Industry Articles

Starting a business is an exciting time that requires immense planning and preparation. Among the several tasks on your to-do list, insurance should be one of the top items to square away. But, many business owners wonder why it’s so important and which ones they need. The answer is a bit ...

The pandemic saw a startling trend titled “The Great Resignation” where companies saw a high number of employees leaving their jobs voluntarily. The trend hasn’t slowed into 2022 with a record of Read More

I am very pleased to present to our investors the latest commercial real estate market intelligence from three of our leasing brokers. I hope that you find this timely and insightful. The information below has been prepared exclusively for the Kenwood investor community and provides more ...

A 35-year-old man with 10 years of commercial real estate experience was sitting in an advanced financial modeling class while working on his Master of Real Estate degree at Johns Hopkins University. He had just listened to the professor explain how real estate models and valuations worked, what ...

If you’re getting ready to move into a commercial property, you’re probably doing a lot of research to find out what is right for your business. One of the primary factors to consider when searching for a space is the lease agreement type. The two most common lease types are the gross lease and ...

When Bruce Springsteen was asked about the meaning behind his hit song “Thunder Road,” he described it as an invitation—an invitation to his audience to join him on a journey. Where that journey would lead was undetermined. We now know it led to 20 Grammy awards, two Golden Globes, and induction ...

For many business owners, work-life balance is practically non-existent. After all, you turned your passion into a business, which is no simple task. But when your work and personal life blend too much, something important is bound to take a back seat, whether it’s spending quality time with ...

What would you do if you made an investment that lost $11,000,000,000? Yes—not a typo. BILLION. Or how would you respond after pursuing a new tenant only to learn they decided to lease from your competitor? Or how would you determine why your offer to purchase an investment property wasn’t ...

You are leasing space in a commercial building alongside various other businesses. The property is beautifully maintained. The exterior is clean. The landscaping is neat. The building is filled with businesses that get along. Any broken fixtures are repaired quickly. All of this is thanks to the ...

Warren Buffett refers to these five words as the most dangerous for any entrepreneur or investor. Yet investors continue to ignore market fundamentals, deny their own logic, reluctantly investigate contrary ideas, focus on what others are investing in, and only listen to perspectives that ...

Think back to experiences you’ve had as a customer. How did that experience make you feel? There’s something to learn from both the positive and negative ones when trying to craft and improve your own customer experience (CX) for your business. Let’s walk through what CX is and the challenges ...

If you are looking for a commercial space to rent for your small business and struggling with where to look and what to look for, you’re not alone. Finding the perfect space is critical for the health of your small business — it is a big decision as well as financial investment. 

Most people know that social media is a powerful tool. It’s a quick, inexpensive way to reach a large audience. However, starting and maintaining your brand’s social media presence can seem overwhelming and it may often get moved to the back burner. Even so, social media is not something to be ...

Many business leaders and executives hate to admit this. By acknowledging it, they fear they will lose credibility, respect, and stature. Their staff have become reliant on their wisdom, instincts and skills that heretofore produced effective results. Many executives believe they need to ...

One of our goals as real estate investment operators is to provide our investors with timely and insightful market intelligence. In this month’s article, we’ve asked two leasing and one investment sales brokers to prepare a market summary in their specific area of expertise and market coverage. ...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And, the most chaotic for many. With the stress of wrapping up end-of-year projects and making plans for next year, it’s more important than ever for business owners and their employees to manage their health through the holiday season. We’ve compiled ...

In the past few years, podcasts have been ever-growing in popularity. It seems like almost everyone has a podcast these days, but how do you know which ones to give ear to? We’ve compiled a shortlist to help you wade through the endless options. It’s always a good idea to be forward-thinking in ...

People are coming back to the office in droves. After a long break from the workplace, most businesses are beginning to bring their teams back to the in-person environment. With that being said, it’s time to dust off the offices and prepare them for the new workspace. With 2021 coming to a close ...

Referrals are an important part of business no matter what industry you’re in. A satisfied customer may refer you to someone without asking, but that’s not always the case. In the final episode of Tenant Talk, Kenwood Management Principal Bill Singer and Illumine8 ...

No business can get off the ground and grow to new heights without proper plans set in place. In episode 4 of Tenant Talk, Kenwood Management Principal Bill Singer and Illumine8 CEO and Founder Christina May discussed some of the plans all small businesses need and how to put them into action. ...

Kenwood Management Company services nearly 200 tenants and over 1000 people in our commercial real estate portfolio every day.  From medical to financial services to tech companies, they all have specific needs and expectations.  Inevitably, something occurs that impacts them, and they ...

As a business owner, you may be well versed in many aspects of growing and operating a small business. You probably even gained some unique insights along the way. However, try as you might, you can’t be an expert at everything. This becomes especially evident when your small business begins to ...

