We’re not commercial realtors, but our clients come to us to help “sell” to prospective tenants. As a property manager, you can probably relate. Sales are an ongoing part of your job, from securing new contracts to retaining the lessees you currently have.
At U.S. Lawns, we use landscaping to attract commercial tenants. Actually, it’s one of the few variables you can control. That all-important location is something you’re stuck with, good or bad. But changing the appearance of your grounds is easy. And since 1986, we’ve been helping some of the nation’s most successful companies leverage their “curb appeal” to drive their sales.
Here are a few hints from the grounds care experts at U.S. Lawns, to help you make your grounds an attractive asset to prospective tenants.
• Create an experience. When businesses look for a space, they’ve probably got a certain experience in mind. After all, they’re looking to create an environment that will appeal to their customers, too. Even if a location offers all the right amenities, you may not close the deal if it fails to really draw people in. Of course, every business is looking for something different, especially depending on what industry they’re in. But taking that extra time to make a property neat, a lawn glowing and healthy, adding the right flowers and plants—anything that adds beauty and ambience will go a long way in “selling” your building, facility or space. Consult with your owner, and with a landscape expert like a U.S. Lawns. Determine the feeling you want to create, and then let your grounds experts cultivate it. It may sound like a little thing, but it’s what will ultimately set your property apart.
• Be consistent. Once you’ve created your experience—or physical brand—keep it consistent across all your locations. This is particularly important if you’re managing a corporate chain of any kind, be it a restaurant group or a collection of retail stores. Every time you add a location, it needs to be some place the consumer feels at home. Even if you’re trying to attract different kinds of businesses, consistency is still important. You’re building a reputation, and companies need to know they’ll get the same experience anytime they rent from you. Quality cannot be compromised. When it comes to your grounds, we suggest working with a company that can replicate the same level of work across all your locations. With U.S. Lawns, you’ll get a dedicated Account Manager for your entire portfolio, to make sure this happens.
• Keep it safe. A business’s biggest nightmare is property liability. And it’s your job to make sure your tenants never have to worry. Your grounds can be a major safety hazard, if not properly maintained. It’s crucial to hire a landscaper who knows what the issues are and how to avoid them. At U.S. Lawns, we work only with commercial real estate, and we’ve been doing so since 1986. We have extensive safety checklists, which our crews can review with you personally at the beginning of every job. Our owners train their crews with an OSHA approved safety program, and we make safety a number one priority on the job site, too. Plus, if you’ve got property in a cold weather climate, we take extra precautions during snow and ice season to reduce your liability and prevent accidents before they occur.
Your landscape is a direct expression of your brand—your company, its values, and the kind of tenants you want to attract. It’s also a great opportunity to embellish your property, increase its value, and create a beautiful environment for people to work in. We believe that commercial landscaping is its own art, and we’ve spent 38 years helping businesses make their properties more aesthetic and marketable. Need a little help selling your property? Try giving us a call.