Strategic RE Flashcards

1
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

What was the strategic aim for your client?

A

My clients strategic aim was to improve their customer experience in store and in turn, increase foot fall and sales within the stores

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2
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

What is a LTA?

A

A licence to alter documents a tenants alterations that have been approved by the Landlord. The lease will describe when a licence to alter is required.

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3
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

Why are LTAs used?

A
  • A tenant would benefit from the use of a LTA as it will prevent the landlord from rentalising any improvements at the next rent review
  • A LTA would also protect from any dilapidation claims at the end of the tenancy
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4
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

Is it common practice to negotiate fees for a LTA?

A

It would be common practice for the tenant to cover the landlords fees in approving a license to alter but any additional fees would not be common practice

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5
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

What would the LL need to consider when approving a LTA?

A
  • Impact on building operations
  • If it would negatively impact sustainability / EPC rating
  • Equality act
  • Is it in line with the lease
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6
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

What were the re-fit works?

A

These were a light touch, involving repainting stores and replacing like-for-like units. There were no structural alterations

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7
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

How did these works fit in with your clients objectives?

A

This helped to enhance the customer experience by having a modern decor and layout in stores
Maximised their tech offering in store
Enhances customer experience

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8
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

Talk me through this example

A

In this example I acted as the project manager for my clients stores in the midlands. I was responsible for managing landlord consents, the solicitors and the contractors.

In order to manage the project, I created a tracker of each of the stores due for a re-fit and adopted a red amber green system to help make the tracker easy to understand. I tracked the status of each store to include when landlord contact was made, if a licence to alter was required or not, any queries raised by the landlord and if consent had been granted.

A green site was one where approval had been confirmed and the works can be booked in, orange is a site with on-going negotiations and red is a site blocked by a lease issue such as a renewal.

I discussed the status of each site with my client on a weekly basis and the tracker acted as the guide during these meetings. We discussed any sites that were priorities to ensure that I was aware of where the most focus should be placed.

My client used the tracker to book the programme of works and when discussing the project with their board.

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9
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

What was your advice to the client?

A

I advised the client of the lease rights and if a licence to alter would be required for these works or not. Sites which did not require an LTA would save on costs

I advised the client on the status of each property and expected timescales for agreeing consents. I advised of any delays and any sites that were about to be agreed.

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10
Q

RE-FIT PROGRAMME

What were the financial implications?

A

The financial implications included a consent being delayed and falling out of the schedule booked with the contractors.
Agreeing LTA fee’s with the LL where they were not required
Stores loosing potential sales as refit works did not complete

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11
Q

CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT

What were your clients objectives?

A

My clients objectives were to be able to deliver on their company aim of being the leading shared management company for telecommunication sites.
The objectives of this project were to reduce their rental liabilities and have greater control over the estate through acquiring the freehold or long leasehold of key sites.

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12
Q

CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT

How did you go about achieving these objactives?

A

I went about achieving these objectives by undertaking an analysis of their portfolio and identifying the properties where the most value could be achieved. This would include sites that are mid-way through the lease agreement with high rents and restrictive lease covenants.

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13
Q

CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT

Talk me through this example

A

For the capital deployment project, my client was a shared management company for telecommunication sites. Their strategic objective for this project was to reduce their rental liabilities and have greater control over their portfolio. A key concern for my client was removing restrictive sharing rights.

I therefore conducted a review of their portfolio and identified sites that were mid-way through the term with a high rental liability and restrictive sharing rights.

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14
Q

CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT

Talk me through this example

A

For the capital deployment project, my client was a shared management company for telecommunication sites. Their strategic objective for this project was to reduce their rental liabilities and have greater control over their portfolio. A key concern for my client was removing restrictive sharing rights.

I therefore conducted a review of their portfolio and identified sites that were mid-way through the term with a high rental liability and restrictive sharing rights. I identified 100 key sites, completed full lease audits and completed a valuation using my clients valuation matrix.

I contacted the relevant landlords for the sites to gauge if they were interested in hearing about the offer and if they were I would put a figure to them.

I kept track of the sites by utilising my clients database. For each property, I displayed the lease audit, attached the lease and photographs of the sites. Each property was categorised by its current negotiation status.

