The Commercial Real Estate Lesson my 5 Year Old Recently Taught me

A few weeks ago, I took my five year old with me to the Jersey Shore to scout properties for a client looking to expand his business. As you'd expect, there were plenty of questions along the way.

As we drove past many buildings and responding to many of her questions, she asked the question "What goes in the buildings?"

"A business," I replied. Then she asked a question that stopped me in my tracks: "Is that because every business needs a home?"

I said, "Exactly." 

At first, it seemed like a simple observation from a 5 year old. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much truth was packed into what she aid. 

Every... business.... needs.... a.... home. If you have ever owned a brick and mortar business, you know exactly what this means. 

Not just four walls and a roof, but a place where ideas become reality. A place where employees build careers, customers are served, products are created, and dreams are pursued. Hard times are faced. I lived all of this as an employer and employee.

Because what makes a space a home isn't the building itself, it's the heart inside it. Thinking about the owners that grind 7 days a week and endless hours each day, make countless sacrifices. The employees that will eventually show up every day. The passion behind the work. The relationships built with customers. The risks taken, the challenges overcome, and the vision that keeps moving the business forward.

In commercial real estate, it's easy to focus on the tangible things: lease terms, demographics, fitout costs, parking, and financials. Don't get me wrong: those things matter.

But behind every real estate transaction is a business owner investing in a dream and searching for a place where that dream can take root and grow. When I'm helping a client find a new space, I'm not just evaluating buildings. I'm thinking about everything I've learned about their business: their vision, their culture, their customers, and what makes them different.

Is this "home"? A family home provides security, identity, and a place to grow. We all know what our homes mean to our families. The best business homes do the same for their employees. They give a team a place to belong. A culture. A place to develop and grow up.

A great location doesn't just house a business, it becomes part of its identity. It reflects who they are, what they stand for, and where they're headed.

What struck me most wasn't her question, it was her perspective.

As adults, we spend so much time immersed in our work that we often stop seeing the big picture. Kids don't have that problem because they simpligy things and can be brutally honest at times. They strip away the complexity and get right to the heart of things. 

That's one reason I think it's important to talk to our kids about what we do. Not because we want them to follow in our footsteps and we are always trying to teach our kids new stuff, but because their simple questions can help us reflect, reminding us of our why and purpose. 

Knowing how much of an impact a company's location can have on business owners, employees, customers, and the surrounding community is one of the things that drives me to advise business owners on real estate decisions and business strategy. 

"Because every business needs a home."

I'll never forget those words. I might even have to trademark them someday.

It all started as a day spent teaching my daughter about commercial real estate. By the end of it, she had taught me something about it, too.