Customer Reviews

Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leases

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I negotiate retail and office leases as part of my law practice. This book is an excellent guide to the points that need to be considered when negotiating a lease. It will help attorneys as well as business people and brokers. The author does a good job in explaining, often in detail, the business reasons behind the different positions that the landlord and the tenant take. Understanding those reasons puts you in a much better position to create satisfactory compromises. Also, this book doesn't just address the major points - I was surprised to see how many subtle points the author addressed. Overall, an excellent book and a great value at this price.

Absolutely the best real estate book I have read. This is not a get rich quick scam. It disects commercial real estate transactions using a sequence similar to that of an actual sales contract. He points, step by step, to each part of the negotiation process from both the buyers and sellers point of view. Then he explores negotiating options that lead to mutually beneficial result. I have read and studied this book. It is absolutley invaluable to me, and I am not even in the commercial end of the business. I would think that any broker, realtor or principal who negotiates complex real estate transactions would benefit from this book. Why doesn't he write more? It's a shame.

I'll agree that this book is a little random, but I've made it through the whole thing over numerous train commutes and found it useful in discussing how certain specific lease provisions can translate into a variety of outcomes in the real world of LL/tenant relations.

I actually own comm. properties and do most of the lease drafting myself. I found this book quite useful in thinking about things that I might want to include in a lease that I hadn't thought about before. It was also useful in helping decide how to craft the initial version of each lease provision. And then from there, it was helpful in informing the decision process during lease negotiations when you have to decide what's worth giving ground on and what's not.

I would say, however, that if you are not actually in a position where you think you are going to need to be negotiating the terms of a commercial lease (either as LL or tenant), then I don't know how much good this book is really going to do you.

Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leases is a well crafted, superbly presented instructional guide for the business owner and a "must read" before signing a lease. Readers will learn the obvious and not-so-obvious differences between so-called "standard" landlord and tenant leases; the critical economic and legal issues implicated in lease clauses; which points are most easily negotiated under what situations and which points aren't worth the time spent negotiating; what alternative clauses and solutions can be offered to create a leasing deal that works for both the business tenant and the building landlord. Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leases will save the prospect business tenant a great deal of time, money, aggravation, and future real estate leasing-related disappointments.

The book reads more like a dry legal document than a helpful consumer friendly book written with checklists and perhaps a simulated negotiation indicating what to start out looking at first, must have's vs nice to have's in a lease (based on realistic market conditions), etc. The book is more appropriate for real estate agents than a small business owner about to sign a lease. Maybe its a 5 for a commercial real estate agent but a 2 for a prospective tenant

I am new for leasing commercial properties - but it definitely gave a foundation on the required check list and clauses I should look for. I am going to use this to crosscheck my attorney's final draft and to make sure the attorney did not miss anything important.

Would definitely recommend as a reference.

This book is very informative and well written. Mr. Zankel offers a number of excellent examples and some very well written and usefull clauses. I enjoyed his writing style and sense of humor. The only negative is that I was hoping for a more step-by-step plan that was offered. It is a fine book and should be in every leasing agents library.

Adam P. Von Romer, CCIM

Very good book. Helpful insight into the various issues surrounding commercial leases, and helps put together the pieces of the puzzle. It has been a real asset in the last two leases I have negotiated.

Negotiating Commercial Real Estate Leases is an informative guide for the business owner and full of important information regarding the ins and outs of leases. I would highly recommend this book, although it might not be as helpful to those who work outside the specific niche that the title suggests.

Steven Harry Vornea

My experience is on the tenant side of the commercial leasing process. This book provided great insight into how the LL sees various lease issues. It also talks to items like insurance and idemnity, attornment, and the other finer points of a lease which are full of legalese. I've seen many small businesses loose out big on these since they are purely focused on the rent amount.

I wouldn't recommend this for a first timer, but if you have a solid understanding of the basic financial components (min, NNN, TI), then it will be worth the read. I couldn't imagine what it would cost to discuss each one of these things with a live lawyer, so the book is a good investment if you get deep in the lease process.