Business Analysis Tools






by Ramesh Tebstone


MAKING INFORMED RENT DECISIONS

Financial Analysis is defined as the set of basics, procedures and tools that help organize and understand financial data. Making informed real residence decision requires utilizing economic models designed to improve the products the lease or service decision. More than simply software program, this analysis is your handmade jewelry of formal training in finance combined with years of experience in the commercial real estate marketplace.

EVALUATING LEASES

Choosing one to renew a lease or relocate your office facilities requires thorough financial analysis of the anticipated lease costs inside marketplace. This requires the technical ability to analyze the cost linked to various facility decisions. To assist in the decision making process it's prudent to compare "Occupancy Costs" of assorted alternatives in an "apples to apples" format. This approach is fundamental because what often is definetly the most economical deal at first glance in reality may not become the best alternative after evaluating all economic different parts of the proposed transaction.

Although the concept of leasing office space is simple, commercial leases have an increasingly complex financial structure. Sow how does a tenant go about determining the truth cost of such a lease? A typical workplace lease may include the following:

Bottom part Rental Payments (permanent or escalated) Additional rent provisions for boosts in operating expenses Shelves or ceilings on doing work expense escalations Periods of abated or reduced rent Contributions (loans) by the landlord for leasehold progress, architectural fees, IT cabling, moving expenses, leasing sales and existing lease responsibilities Parking charges Various options (renewal, expansion, contraction together with cancellation) Electro-mechanical Capacity (watts per square foot) and H. V. A. J. charges Add on Factors (Rentable compared to. Usable Square Feet) Costs to comply with government regulations (ADA) Charges for Construction Management Interest fees for above standard leasehold progress

COMPARING OCCUPANCY COSTS

Once occupancy costs with various lease alternatives are identified and the underlying economics of your proposed lease transaction are generally understood, the projection with the total occupancy costs above the term of the lease and on an annual basis is estimated. These projected annual cash flows are subjected to discounted cash flow test (net current value) at the proper discount rate (expense of capital) to account for the time value associated with money. The results will be the Net Present Value or "the price of the deal". To clarify for comparison purposes, I express the discounted present value with the lease as a level rate per square foot which enables the tenant to measure the financial structure in the lease proposals on a great "apples to apples" basis. The impact of income taxes can be accounted for by discounting cash flows for a price reflective of the tenant's when tax cost of credit card debt.

When looking at alternatives, occupancy cost levels both absolute and present cost basis are analyzed with regard to rentable and usable square feet to are the reason for differences in common spot factors and space efficiency. The result is your "effective occupancy cost per square foot" which provides a meaningful comparison of various lease proposals.

Now, technology provides us while using the software to easily put into action the financial analysis with lease transactions. Popular software programs include LseMod and ProCalc. Nevertheless, it is important to understand the principles of the following analysis and how several cash flows impact the complete cost particularly when it comes to the art of mediation.

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS BEING A NEGOTIATION TOOL

Effective negotiations need a thorough understanding of the underlying economics with the transaction. I believe great deals are not only found but also negotiated. My financial skill enables me to measure the impact of various economic components on the worth of the lease and also to quantify the landlord's successful rental rate. In essence, the landlord's effective rental rate could be the net profit level in the lease before the building's debt payments expressed on the square foot basis. By viewing the lease from the landlord's perspective it is not hard to benchmark the landlord's planned return and measure the impact of assorted changes in financial components of the lease on the landlord's bottom line. While comparing rental premiums and negotiated concessions to other transactions available is an excellent guage of achievable terms your landlord's effective rate is the location where the rubber meets the route. No two lease transactions even with identical rental rates yield the same return to the landlord. My objective is composition a "win - win" transaction without the need of leaving any money relating to the negotiation table. Evaluating the landlord's effective rate during negotiations is a key tool in determining the landlord's bottom line.




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