The GK|CRE Process of "Concept" Marketing

In a time when retail opportunities saturate the market, when few tenants provide the creditworthiness a savvy owner requires, and with expansion moves limited, there exists a great need for creativity.  Times have changed, but the simple economics of supply and demand have not.  For retail leasing, you must differentiate your property from the competition. GK|CRE’s “Concept” Marketing, a leasing method that focuses on the “idea” to initially attract tenants to the space, creates an emotional bond to the real estate and results in a connection unattainable through traditional marketing.

Most real estate marketing uses a push method, sending out the message (mainly to agents) that a property is available through signage, Internet database listings, and cold calling.  “Concept” Marketing is pull marketing and is about ideas, relationships, and enticing the end user.  For “Concept” Marketing, the right concept is created, the right networking is utilized, and then the prospect tenant is introduced to the idea in an environment that is comfortable to them. 

The beauty of “Concept” Marketing is that even if the idea is not what the tenant ultimately desires, it gets their creative juices flowing and has them thinking about how their version of the idea (retail, restaurant, entertainment, arts, lifestyle, sports etc.) will work.  This sparks a subconscious connection to the real estate and begins an emotional interest that is significantly stronger than simply driving by a property and seeing a “For Lease” sign. 

That’s how we roll.

The Clermont Hotel Is For Sale (Blondie not included)

GK|CRE is selling The Clermont Hotel.

The Clermont Hotel is quite a colorful listing and we're proud to be marketing such a classic piece of Atlanta history.  I've been asked, "why are they selling this now?", eluding to the downturn in the economy as a valid reason for questioning the sale.  It's simple, if you want to sell something, and everything out there is seeing a decrease in value, pick a property that is extremely unique and you'll have a competitive advantage over the unknown and nondescript and in doing so command a premium price with less competition.  

To my knowledge, there are few properties in the entire city of Atlanta as unique as the Clermont.  Built in 1924, as an apartment building and then transformed into the Clermont Motor Lodge in 1940, the building has a rich history on fabled Ponce de Leon Avenue.  On top of tenure, the Clermont also has a killer location. Additionally, and most notoriously, it boasts home to the city's longest standing strip club, the Clermont Lounge.  The Lounge is a dive-bar where fan favorite Blondie will give you a lap dance, crush a beer can between her breasts and then give it to you as a souvenir...how's that for a hotel amenity?  For a buyer, getting something that no-one else can duplicate is worth the price of admission.  

  

To recap, we've got a great property with cachet, culture and character in a great location and it's for sale when the rest of the properties look like picked-over piles of old clothes.  So, for a good time and a great property, come check out the Clermont...personality it does have.

NPR interviews Gene Kansas regarding sale of the Clermont 

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1497067

Future of Restaurants & Real Estate

I'm not telling anyone anything too new with this, but Planet Hollywood is over.  Seriously.  If we can thank the recession for one thing, it's for helping to create smaller, more intimate environments.  Operators need to keep overhead to a minimum and therefore spaces will be smaller.  At GK|CRE, we're all for it.

As someone who earns a living by making real estate commissions, and given that the size of a fee is directly proportionate to the size of a space (larger the space, larger the fee), I'm ironically and overwhelmingly supportive of smaller spaces.  Why would I directly support minimizing my own income?  Well, truth be told, I think that in the long run the smaller "jewell-box" spaces will be more successful and ultimately bring up the overall property value, so I'm not too worried about the business side of things.  On a personal note, it's simply nicer.

 A few of my favorite examples include Sotto Sotto in Atlanta, Blue Ribbon in NYC, Delachaise in New Orleans, Kevin Rathbun's Krog Bar, and ai3 gem Holman & Finch on Peachtree just to name just a few.  The spaces are great, the vibe is warm, the concept is cool.  Get with the program, y'all.  Support the small shop.  We'll all be better off.

Commercial Real Estate (with a twist).

When I started GK|CRE (www.genekansas.com) over 7 years ago, I did so with the goal of "not being confused with any other commercial real estate brokerage firm". I loved my time and the education I received while working at the big firms, and owe a lot to the goodwill, contacts, knowledge and know-how that resulted from that experience. That being said, Atlanta's commercial real estate brokerage industry is basically a good ole boy network of khaki and confabulation about birdies, basketball and bbq, and that is just not me. More than it not "being me", that's not the way the majority of the world works nor what they want.

We do not have to look very far to verify my intuition. Take President Obama's election as a prime and recent example. The country wanted change. We wanted a voice that represents a new America, one of consciousness, conscientiousness, hope, creativity and community. Whether or not you voted for him is irrelevant, the fact is that there are 70,000,000 people who believed that their voice was not being heard. The same goes for those looking for assistance with commercial real estate...they are not being represented with their mantras in mind.

My belief is that real estate is a non-factor without representing the voice of the people behind the property. What we want and need is to go beyond the fours walls of literal space. Beyond the break room at the office, the window of the storefront, the kitchen of the restaurant, the loading dock of the warehouse and the counter of the coffee shop. It's just as important to have a conference room and a place to put Accounting as it is to know that the property offers a recycling program. Making sure square footage is acceptable goes hand-in-hand with the accessibility to public transportation. The cost of rent is only a good deal if the space speaks to marketing message you are trying to achieve. Having natural light should be weighed equal to the address on the door. It's our perspective to and implementation of our priorities in the external world that creates the perfect space.

Sure there are people and companies that don't give a crap about any of this stuff. If you are one of those people or one of those companies, we are happy to put you in touch with a talented commercial agent who shares your perspective. However, if you do care about light and the proximity of a good burger and positive energy and the environment and how a space matches your image and identity, we'd love to help.