Real estate is the largest or second-largest asset on the books for most companies, yet senior managers rarely pay attention to it.
Real estate is so ubiquitous, it’s easy to trivialize how critical an asset it is to most companies. It affects customers, employees, investors, regulators, and neighbors. It’s not only a business necessity, it is a resource. It is key to any firm’s business strategy and its ability to hire and retain talent.
Why, then, are corporate leaders not masters of their real estate domain? Because real estate decisions are so complex.
That complexity and depth means the average real estate deal doesn’t get the strategic attention it deserves from senior management. Decisions are often passed down to second-order staff. This is too bad, because these decisions impact core functions and affect the company’s bottom line.
Like many business leaders, you’ve found yourself in real estate deals where a lot is being discussed, but little progress is being made towards tangible results. Not everyone on the team recognizes the ideal result or even agrees on what is considered a “good deal.” And there’s no methodology for completing the deal on time and within budget.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. The five components of The Deal Canvas™, discussed below, highlight the key issues decision-makers need to focus on to make better decisions for all stakeholders.
The Deal Canvas™ is a powerful tool that lets you:
- Quickly sketch every deal in a logical progression everyone can understand
- Collaborate with your team on deals, both in-person and virtually
- Use a systematic approach to high-impact goals, efficient due diligence, and winning negotiation strategies in your real estate deals
“The Deal Canvas provides a set of tools to systematically make an excellent decision about real estate for both the real estate novice and the experienced real estate professional.”- Paul Clark, Vintage Aerial
The Deal Canvas™ turns the complex, nebulous process of Commercial Real Estate deal making into an interactive, repeatable (even, dare I say…fun!) process of getting your assumptions on the table, comparing them against the facts, and developing strategies to get what you want. It does this through five components intrinsic to every Real Estate Deal: The Goal, Negotiation Leverage, Due Diligence, Stakeholder Communication, and Final Terms. Each component provides templates, tools, methods, and metrics that bring every facet of the dark arts of Commercial Real Estate into the light.
At Cardinal, we use The Deal Canvas™ with every client to deliver results that leave traditional brokers on the ground floor. Unlike other service providers, Cardinal has skin in the game: sure, we get paid for the strategic value and project management we provide, but every dollar paid in consulting fees is returned to the client through lower transaction fees. From start to finish, our interests are aligned with our clients—and that makes a huge impact in every deal.
Have you found yourself saying, “There’s gotta be a better way?” Make better real estate decisions, collaborate with your team, clearly visualize your deals, and use techniques from the pros in business real estate with The Deal Canvas™ . We’re proud of The Deal Canvas. Email John Culbertson at john@cardinal.RE to hear how The Deal Canvas saves you time and money.
