Location is critical to maximizing the value that your commercial real estate can produce. Knowing the geography, infrastructure and services that surround your properties can affect the demands of transportation, employee flexibility and your business’ visibility in any number of ways. That makes an early and comprehensive look at these factors a critical step in making your business as efficient and productive as possible.
Your commercial real estate map should include more than a list of locations, but the amenities and resources that each can offer. An office should have easy road and commuter access for your employees, while a warehouse is most efficient with easy access to a highway. Access to your clients can be just as important, especially if your business depends on long-term relationships with regular meetings or supply runs. Cutting down on mileage and drive times can mean huge savings long-term.
Streets that are regularly clogged with vehicles might look more efficient on a road map, but a more remote location with less traffic could offer better value at a lower property cost. An office with easy access to amenities, like daycare for employees’ children or quality restaurants for business lunches, can shorten your employees’ commutes and offer a better work environment. (These types of perks can also help to attract the best candidates for employment too.) If a location is meant to be the public face for your business, then you must take its appearance and a street view into account.
Finally, a good commercial real estate map should give you, at a glance, a picture of how each of your properties interacts with the others. Your ideal solution will depend on the needs of your business: Having sites near each other can help you coordinate operations, but perhaps more distant locations can give you more coverage that helps your services reach new clients.
Choosing the proper location for your real estate will typically come down to the function you need the property to serve and the nature of the area you wish to locate in. A commercial real estate map that gives a clear picture of the location, what it can offer and the challenges that come with it is essential to making the best choice.
