| In any market, it’s good to keep a tenant happy. But if you go the extra mile during softer markets, the tenants will remember you in better times, says Philip Wachtler, principal of Wachtler Knopf Equities, whom we visited in his Farmingdale, Long Island office. Take it from the exec who painted 500 Bi-County Blvd.’s exterior to match the beige-with-green-trim of his own house and once commandeered an ice-cream truck to buy cold treats for all his tenants. Here he (left) and colleague Sandy Cohen (center) flip burgers for tenants at the firm’s Woodlands office in Hauppauge this September. |
| Tenants are spending as much time in their offices as they are at their own domiciles these days, so it’s important to make them feel at home, he says. Holidays are a good way to start: he puts pumpkins and haystacks in the lobby for Halloween; and decorates with trees and wreaths for December. Tenants also value community-building, so he frequently holds charitable events, such as food and blood drives. |
| Landlords also must listen and be proactive, Philip says; his tenants once complained about smoking in the entryways, so he bought benches that redirected smokers away from the building. He also replanted flowers (three times!) in front of one of his buildings when they died, which he thought sent the wrong message to tenants and visitors. On a personal note, he recently finished the two year-long Energeia Partnership program at Molloy, which brings public, private, non-profit and government leaders together to work on challenges facing Long Island. |
Happy Tenants, Smiling Landlord
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Philip Wachtler, Wachtler Knopf Equities
