The Landmark Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and lead instructor of a nurse training, tutoring, and test prep center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Landmark Group?

I was hoping to find a location for my business in an area underserved by this service. I’d been looking casually, just driving around the area. Whenever I saw a place with a commercial real estate for lease, I would contact them, but I wasn’t getting responses at all.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Landmark Group helped me look around the greater east side of Seattle for a commercial real estate location. They took me to places that were exactly what I was looking for and worked with me to craft proposals to the building owners, as well as carry out negotiations with them.

The whole process took about eight months before we found an agreeable place.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Uri (Broker). He’s an associate agent, and I believe his father is the owner of The Landmark Group. From time to time, he was busy doing other things, so his father would step in for viewings and so on.

How did you come to work with The Landmark Group?

I was aware of them previously but I hadn’t engaged in any business transactions. My son is a schoolmate of one of the commercial real estate brokers, and in a casual conversation, he recommended him.

How much have you invested with them?

They took 15%–20% of the lease value.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2019, and we ended the engagement in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Uri was very committed to help me find a place. He was the expert; I had never done this before, so I wasn’t sure what the process was. He made the process understandable and offered me alternatives. I thought I knew what I wanted, but sometimes he would ask me to consider things that I hadn’t even thought of before. He really broadened the scope of what I was looking for.

How did The Landmark Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was great through every step of the way. He would let me know and put me up to date on everything that was happening. We had some difficulties with my current landlord because they weren’t getting back to us or responding to him, which should’ve been a red flag. Although it was frustrating, I appreciated that I was always aware of what was going on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt like an important client. They made me a priority, and it was important for them that I find a place that was right for me. They wanted to understand my needs. Overall, their service was excellent and very personalized.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the end, the place that I settled on hasn’t worked out that well. The Landmark Group helped me with some initial bumps, but I can’t really say if they were familiar with this owner. I don’t think it was their fault, and they probably couldn’t anticipate it.

Also, I don’t know if that’s natural or whether there’s a follow-up in the process to check how it’s going or if you need their help.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Feel free to be very clear with what your needs are — they can handle it. I hadn’t worked with commercial real estate companies before, but the residential real estate realtors that I’ve dealt with were often very fragile and got offended very easily. Landmark Group wasn’t like that. I felt like the more I threw at them, the higher they rose up to the occasion and achieved the goal. Thus, if you have very strict guidelines or are very picky with what you want, they’ll listen to you, implement it, and get it done.