All posts by Cliff Robbins

4 Qualities To Look For In A Great Commercial Real Estate Company

There are a lot of things you might think are important when looking for a commercial real estate company to work with. Location. Price. Amenities. Parking Lot.

Those are definitely great things to look for, but there are a number of other traits we think are also important, which can often be overlooked in the rush to find the perfect property. Here are the four qualities we think are extremely important for a commercial real estate company.

1. Professionalism

From answering the phone to taking you on a tour of a commercial suite, our commercial real estate team is steeped in professional care. We want to give you the best experience possible because we thrive on good referrals.

2. Maintenance/Cleanliness

Our goal is to make sure you and your customers have a great first impression of Miller properties. We employ full-time maintenance staff, with on-call coverage outside of normal business hours. Our team inspects our buildings and properties on a regular basis, paints, washes windows and more.

3. Variety Of Properties

At Miller Properties, we believe having a variety of properties across the greater St. Cloud area allows us versatility not many other commercial real estate companies can match. When choosing your first lease from us, you have plenty of choices, but where this really comes into play is when your business (hopefully) expands, as you’ll be able to work with a trusted partner to move into larger space very easily!

4. Personal Touch

At Miller Properties, we’re a family. We’re a small company with a huge impact on the business and consumer community in the greater St. Cloud area, and we’d love to work with you and get to know you and help your business!

Get in touch with our team today to start the search for your business’ new home.

5 Reasons You Should Lease Office Space Rather Than Buy

June 15, 2017UncategorizedCliff Robbins

With the economy fluctuating, it can be hard to tell whether it’s better for your business to

buy or lease office space. There are many factors outside of your control, like interest rates, consumer buying power, population levels in your area and so much more.

There are things you can control, and decisions you can make for yourself when it comes to buying or leasing office space. Let’s take a look at 5 reasons it’s better to lease office space, and contact us when you’re ready to get into the St. Cloud area!

1. No Downpayment

Lease Office Space — Contract by andibreit

When you buy property, you’ll need a downpayment of anywhere between 10-30%. But when you lease, you’ll likely pay just a deposit of one month’s rent and possibly a one-time broker fee. A lease allows you to use that down payment cash as an investment in your business, putting it into working capital or an expansion of your services.

2. Deductions

One of the beautiful things about a lease is that you can deduct the payments from your taxes. Other rental expenses can also be deducted, saving you money when March rolls around.

3. No Responsibility

When you choose to lease office space, your landlord should be responsible for repairs and maintenance. Depending on how you negotiate, they may agree to pay for improvements as well.

Usually, a tenant is only responsible for keeping the carpets and interior spaces clean, but your lease will spell it out.

In comparison, when you purchase a space you are your own landlord, and need to pay for everything out of pocket, do it yourself or hire someone to do it.

4. Better Visibility

Usually property management companies have multiple properties available in high-traffic, high-visibility and high-end areas. Standalone property in these places would take quite a lot of money to purchase, so being able to lease in those areas can be a bargain. You often won’t even be able to find property for sale in some of the most desired places in your city.

5. More Flexibility

If your business is young or in a building phase, you may have considerable flux in the number of people you employ, the amount of space you need, the amenities you want and even the location you need to be in. Buying a property ties you down for a long time, whereas leasing usually gets you a one year contract, giving you the flexibility to move when you need to.

Office Space For Rent: Heritage Market I

May 10, 2017UncategorizedCliff Robbins

At Miller Properties & Investments, we’re proud of the commercial buildings we own and operate across the St. Cloud area. In our blog, we like to feature those buildings with office space for rent, like Heritage Market I which currently has three suites available with more than 1,000 square feet each!

Check out Heritage Market I below, and contact us if you think it will fit your needs.

Heritage Market I

At 2820 2nd Street South, Heritage Market I’s office space for rent is an excellent location for retail, office space or a restaurant! There’s a lot of exposure to 2nd Street South/County Road 75, one of the busiest streets in St. Cloud with an average of 22,000 vehicles traveling on it per day.

It’s truly an extraordinary opportunity for retail or office space right in the heart of St. Cloud’s retail corridor, plus the mall has extremely easy access in and out from both directions with excellent parking.

Suite 120 & 130

With Suite 120 and/or 130, you’ll be located near the center of the mall. At 1,000 square feet each and the ability to expand into the other suite with a removable wall – adding another 1,000 square feet to your space – there are plenty of ways to use this office space for rent.

Suite 160

In Suite 160 you’ll receive additional depth to your space, giving you a grand total of 1,200 square feet to stretch out in. This suite is located near the southern edge of Heritage Market I, and has some great neighbors across the area . . .

Area Tenants

Your fellow tenants are a nice mix of service, office and retail: Samuelson Law Office, Schepers Jewelers, Travis Williams – State Farm Insurance and Q-Nails! These fellow tenants will bring in plenty of foot traffic, exposing your brand to plenty of new people.

Other big draw businesses in the area include Miller Auto Plaza, Miller Marine, Tenvoorde Ford, Batteries Plus Bulbs and more!

4 Questions To Ask When Looking At Commercial Property For Lease

May 10, 2017UncategorizedCliff Robbins

Whether you’ve shopped for commercial property for lease before or not, it’s important to ask the right questions before signing on the dotted line. At Miller Properties & Investments, we want to make sure you’re completely comfortable with your lease before setting anything in stone; leasing a property which doesn’t work for your company isn’t in the best interest of anybody.

Here are a few questions we make sure get answered anytime someone is looking for commercial property for lease. Contact us when you’re ready to ask them!

1. What’s The Minimum Lease Length?

With most commercial property for lease, the length of the lease is negotiable. Typically though, you’ll find most property owners will want a minimum lease of 3-5 years. This length of lease gives the owner peace of mind that you’re confident your business will be around that long, and they won’t need to search for another lessee so soon.

2. Do I Lease Just Enough Space For Now Or Room To Grow?

Unless you know for sure that your business will grow significantly in the near future, it makes sense to rent only the space you need now. And if you do grow too large for your current space, property owners are happy to place you in a larger space without penalty if the space is available.

3. Can I Make Changes To The Office Space Myself?

This question is extremely dependent on the terms of your commercial property for lease. If the property owner typically doesn’t allow it, you’ll need to negotiate to get terms which allow you to make the modifications you’re looking for.

Also be aware most property owners won’t pick up the tab for any renovations you choose to pursue, but if your lease is long enough the landlord may cover some of the costs of building out the space. Another option might be that the owner will cover the costs up front, but amortize the amount over the length of your lease.

4. Is The Owner Trustworthy?

Before you sign, one of the most important questions you have to ask yourself is if the owner is trustworthy. You may want to talk to some of the current tenants to see how responsive they are, or check with local chambers of commerce or other groups the owners belong to to verify their reputation.