to the entire floor suite, I caught a glimpse of a pair of legs in the other room sitting in a chair (furniture left over from previous tenant).  This floor should have been vacant, but it wasn’t.  There was a homeless person camping out.  I tried to back up and stop the elevator from closing but the doors closed on me and there I was, alone, and thinking of my next move.  It turned out well, thankfully, but we all need to be sensitive when it comes to safety on the job.  We meet people for the first time everyday, we go into vacant buildings alone, and we all think that’s just a part of the job.”  Teresa Nettles, office sales and leasing specialist in Thalhimer’s Newport News office.

In conjunction with the following article "Brokers usually love a hot market but not this summer", Newswanger, Philip. Inside Business, August 23, 2010.