What are some of the small details that make a shopping center better to own, manage, and visit?
In this episode of I Own a Shopping Center. Now What?, Beth Azor shares some of her final shopping center ownership and property management tips, drawn from her experience operating retail properties.
Beth explains why she uses flowers and colorful signage to catch the attention of people driving past her shopping centers, along with benches and piped-in music to create a more inviting environment and encourage customers to spend more time at the property.
She also covers an operational issue shopping center owners need to address quickly: rodent prevention. Keeping dumpster areas clean, holding restaurant tenants accountable, and responding immediately when a problem appears can help prevent a difficult situation from becoming much harder to control.
Vendor relationships are another important part of successful shopping center management. Beth shares why she believes in finding good vendors, paying them promptly, treating them well, and recognizing their contribution through an annual vendor appreciation event. Those relationships can become especially valuable when a property needs help quickly.
Finally, Beth explains why she believes property managers should spend as much time as possible physically visiting their shopping centers. Being on-site helps strengthen relationships with tenants and vendors while allowing managers to identify issues they simply will not see sitting behind a computer.
She also shares the property management software she uses across her portfolio, Rent Manager, and why she continues to recommend it to other shopping center owners.
If you own, operate, or manage shopping centers, this episode offers practical perspective on the everyday details that contribute to stronger retail properties, better relationships, and a better experience for tenants and customers.
Topics include shopping center management, retail property management, shopping center operations, customer dwell time, landscaping, property maintenance, pest prevention, vendor management, tenant relationships, property inspections, and commercial real estate management.
