A family with a long history in the Seattle retail business successfully operated a group apparel business out of a hole-in-the-wall in North Seattle. After much discussion, the family agreed to assign Seattle Commercial Real Estate LLC the task of finding them a building to own and operate for their business. We found a commercial retail corner in South Seattle with permits to enable the construction of a two story building deep in this industrial neighborhood. The family’s initial reaction to the site was purely negative. Their existing location was only a 10-minute drive north of downtown and another 10 minutes off of the freeway. Why on earth would they move 5 miles south of the center of downtown?
We encouraged them to be open to this site as an alternative and invited them to do three things: drive to the site from home, then go to work. At the end of the business day, drive to the south end site again, and then to their homes. Lastly we asked them to drive from the recommended site to their clients in downtown Seattle. Two weeks later, and with great acclaim, this free-standing commercial corner with a building of their own became the clear best alternative. To this day, they still applaud the good decision they made.
