Small Business Summit Center

Barbara Venturi, AMBAR Realty Group

AB: What sales lead acquisition tool worked the best for you in 2007?

BV: Commercial real estate transactions can effect between 10 to 25% of a company’s annual budget. Thus, our greatest source of new business comes from client referrals. We only represent Tenants or Buyers and therefore potential new clients feel secure in the fact that we are only representing their interests. When such a large percentage of your annual budget is at stake with a long term commitment, our clients must be confident in our ability to represent them. We start working with new clients at least 12 months in advance of when a company needs to occupy space. This allows time for us to understand our client’s business objectives and special requirements for the real estate transaction. We are always happy to provide prospective clients with references.

AB: What part of entrepreneurship have you worked hardest on?

BV: Building long term relationships with clients and managing the project pipeline. We have a rule about responding to our clients calls or e-mails within two hours, particularly when we are working on a transaction for their company. Without our clients trust in our financial and negotiating skills to deliver the best real estate solution for them, we would not be enjoying the growth we have seen in our business.

AB: What would you do if you were not in business for myself?

BV: If I did not have three children in college and grad school at the same time, I would be more involved in my favorite non-profit organizations, either in a CFO capacity or serving on the Board of Directors.

Business Bio

I founded Ambar Realty Group, along with my partners, in 2001 as a commercial real estate firm that solely represents the interests of companies seeking to lease or purchase commercial property. Having been a broker with a much larger firm that also represented landlords and owners, I strongly believed that there was an inherent conflict of interest. You would not agree to have the same attorney represent you and your competition on a business transaction where each party has different financial goals.

I have a strong background in finance, banking and marketing from holding positions with major banks and corporations. All of these skills are essential to assisting clients with commercial real estate transactions. In addition, I have the experience of coordinating, communicating and negotiating issues between corporate headquarters real estate groups and subsidiary or sales offices in the field.

Our firm represents companies seeking to lease or buy office, industrial and retail space or buildings. We provide our clients with comprehensive services from the strategic planning stage through the move-in period. These include space planning guides, current market information including deal comparables, survey(s) of available properties, space tours, competitive lease negotiations on at least two possible sites, space planning for potential sites, financial analysis of potential sites at each stage of the negotiation, lease negotiation, lease review, project management and coordination of the office move.

A company, on average, will move or renew a lease every three to five years. Purchasing or construction of a build to suit facility may be a one- time occurrence for a company.

What many companies do not realize is that Landlords build in the cost of Tenant Representation fees to the overall rental rates and operating budget for their buildings.

Therefore we believe that representation by a broker such as Ambar Realty, that has a sole fiduciary obligation to your firm, will not cost your company more in the end. I n fact, we typically save our clients between 10%-25% of the total cost of the real estate transaction.

January 25 update: Barbara sent along this clip of her interview by SBTV.