Decades of experience and a knack for simplifying complex topics make Okun’s advice easy to digest as well as informative. He spices the material with hands-on examples, useful checklists, and careful attention to jargon that readers may be unfamiliar with, including a particularly helpful outline of the language commonly used in lease clauses. His advice is technical, straightforward, and applicable to a range of situations, as in his summary of the important points to research before jumping into different leases (retail spaces should always be tailored to location, he writes, while industrial areas can focus more on specifics like ceiling height or access to roll-up doors).
For readers who want to move into sales techniques, Okun delves into those waters as well, sharing his own sales training and a five-step model—complete with sample open and closed-ended questions—to help followers close deals more effectively. He wraps each chapter with a mini quiz designed to enhance information retention (answers are included at the end of the book) and closes with an exhaustive glossary of relevant terms. Throughout, his central emphasis on setup as the key to success—“for every type of property, there are specific items that you will need BEFORE you try to assess and value a property”—is persuasive, and readers will leave feeling knowledgeable, capable, and prepared.
Takeaway: Down-to-earth guidance on commercial real estate development.
Comparable Titles: Robert A. Wehrmeyer’s The Complete Guide to Developing Commercial Real Estate, Rob Finlay’s Beyond the Building.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
