I’m the guy who used to wake up at 3 a.m. staring at the ceiling, knowing another $13,000 mortgage payment was coming due on a dark, empty box.
My partner and I took turns wiring the bank because neither of us could stomach the full hit.
That went on for 14 straight months on one property.
Never again.
If you own real commercial space – retail, medical, mixed-use, urban infill – and you’re bleeding five figures every month while brokers send you pretty flyers that do nothing, this letter is for you.
I’ve closed over 500 deals in 17 years. Right now every square foot I own is paying.
Here’s the exact system I use.
The New Reality in 2025
New operators need $200k–$500k+ in tenant improvements.
They don’t have it. Banks won’t give it to them.
They will not sign unless someone solves that problem.
Old-school listings at “market rate” are dead.
You either solve the TI problem or you sit vacant.
My Solution (Tested on Millions of Dollars of Real Estate)
Offer the space 100 % AS-IS
Slash the base rent $5–$7 below whatever the broker says “market” is
Give SIX months free rent (not 60 or 90 days – six full months)
Hand them my architect and my contractors at cost (saves them $30k–$60k and keeps the job moving)
Require iron-clad personal guarantees and proof they can survive the first two years
Lock in 3–5 % annual increases or one 10–15 % bump at year five
Result: quality tenants fight to sign, construction starts fast, rent clock starts sooner, and I never write another check for drywall.
Two Recent Deals – Real Numbers
Deal #1 – Medical Spa (signed 2 months ago)
• 4,850 sq ft Fully remodeled shell
• Rent: $16 triple-net (market quotes were $25–$26)
• Six months rent free (Tenant pays NNN fees during free abatement period)
• Tenant investing $400,000 of their own money
• Using my architect & GC
• Landlord TI spend: $0
• From first call to executed lease: 38 days
Deal #2 – The Gym That Taught Me the Hard Lesson
• 3,500 sq ft
• Gave national franchise $175k landlord TI + they spent $300k
• Brand sold → new owners walked and never opened
• Bought them out, took the space back to gain immediate occupancy
• Stubbornly marketed at the old high rate for 7 months
• Finally dropped rent $7/ft and gave 60 days free
• Local Gym operator took it as-is, opened in 87 days, packed ever since
Moral: nationals can disappear tomorrow. Locals build roots. PS don’t ever lease to F45 Training ! They suck!
We bought this building with the intentions of holding for 10-20 years and developing a 4-5 story 120 unit mixed apartment project. That is the big picture, but in the meantime we needed this building to stay full. Slamming the rents, securing long term leases, allowed us to stop the bleeding on vacancies but also keep the asset full and cashflowing.
rendering of a 3 story concept - we found out we could go 4-5 stories with 120 units.
Your Vacancy-Killer Checklist
(Print this. Tape it above your desk.)
Kill the current listing – no more “prime corner, market rate” nonsense
New asking rate: ________ per sq ft (write it – $5–$9 below market)
Free rent offered: 6 months (circle: 6)
Ad headline: “Raw shell – owner supplies architect + contractors at cost – 6 months free – serious operators only”
Personal guarantee required: Yes / No
Proof of funds / two-year cash-flow plan required: Yes / No
Escalator locked: 3–5 % yearly OR 10–15 % bump at year 5 (circle one)
90-day rule: if no executed lease, drop another $2/ft and repeat
Bonus lease hack: Feed your attorney’s triple-net template into ChatGPT → 2-month process becomes 4 weeks (I’ll give you the exact prompts on the call)
One More Thing Most Owners Never Hear
I no longer pay my attorney $600 an hour to draft a 5,000 sq ft triple-net lease.
I take his template, run it through ChatGPT with my edits, and we execute in under four weeks.
That alone has saved me 3k per lease and shaved months off every deal in attorney back and forths.
Here’s What Happens Next
Click the link below → instantly get this Free PDF I made for you.
Then book a 60-minute Zoom with me. Only ( $97). Let’s stop your vacancies dead in their tracks.
Email Me To Schedule Your 60 Min Zoom Call For $97 —> [email protected]
We will look at your actual space (or portfolio), set the exact slam-rate, write the ad copy, and map the 90-day fill plan.
If I can’t show you a clear route to cash-flow positive in 90 days or less, I’ll refund your $97 and you keep the PDF free.
You’ve already lost enough sleep.
Half a loaf is better than no loaf – and a hell of a lot better than bleeding to death.
Click here to pay $97 and book your 60-minute call now
Book Your Call Today —> [email protected]
See you on the Zoom,
- Steve
17 years – 500+ deals – zero commercial vacancies today