I participated in weekly meetings to discuss the status of the negotiations and identify my clients key focuses/

The project resulted in my client acquiring a number of sites and in turn reducing their rental liabilities and removing restrictive sharing rights.

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15
Q

CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT

What factors made a property suitable for this project?

A
  1. High rent
  2. Restrictive covenants
  3. Mid-term lease
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16
Q

CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT

What was your clients negotiation strategy?

A

When confirming the negotiation strategy with my client we discussed their objectives and discussed what elements are most important in order to get a deal through and what elements we could give on.
When commencing the negotiations with the landlords I called them to understand if this was an offer they would be interested and I wanted to understand what would make a deal appealing to them.
The overall strategy here was to have open conversations with the landlords to maintain good relationships and obtain a deal that benefits both parties.

17
Q

CAPTIAL DEPLOYMENT

What was the valuation matrix?

A

The valuation matrix took into consideration the overall rent remaining on the term, a consensual code rent for a further term depending on the term left on the lease, a fee for avoiding lease renewals and extra sums that would be looked at on a site by site basis for example removal of restrictive covenants.

18
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

Talk me through this example

A

The strategic aim of the out of bounds project was to ensure that they had access to all of the sites in their portfolio so that they could ensure the integrity of the network. In this project I had noticed that there was a large number of sites that were being marked as out of bounds for various health and safety concerns.

To help ensure that this number of sites was reduced, I managed weekly calls with my client, their health and safety specialists and retained contractors. I created the tracker for this project and was responsible for keeping this updated and ensuring each action holder was aware of their responsibilities. The weekly call would use the tracker to guide and we would discuss the strategy for each site with each specialist.

This project resulted in the number of out of bounds sites being reduced and is an effective project for the management of these issues.

19
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

What was your clients strategic aim?

A

To ensure they could access all of the sites in their portfolio, to ensure they were able to maintain and ensure the integrity of their network.

20
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

What would qualify a site to be out of bounds?

A

For this project out of bounds refferd to health and safety concerns, for example pigeon guano, sharps on the premises, no visibility of the asbestos register.

21
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

What were the financial implications?

A

The financial implications would be a result of the network dropping and claims being made against the operators. If it was a shared site and my client was the named tenant the other mobile network operators could claim for a drop in their signal.

22
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

What was the benefit of the weekly call?

A

Allowed for all parties to meet and discuss the sites with the health and safety specialists and contractors present. This saves time on email trails for each site and sets out specific time to tackle these issues to ensure an effective resolution

23
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

How did you manage the project?

A

By producing the tracker and updating with the progress made on each site. I sent the tracker out to all parties involved and led the calls.

24
Q

OUT OF BOUNDS

What was included in the tracker?

A

Name of site
Site number
Action holder
Date site was marked OOB
Forecasted resolution
Updates from the call
take aways

25
Q

OFFICE PORTFOLIO

Talk me through this example

A

The strategic aim of this project was to remove any properties that were no longer being utilised by the business to reduce rental liabilities.

I conducted a review of these leases to establish the best ways to dispose of them. I had considered a sub-letting or assignment but during the lease audits I noted that all three properties had break dates within the next 12 months.

I reviewed the break clauses to identify the notice periods and break requirements and concluded that we would be able to serve in time and meet the break requirements.

I discussed strategy with my client and we agreed that the breaks were an effective method to dispose of the leases, I drew up an action plan to ensure the break conditions would be met.

This was regularly discussed with my client and resulted in the successful disposal of all three leases.

26
Q

OFFICE PORTFOLIO

What were your clients business objectives?

A

To reduce rental liabilities

27
Q

OFFICE PORTFOLIO

What were your options for disposal?

A

The other option we considered was a sub-letting. However, this did not fit with my clients strategic aims as they would still have rental liabilities and it would increase the estate management as they would have to locate a sub-tenant and manage this.

28
Q

OFFICE PORTFOLIO

Why did you conclude that a break option was suitable?

A

Because it removed all of my clients liability at the site once completed successfully

The client did not wish to re-occupy the leases

There was a suitable time frame to meet the break conditions