Good office design is paramount to creating a workspace that inspires creativity and increases productivity. When is the last time your office has been refreshed? Does it draw in your employees, clients, and visitors to your space? If your answer cannot be a definitive “yes!”, then it’s time to ...

Growing and operating a small business means juggling numerous moving parts. At some point, your business may grow large enough that you can no longer operate out of your house. If you choose to lease a space, whether it’s a storefront or an office, you’ll be establishing a relationship with a ...

Leasing your first commercial space is a big undertaking and requires careful thought and planning. There’s a lot to consider: how much space will you need? Will you look for fully furnished or outfit it yourself? What amenities are most important to you and your team? These are all great ...

Last month I saw Bruce Springsteen performing his Broadway show (Covid vaccine card and masks required). At one point during the performance, Bruce recalls what life was like at 19 years of age. We all know that age is a time of transition. It is when we either begin our college years or embark ...

Although remote work offers some advantages to employees, there are many benefits to returning to the office. For example, collaboration is more straightforward, technical issues aren’t as big of a worry, and being together in the same building inspires a stronger sense of teamwork and company ...

It seems every week we’re presented with a new piece of business technology that’s designed to be the latest and greatest and dramatically improve our lives. With technology being a $5 trillion industry, we’re constantly inundated with updates and innovations. It can certainly be difficult to ...

Exclusive content for Kenwood Investors. 

Since it’s mid-year 2021, we wanted to provide you with some different perspectives about the various leasing markets where our properties are located and how these markets are performing now compared with pre-COVID-19.

For any first-time small business owner, signing a commercial lease is a crucial decision that deserves a considerable amount of careful thought, in-depth research, and advice from someone — such as a lawyer — that understands the ins and outs of commercial leases.

As we all take a deep breath from 2020 and enjoy all that summer has to offer in 2021, it is time to unwind and think about simpler things. The days are longer, the weather warmer, and the air is filled with the smells of the ocean and barbecues, and the sounds of outdoor activities. For this ...

Vacations, sunshine, bug spray, sunscreen, longer days, blooming flowers. There are dozens of staples and traditions that remind us of summertime. For many business owners, summer marks the season for reflection and recharge. It’s a time that we dedicate to assessing the first half of the year ...

Investors frequently ask us what metric is the best to analyze and valuate a real estate opportunity. At Kenwood, we utilize multiple models to underwrite each acquisition. However, we find that, compared to other models, the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) captures more comprehensively the scope ...

As a tenant you have most likely discovered that common area maintenance expenses (CAM) are often one component of your total monthly rent. However, many tenants simply pay the amounts billed on their monthly statement without fully understanding what is included and how it is calculated.

For the 2021-2022 season in the NBA, only 10% of players were traded to another team. Meanwhile, at least 30% of your employees are actively job searching right ...

The day has come. Your home office has finally become too cramped. You’ve crammed two new employees into your house and your garage is swollen with product inventory.

Sports are not unlike business. In fact, sports metaphors can be seen throughout the business world from the “game plan” to the “home run” to the “slam dunk.” Even if you’re not a fan, you can’t deny the influence of organized competitive sports.

Here at Kenwood Management, we strive to build a strong community for all of our tenants. When you lease from us, we go beyond just providing the space. Our goal is to expand the typical tenant-landlord relationship. We endeavor to enhance our tenant’s businesses as well as the neighborhoods and ...

Kenwood recently completed its second property sale in its 24-year history. As part of the normal sale process and the due diligence performed by the buyer, we were required to provide an estoppel certificate for each tenant to execute.

I was recently talking with a few potential investors about three different investment properties. In each situation, the first question they asked me was, “What was the cap rate?” Although many may think this is a natural question when evaluating a real estate investment, it made me wonder if ...

We've all got a TBR (to be read) pile, but what about a TBRA (to be read AGAIN) pile? Here at Kenwood Management, there’s a copy of Bob Burg’s book Go-Giver on all of our bookshelves, and we end up reading it again... and again.

If you are similar to many investors, you recognize the long-term value of real estate, and you want to diversify your portfolio, but you don’t want to be a landlord. The idea of collecting rents, paying the bills, and responding to tenant calls isn’t very appealing. This is completely ...

Just in time for the end of the year, Kenwood Management Company hosted a webinar on the 2020 Employment Law Updates that business owners need to know. Hosted by Meredith S. Campbell, Esq. of Shulman Rogers, the webinar was offered as an exclusive benefit to business leaders in the Kenwood ...

Recently, a business owner I was talking to asked me about the benefits of investing in real estate as a way to diversify her portfolio. After explaining some of the fundamental advantages of real estate over stocks and bonds, I wanted to expand the conversation. We discussed the pros and cons ...

