When it comes to tenant representation, I put experience and expertise on your side of the table. Knowledge of the medical and professional office markets leads to the negotiation of the best possible leasing contract for you. In addition, your comprehensive needs are my focus to assist with all the details--design, architectural services, contractor selection, and relocation services, and even planning for your grand opening. And, since the fee is usually paid by the landlord, there's no cost to you for benefiting from these valuable tenant representation services.

My hands on experience in the healthcare industry gives me insight into the specific needs of health care practitioners and the challenges that they face. By working with you to develop negotiation strategies and processes, we can ensure that those needs are met and challenges overcome. As your negotiator, I work to give the practitioner the maximum amount of flexibility with minimum liability. The feasibility of a lease is not simply the term and cost, but all the additional information which describes responsible parties and physician options. By providing careful analysis of all of your options I work to ensure you receive not only the best financial terms for your needs, but also to ensure you do not fall in some of the following typical lease pitfalls.

1. Tenant Responsibility: Many leases hold physicals personally liable for any problems which may arise over the course of the lease term. This puts the physician’s personal holdings at risk as it acts as a form of collateral. Overwhelmingly, landlords have convinced doctors and dentists in the past that they should be signing leases under their personal names, thus leaving the landlords with the maximum in guarantees of the covenants of the lease. Ensuring the physician is protected in the worst case scenario should be an important lease consideration.

2. Assignment Provision: Although your personal role in a clinic may be your life, it will eventually have come to an end. Regardless of the terms of your departure, bringing another physician in or selling your practice, these terms can be defined in your lease. Spelling out the transition of responsibility in the case of either option can prevent you from a financial responsibility which could have been avoided. Setting a lease up with options which benefit you such as subletting can dictate how the financial responsibility can change in a way that motivates the landlord in finding a new tenant.

3. Expansions and renewals: Set up properly, these Options can provide the basis for growth and continued long term business success of any type of clinic. With the future being uncertain this aspect of your lease can cover your best and worst expectations for the future of your clinic. Additionally setting up an advantageous renewal option can lock in a current price without a long term commitment.

Working to ensure you receive the best terms possible is a process which can never begin too early. By starting the renewal process 12 – 14 months prior to your expiry date, you are greatly reducing the landlords ‘leverage’ to demand renewal terms that in many cases are unfair and not reflective of the market around you. Landlords know that if they can avoid entering into renewal discussions with you until you are within the last couple of months of the Term, your other available options have greatly diminished and you are forced to resign or often pay exorbitant fees without a contract. The simple way to counter this well known landlord strategy is to know when your lease expires, establish your practice’s short and long term goals, identify the risks contained in your current documentation, understand the market, and then commence discussions with your landlord. By following this process, and starting it well enough ahead of time, you are guaranteed to be in a much better position to negotiate – and get valuable changes.