Creating the Perfect Tenant Mix in Your Neighborhood Shopping Center

If you own or invest in retail space, it’s essential to understand the strategies behind creating the ideal tenant mix. After all, the success of your shopping center depends on your ability as a landlord to understand the demographics and needs of your market and then to attract tenants to serve those needs.

That said focusing on customer needs exclusively could be a recipe for disaster. You must pay attention to and balance the needs of your tenants as well--with the ultimate goal being to create synergy between retailers that results in higher sales together than individual stores could achieve on their own.

Strive to attract tenants in different industries—a grocery store, dry cleaner, pizza shop, and bank, for example—and remember that a good tenant mix also involves leasing to a mix of national, regional and local tenants. Make sure the tenants are compatible with one another, and decide in advance the square footage you will allot to each merchandise category. Give consideration to product pricing as well; higher-priced and discount merchandise each appeal to different segments of the buying public. The merchandise offered should be at a price point that appeals to local buyers.

“Landlords should always protect the interest of the tenant and help them to be more successful,” Mizrahi said. The more successful the tenants, the more successful the shopping center.

And that’s good for everyone—tenants, customers and landlord. Interested in learning more about how to create the perfect tenant mix in your neighborhood shopping center? Call our CENTURY 21® Office today.

Backyard and Pool checklist to keep kids safe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14 and the leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. Take these important steps to make your backyard pool safer to prevent an accident.

1. Install a fence with a safety lock around your pool.
2. Use door, gate, and pool alarms to alert you if someone enters the pool area.
3. Teach your children to swim or enroll them in a swim program.
4. Invest in an automatic, power safety cover. This is an impenetrable cover that is operated by a key or controlled electronic monitor will completely cover the pool.
5. Equip your pool with a retrofit anti-entrapment safety drain cover.
6. Invest in self-closing/self-latching devices for doors and latching devices for windows that lead to the pool area. This keeps all doors and windows leading to the pool or spa area securely closed.
7. Establish pool rules, such as no running or diving and enforce them.
8. Always have an alert adult supervise swimming.
9. Supply coast guard approved life jackets for kids to wear.
10. Learn CPR.

Why you should plan multiple visits to a home before buying.

For most of us, a home is usually the largest single investment of a lifetime. Such a large purchase warrants multiple visits before making a purchase and it is recommended that you stagger the times of these visits to get a comprehensive experience of the property. Here are some things to pay attention to when viewing a property.

1. Wall-to-wall windows coupled with an open floor plan may seem picturesque midday. Schedule a visit at sunset to get an idea of how light floods through the home and think about how you would ensure privacy at night. It still may be an ideal choice but it is wise to get a realistic view and calculate the cost of window treatments.
2. Visit or drive by a prospective home at different times of the day. That seemingly quiet residential street may be a noisy, highway-feeder street during morning or evening rush hour. The same may be true for the morning commute but if you only visited the property midday, you would have no idea. 
3. The adjacent school may seem like a nice perk, but during school hours, the daily playground noise and extra traffic may be more than you bargained for. If you are viewing the home in the summer, ask your REALTOR® or even neighbors about what you can expect. 
4. It may be nice to be within walking distance to bars and restaurants, but consider the amount of pedestrian traffic. Will late night foot traffic lead to noise or disorderly conduct? Also, remember you can always visit the local police department to get crime statistics of an area.

To learn more about the neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Valley please contact our offices today at 626-358-1858 or 626-963-7621.

Why photos are so important when selling and what to remember when choosing the shots.

The first impression no longer starts at your front door. Instead, the majority of today’s potential homebuyers begin their property search online. The online photos of your property need to stand out among the competition and engage a prospective homebuyer enough to entice them to schedule a viewing with your REALTOR®. Here are some photo tips to remember when showcasing your home online.

1. Judge a book by its cover. What initially attracts a potential homebuyer is the exterior image of the property. The image should be appealing, and the best time of day to photograph an outdoor area is early morning and twilight. Evening outdoor shots should feature the home with the interior lights on, creating an inviting and alluring effect. Remember, try and photograph during months when there is outdoor vegetation and lush landscape.
2. Capture your best quality. Focus on the selling point of your property. What do you most want potential buyers to see? Consult with your REALTOR® and decide what feature of your home is the most in-demand. Whether it is your newly renovated kitchen or sprawling outdoor area, the image should be prominently featured in your online listing. 
3. The same rules apply. When potential buyers visit your property, regardless if it is a classic cottage or opulent estate, it should be clean, neat, and organized. These same rules pertain when photographing a property. Eliminate any clutter and present a clean, well-maintained home that will attract online homebuyers. 

To learn more or to speak with one of our experienced Sales Associates please contact us today at 626-358-1858 or at 626-963-7621.

Tips to sell your house in the summer.

Summer is often considered a challenging time to sell your home due to family vacations, childcare constraints and summer activities. While it may be more of a challenge or inconvenience to market your property during this season, it is not impossible. Here are some ideas to attract summer buyers.

• Maintain your lawn. Focus on curb appeal and take advantage of the season. Mow your lawn often and ensure all sprinklers are working.
• Cultivate the landscape. Trim bushes, hedges and trees, spread mulch, sweep the walkway and plant flowers.
• Clear a path. It is important that the front entrance is clear of any debris. Repair loose steps and railings or cracks in sidewalks; potential buyers should be able to navigate with ease.
• Provide a welcome respite. When guests enter your home the temperature should be comfortable, perhaps a welcome relief from the outside.
• Organize everything. Your home should be clutter-free, tidy and clean.
• Serve seasonal refreshments. Lemonade, fresh fruit or warm pies are appetizing and create a summer ambiance within your home.
• Bring in the light. The windows and glass doors should shine.
• Hide your tools. Stow away all landscaping tools; potential buyers do not need to be reminded of the maintenance that accompanies a home.
• Clean the pool. If you have a pool it should be clean and clear. Towels, toys and rafts should be neatly stored away so they do not detract from the space.
• Light it up. Illuminate your outside areas with well placed lights.

To learn more about these techniques or to speak with one of our REALTORS who can help you with these and other staging ideas then call us at 626-358-1858 or at 626-963-7621.