leasing, sustainability, occupancy costs

By Mel Schultz Tenant/Landlord leasing, occupancy costs, sustainability

5 Ways to Lower Your Occupancy Costs

We’re halfway through 2024, and it looks like multifamily, retail, and industrial properties are bouncing back from last year’s slump, while office vacancies continue to rise. If you’re looking for ways to cut your costs as your portfolio recovers, we have five ideas on how you can lower occupancy costs to improve portfolio performance. These tips are valuable not only for landlords; your tenants can use these tips to reduce their own costs and mitigate the need to look for another space once their leases are up.

1. Reconfigure Your Space to Lower Occupancy Costs

Hybrid work is driving changes in the configuration of office space. Private workspaces are going empty, while demand for collaborative spaces in offices has risen 40 percent since 2021. Over the last few years, tenants have been cutting space or reconfiguring their spaces to accommodate more coworking, teleconferencing, and flexible work.

As a landlord, you can capitalize on these trends by reconfiguring your existing spaces to make them appealing to tenants who are looking for more collaborative spaces or a reduced overall footprint. One large office suite could transform into two suites with flexible space. You may also consider investing in common area improvements that appeal to companies offering hybrid work, such as collaborative work areas and high-speed WiFi throughout your building.

2. Dig into Your Analytics

Your books can tell you a lot about the health of your portfolio. They can also help you find ways to cut your occupancy costs. Clarity Commercial can review your books with you to reveal your top costs, project future investments, and find opportunities to reduce current expenses.

3. Reduce Capital Expenses

In our review of your books, we may uncover ways to reduce capital expenses and cut future occupancy costs. Investments in many building improvements and upgrades can be converted from capital expenses to operating expenses once they are complete, turning them from investments into services you provide your tenants. An example of this would be installing solar panels on your building. You may be able to further reduce capital expenses by making early commitments on equipment orders and bundling smaller projects or recurring projects together.

4. Automate with Smart Technology

Smart technologies not only make it easier to manage your buildings, they reduce costs and can lead to increased tenant satisfaction. Your building engineering, HVAC, janitorial, security, landscaping, and access control can all benefit from smart technology improvements. These improvements help you cut your energy costs, more efficiently allocate your resources, and track occupancy levels.

5. Make Sustainability Improvements

Sustainability improvements are not only attractive to tenants, they help you reduce your operating costs and help you anticipate future regulations and mandates from your city, county, or state. Examples of sustainability improvements include switching to LED lighting, automating HVAC systems to improve efficiency, investing in solar power, implementing a recycling and composting program, and installing EV charging stations in your parking areas.

The CRE market is on the upswing in many areas, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Clarity Commercial can help you make sense of your books so you can uncover cost savings opportunities. Our CRE experts can help you make smart investments in the building improvements that will attract and retain tenants. For professional commercial real estate management support, contact Clarity Commercial today.

a building with a parking lot - Occupancy Costs

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

Sustainability Practices in Commercial Property Management

April 24, 2024

By Mel Schultz Commercial Properties, Commercial Property Management energy efficiency, sustainability, tenant retention

10 Sustainability Practices in Commercial Property Management

When you can save money managing your property, it’s a win. When you can save money and keep your tenants happy, it’s a win-win. And when you can also help the environment, it’s a no-brainer.

If you implement one or more of these sustainability practices for your commercial property portfolio, you can save money and the planet while improving tenant satisfaction. When tenants are satisfied, they are more likely to renew their leases. Plus, sustainability practices can be a big draw for environmentally minded new tenants.

1. Energy Efficiency Upgrades

Many commercial property owners start with energy efficiency upgrades when they implement sustainability practices. An energy-efficient upgrade can be as simple as gradually replacing your lighting with LED bulbs or installing programmable thermostats in your tenant suites. Or, you might choose to upgrade to a high-efficiency HVAC system or install Energy Star appliances.

Investments in more energy efficient fixtures can dramatically reduce your energy use and save you money on your utility bills. Depending on the credits and rebates available, you may be able to save on your tax bill, too. Plus, your community or state and federal government may have money available to offset the cost of installation. Clarity Commercial can help you decide which energy efficiency upgrades are the best choice for your property.

2. Water Conservation Fixtures

Your property’s water bill can be a major expense every month, especially if you have water-hungry tenants. Water-saving fixtures such as low-flow toilets, faucets, and irrigation systems can help you conserve water wherever possible. If water conservation is something you’re particularly passionate about, consider investing in a water recycling system that reuses water from your faucets and other fixtures to irrigate your landscaping.

3. Waste Reduction and Recycling

One easy way to improve sustainability at your properties to enroll in and encourage your tenants to participate in your community’s recycling and composting programs. Install recycling and composting bins in your facility to make it easy for tenants to recycle and compost whenever possible.

