In 2007 PropertyGuys.com moved into their current location at 1133 St. George Blvd. (even before the days of their ‘round sign’), and as an executive team they were super excited. For the first time in their history they had space for a full-sized franchisee training center (PropertyGuys.com University), multiple executive offices and a large space for their head office team.
Ten years later it looked like we might lose them as a tenant.
From their perspective there were three issues:
1
They loved the location but no longer wanted to rent basement office space.
2
The configuration of hallways and cut up space no longer suited their needs.
3
They wanted their own entrance rather than a shared building entrance.
During a chat with two of the Principals, Jeremy Demont & Walter Melanson one of them jokingly reminded us that staying wasn’t really an option for one glaring reason –
you can’t move a basement to the first floor.
But that’s exactly what we did – we essentially moved their basement to the first floor. Digging a little deeper we discovered it wasn’t the basement – it was the lack of natural light. They also wanted a contemporary open concept feel that better supported their team culture. A far cry from the brown carpets and dark hallways they had worn a path on for almost 10yrs.
“In the spirit of partnership, if we do this and keep your rent close to what it is now – would you sign to a longer lease term and allow us to recoup some of our cost”, we asked.
We came back with a proposal to dig out part of the foundation and install a large bank of windows – as well as their own entrance. Together we came up an interior design that not only opened up their space – but also spoke to their brand experience and vision.
The investment has made a world of difference according to the PropertyGuys.com team, and as they make significant inroads into the US market – we couldn’t be happier for their success.
