Craig Bjornsund, senior vice president and managing director of NorthMarq Capital, arranged first mortgage financing in the amount of $2.65 million for Toys-R-Us and Summit Plaza. The property consists of two non-contiguous rectangular parcels improved with a 100% NNN leased 33,000 rentable s/f, freestanding, 1-story Toys-R-Us with mezzanine level and a 1-story 28,000 rentable s/f strip shopping center (Summit Plaza). Major tenants include Family Dollar, Radio Shack and various local tenants.
In this column, I want to discuss a basic principle of building relationships, then share a few lessons I’ve learned along the way. I call it Social Energy. The concept is simple: surround yourself with successful people, develop relationships, and participate in activities that put you in the same circles as the people you want to do business with.
This may seem self-serving, and I’ll be the first to admit it. But unlike some of the artificial intelligence tools now reshaping our industry, I am fully aware of my own bias. So, hear me out. The rise of AI in commercial real estate is not a distant threat or a speculative headline.
Now what? As the year comes to a close, the state of retail is always in the news. The answers vary greatly depending on who in the various related industries you ask, each offering a unique lens on the challenges and opportunities ahead.