4. Sustainable Landscaping

Looking to save money on your landscaping bill? Swap that water-thirsty, high-maintenance lawn for native, drought-tolerant plants. Not only is a more natural landscape more attractive than a lawn (or worse yet, concrete), it can pull double duty capturing stormwater runoff. You can also incorporate outdoor common areas into your landscape design so your tenants can enjoy the garden.

5. Indoor Air Quality Improvements

Indoor air quality is vitally important to the health and productivity of your tenants and their employees. Improve the air quality at your property by choosing low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and other finishes when updating common areas or helping with tenant buildouts. Inspect and maintain your ventilation systems to ensure adequate fresh air and comfortable humidity levels.

6. Green Cleaning Practices

Green cleaning products can also improve your building’s indoor air quality. Ask your Commercial Property Management team to swap to green products or hire a vendor who embraces green cleaning practices.

7. Smart Building Technology

Smart building technology can help you save on electrical and HVAC costs. Occupancy sensors can automatically turn off the lights and turn down the heating and cooling when rooms are vacant. Automated HVAC systems can be programed to optimize energy use based on occupancy and patterns in usage, too.

8. Bike Racks, EV Charging & Transportation Incentives

Installing bike racks and EV charging stations at your property and offering transportation incentives are easy additions to your Sustainability Practices in Commercial Property Management. Bike commuting is on the rise, and people need secure places to park their bikes once they arrive at your building. EV charging stations could help your tenants make the switch to electric vehicles and possibly electric fleets. Transportation incentives can encourage tenants to carpool and use public transportation.

9. Renewable Energy

It is easier than ever to switch your buildings to renewable energy. It may be as simple as asking your utility company to put you on their renewable energy or solar energy plan. Or, you may want to invest in your own renewable energy systems. Solar energy systems, geothermal, and other renewable energy solutions can reduce your reliance on the grid and possibly make you money sending energy back to the grid. They can also lower your building’s carbon emissions.

10. Tenant Education & Engagement

Optimize the sustainability practices you implement with a tenant education and engagement program. Explain to your tenants why you’re making sustainable upgrades. Host a walkthrough your building to show off the new HVAC system or rooftop solar project. Run a contest to see which tenant can recycle or compost most of their waste. Provide feedback on the success of water and energy conservation efforts. The more you can engage your tenants with your sustainability practices, the more successful they will become.

Improving the sustainability at your buildings can save you money while attracting and retaining tenants and protecting the environment. Clarity Commercial is your partner for sustainability improvements. For Get in touch Contact Us today to learn how we can help you choose and implement the right improvements for your portfolio.

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Affiliations & Credentials: We are proud members of IREM, CCIM and MNCAR along with various professional organizations and hold relevant certifications in the real estate management field. Our affiliations and credentials demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to stay up-to-date with industry best practices.

August 14, 2022

By Mel Schultz Property Management energy costs, green buildings, sustainability

Your Commercial Building’s Sustainability Analysis

A sustainability analysis for your commercial building or property portfolio can help you identify areas of improvement in energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and energy costs. Clarity Commercial can perform this analysis for you and create a plan for making any recommended improvements. Here’s a look at what a sustainability analysis assesses and how you can use one to improve your properties.

Benefits of a Sustainability Analysis in Your Commercial Building

Nearly 40 percent of global carbon emissions are attributed to commercial buildings, and nearly half of all energy use in the United States is associated with buildings and construction. These figures include the energy and materials used to construct commercial buildings as well as their ongoing energy needs to maintain a comfortable and safe environment.

According to Deloitte, green buildings use up to 50 percent less energy than non-green buildings. They also use 40 percent less water and produce approximately 70 percent less solid waste. What’s more, green buildings dominate the market in some areas, making it more difficult for non-green buildings to compete, resulting in lower-than-average rent rates.

A sustainability analysis of your commercial building identifies your buildings’ environmental footprint and identifies areas where you can improve efficiency and performance to cut back on energy use and costs. These improvements not only help you save money and energy over time, they can help you attract and retain tenants who are environmentally conscious or require spaces with cleaner indoor air.

What We Look at in Our Sustainability Analysis

If you’re not building a new property from the ground up, it is possible to make sustainable improvements to your existing non-green building. A sustainability analysis from Clarity Commercial will review your property’s energy usage and sources, heating and cooling system, ventilation system, windows, landscaping, and other factors that contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of your property.

From there, we will make recommendations for improvements that you can incorporate into your budget projections for future projects. For example, you may know that your building is due for an HVAC update in the next five years. Our sustainability analysis may recommend that you consider energy-efficient upgrades for this project that will lower your energy costs over the next fifteen years. Or, we may recommend upgrading your building’s air ventilation system to improve indoor air quality and create a safer, more comfortable property.

Sustainability analysis is just one of the services we offer at Clarity Commercial. To learn more about our other property management services, contact the Clarity team today.

For more information or to request a free estimate, visit their website at https://myclaritycommercial.com/ or give us a call at (952) 370-224-2699.

Tag: sustainability