Adversity is a healthy part of life and business, and something that should be welcomed with a warm embrace. To truly thrive through your adversities, it is important to start by assessing yourself and your business environment. When done with brutal honesty, ...

I was recently talking with a business owner who had a stock and bond portfolio. She also owned the building where her company was headquartered and recognized the inherent long-term value of real estate and its stability as investment, but really didn’t know where to start. If she pursued a ...

Culture isn’t just a buzzword. Culture attracts ideal candidates to your organization. Culture retains your top talent. Culture creates a frictionless energy that propels your company forward towards its mission and vision.

Investing in real estate can be a scary and uncertain process for many people. There are so many considerations to evaluate and many questions that need to be understood and answered. Although those issues may appear daunting, there are significant advantages in adding real estate to one’s ...

The four phases of the business cycle — expansion, peak, contraction (recession), and trough — are only one way to look at the evolution of a business. Contraction and recession are often positioned as something that we endure, but these shifts are inherent to growing a business even if they do ...

The Kenwood Community philosophy is based on the fundamental concept that by expanding the Landlord-Tenant relationship beyond its typically known role (Landlord provides space and Tenant pays rent), we can enhance our tenant’s businesses as well as the neighborhoods and communities around our ...

Kenwood Management Company has launched a monthly lunch-and-learn webinar series that offers tips, insights, and helpful content focused on a variety of pertinent topics. Lunch-and-learn webinars have included human resources in the age of the coronavirus, and ...

Most investors want a high rate of return along with a low level of risk. Stocks (Equities), mutual funds, and real estate are investment vehicles that investors often consider. These options can provide positive long-term returns. However, investing in commercial real estate provides an ...

“Marty, we’re going back to the future.” I don’t think that when Doc Brown made that memorable and iconic statement in the 1985 movie Back to the Future, the writers could have predicted the coronavirus pandemic 35 years hence. Those words will define some aspects of how businesses will utilize ...

Uncertainty in the economy reminds all investors of the importance of diversifying their investment portfolio. It also represents a time to remember that the landlord-tenant relationship isn’t one-sided. It is a dynamic one where both parties need to work together so that everyone wins. This ...

When the day finally arrives and you are ready to sign a lease agreement with your landlord, you feel excited to begin a new chapter for your business. Negotiations went well, you are comfortable with the lease terms, and you are ready to celebrate in your new space. You know your employees will ...

Kenwood's main priority during this unique and challenging time is to support our tenants, local businesses, and the community. We understand the difficult nature of today's economical climate. To help your organization find solutions, our team compiled a list of federal, state, and local ...

Kenwood Management understands that this is an incredibly challenging time for our tenants. Just know that we are here for you and are working hard to provide solutions. We value the Kenwood Community immensely, which is why we will continue to invest in your health, safety, and success.

I am often asked by our real estate investors one of the following questions: 

• How do we determine what properties to invest in? 
• What is our acquisition vetting process like? 
• What are the analytics we use in coming to a “yes” decision?
...
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Prospective Tenants often question the reason that a Landlord wants to review their financial situation when they are considering leasing space. Prospective Tenants sometimes feel offended and don’t fully understand the connection between a) their financial ...

When prospective commercial Tenants are looking to lease space, there are many questions to answer and unknowns to contemplate. How much space is needed? How many offices, workstations, and conference rooms are desirable? What is the monthly rent?  When will it be ready and how long will ...

As a business owner, you know when you’ve outgrown your current office space. You have employees tripled up in a single office, interns working in the hallway, and an outdated color scheme or layout that is inefficient.

Tenant and property owner relations can be a bit tricky at times. There are so many aspects of a lease for both parties to acknowledge and understanding your ...

Your business is growing. That tentative, short-term lease you signed might have been ideal when you were trying to get your business off the ground, but now it’s time to look at a commercial property that further meets your needs as your business blooms.

Understanding the mechanics of commercial leases is very important to managing business risks. You always need to read the fine print, understand what you’re committing to, and plan your exit strategy well in advance.

A multi-tenant property, by definition, has more than one tenant. Lease terms are generally shorter than those found in a single tenant leased property and can typically range from 3–10 years. A multi-tenant property also has a number of benefits from an ownership/investor perspective, in ...

Certain criteria must be analyzed to effectively assess the value, potential risks, and rewards of different real estate investment opportunities. Simply utilizing the old adage “location, location, location” is often too simplistic in evaluating income-producing real estate, and strictly ...

Single Tenant Properties may look like an attractive investment, but is that really the case?

A single tenant property, by definition, is leased to one tenant for some time period. The lease term could be relatively short (5 years or less) or long (10 or more years). The perception ...