Rofo Blog

Racing Into the Sacramento Office Space, Retail and Warehouse Markets

Alan Bernier — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:32:38 +0000

The news doesn’t stop about the slowing commercial real estate market for 2009 and 2010. It’s a reality and we saw it coming a long time ago. Job growth slows and there’s less absorption. Consumer confidence wanes and retailers struggle.

KTVU News in the Bay Area recently reported on the latest numbers and the current struggle for retailers. We were very pleased to have Rofo included in this piece.

But despite the news and the numbers Rofo continues to reach out to new markets to provide entrepreneurs and small businesses the much needed tools to make informed real estate decisions. We’re excited about our recent expansion to include the Sacramento Office Space, Sacramento Retail Space, and Sacramento Warehouse Space markets.

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements and added services for local businesses and entrepreneurs on the move…

Presidio Office Space - The Real San Francisco Executive Suite

Alan Bernier — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:03:31 +0000

Had a great meeting today with the folks at the Presidio Trust. We appreciate their participation with Rofo. Leasing Presidio office space is unique in several ways. The setting is unique and one-of-a-kind. Not only are most of the buildings historic but the restoration of the spaces has been really well done. One of the newer spaces for lease is 1806 Belles Street. These are executive suites Presidio style. The building is located just inside the 15th Avenue gates. Extremely close to Park Presidio so easy to get to. Its also surrounded by hiking and running trails and the onsite shower doesn’t give you any reason not to get out there on your lunch break.

Jackson Square San Francisco Office Space and Retail Space Video Tour

Alan Bernier — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:06:04 +0000

Many thanks to Mike Gschwend for sharing an overview of the Jackson Square office space market. Personally, it’s one my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco and also one of the more competitive submarkets in San Francisco. The neighborhood has been a popular spot for creative firms and the hedge fund crowd. If the commercial real estate market does what everyone is predicting it will do next year (read get worse) then 2009 may be the year to find a decent value in Jackson Square.

Potrero Hill Office Space in San Francisco

Alan Bernier — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:58:39 +0000

Potrero Hill in San Francisco has been home to many great companies (both large and small) over the years. Companies have always found Potrero Hill as a great alternative for office space and industrial space in San Francisco. The neighborhood is defined by its diverse make up of buildings and commercial uses. It’s home to creative firms, tech companies, startups, and design firms. Companies are typically attracted to the look and feel of the neighborhood and spaces, the relatively cheaper rents and the proximity to transportation.

Our friend Jonathan Heaton generously contributed this neighborhood video describing the specifics of the Potrero Hill commercial real estate submarket.

Finding An Office Space Less Than 1,000 Square Feet

Alan Bernier — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:10:25 +0000

If you perform a search for small San Francisco Office Space (less than 1,000 sqft) on Rofo you’ll find many compelling options. These spaces tend to be short term, furnished and ready to go. All very important things for an entrepreneur in today’s environment. But remember not all square feet are created equal. Depending on the layout and actual usable square feet you’ll fit somewhere between 2 and 5 people in a 1,000 feet.

What’s Really Happening in the Bay Area Commercial Real Estate Market

Alan Bernier — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:08:36 +0000

I’m writing about the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market but you could probably insert any city name. I’m asked often these days, “What is really happening in the commercial real estate markets?” There’s certainly been a lot of news coverage on the macro level so I thought I’d offer up some specific anecdotes and try to piece it together with some conversations I had this week.

Institutional Landlord: “We do not anticipate signing any new leases through the end of the year.”

Top Broker: “Business is dead. We’re trying to renew deals that are 18 months out.”

REIT: “If you’re a sizable credit tenant we’d give you just about anything you ask for. And, if you’ve invested in our fund you’re probably not very happy with us.”

Tech Company: “We just cut our staff in half, froze capital spending and preserving cash.”

Broker: “I heard Myspace and Microsoft are both in the market for significant expansion space.”

Angel Investor: “Due diligence on investment deals is taking twice as long.”

Large Developer: “2009 looks a lot worse than 2008. And we’re flat lining now. It will be a great year to buy on the cheap.”

So what does this all mean? Well capitalized landlords and developers will take advantage of a down market in which tenants with credit and good visibility will dictate the leasing terms.

Inclusion at Alltop

Alan Bernier — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:31:51 +0000

The team over at Alltop has added our blog to their virtual magazine rack of real estate blogs

The site is a very good resource for easily finding the top content in many categories. I’m personally a fan of real estate and small business.

No Luck Finding A Cheap Rent?

Alan Bernier — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:09:04 +0000

Besides negotiating the rental rate for your new commercial space, there are other creative ways to minimize your overall financial commitment in your lease agreement. I recently had the opportunity to contribute an article to Gigaom highlighting 8 of them. It ranges from capping operating expenses to obtaining flexible subleasing rights. Naturally a lot of this depends on market conditions and available commercial real estate listings.

Rofo.com Search Results 2.0

Alan Bernier — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:23:28 +0000

This weekend we pushed an updated version of our search results functionality. Now you can simply plug in an address (might be your home or an existing office location) and find all commercial real estate listings within a defined radius. Most people have an idea where they want to locate their business. Radius search gets you to the available options even quicker than before.

Stay tuned for more website changes and improvements to come over the next few weeks

How to Short Circuit the Process of Leasing Space

Alan Bernier — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:31:17 +0000

For most entrepreneurs and business owners the process of finding a space for your business is an important, critical and THANKLESS task. We went through it recently as a company and it really is a distraction from focusing on your business. So, if you’re flying under-the-radar of real estate agents, how do you do it efficiently on your own? Speaking from experience my number one piece of advice is to plan well ahead and allow plenty of time. Commercial real estate in general is a slow moving business - you will not miss opportunities because of spaces being quickly snatched up.

We recently revamped our real estate advice section to help you out. We’re trying to arm you with enough information to get started and not overwhelm you with the detailed terminology that you may or may not encounter.

Our guide to common commercial leasing terms is a very good start. Always feel free to contact us if you have some sound advice of your own.