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But
with this extra time on my hands - I’ve reflected upon things we took for
granted pre-Covid 19. Indulge me, while I share a few.
Personal interaction. I am very social! My wife and kids
- and now grandkids - understand it takes Dad/Papa fifteen minutes to leave any
social gathering - and they plan accordingly. Missed are the jaunts to
Disneyland, Thursday night movies, church, impromptu gatherings, and chance
encounters with friends and neighbors while out and about. The “dial tone” of
our days has disappeared.
Face-to-face meetings. I must say, I’m a big fan of
ZOOM and employ it frequently. Nothing, however, replaces a handshake, walk to
a boardroom, “would you like coffee or water?” and the ensuing exchange. My
goal - pre-Covid - was at least three of these prospect meetings weekly. It’s a
bit trickier to gain traction with an owner only to ask - “mind if we jump on a
ZOOM?”
Networking events. SIOR, NAIOP, IREM, and countless
smaller commercial real estate related gatherings stopped dead in mid-March.
Ironically, my pre-virus schedule was flooded with such events - maybe triple
normal. Attended in the first 75 days of 2020 were more than a typical full
year. Looking back - I’m glad I did. Who knows when these will resume.
The BUZZ of our office. Phones ringing, mourning a
cratered deal, celebrating a closing, package assembly for a big tour, award
lunches with a full conference room, rehearsing for a major pitch, staff drama
- have nothing on The Office! Steve Carell as Michael Scott would be envious.
Transactional flow. Deals! Sure. There is some activity
- and I’m grateful to those clients who are braving the new normal to transact.
But our trajectory pre-lockdown was nothing short of an Apollo moonshot.
Houston - we have a problem! I knew the music would stop - actually wrote about
it here. Warned against was that Black Swan event that would rankle our status
quo. Welcome to 2020 and the microscopic economic assassin.
Open houses. These were just fun! Gather a group
of middle-aged professionals in a newly constructed project, mix in a food
truck and some cash giveaways and voila! Let the games begin. Although less
frequent than the go-go days of the construction fueled 1990’s - open houses
provided a respite from the grind and allowed us to greet our fellow warriors
on neutral ground. Logoed masks will soon replace cash as giveaways - when open
houses return.
Building tours without restriction. Yesterday, I
requested a tour of an under construction project in an inland city. The
response I received was akin to a PPP loan application. Wow! Hard hats, masks,
reflective vests, gloves, 24 hour notice, only two people at a time on site,
closed toed shoes, next of kin, date of birth, any prior arrests - you get the
idea. Gone are the days where you could stroll by the super’s trailer and take
a look.
HAIRCUTS! I’m envious our governor is so neatly coiffed. I’ll leave
it there.
Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, is a principal with Lee &
Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Orange. He can be reached
at abuchanan@lee-associates.com or 714.564.7104. His
website is allencbuchanan.blogspot.com.