Dear Al,
I found out late Friday that you are declining to pursue my offer to purchase your building. An investor wants to buy several buildings from you.
Admittedly, I know very little about the commercial real estate business. I don’t know how long you’ve owned these buildings, what your hopes for them may be, or what personal/business goals you are hoping to move toward by selling this group of buildings right now. I don’t know the investor or what he values; I don’t know his plans, goals, or dreams.
I know this is likely a transaction to you. In case it matters, I want to tell you about what’s underneath this for me and my company. To us, this is bigger than a transaction — it represents a unique vision for the future we want to create.
The Bigger Picture
Buying your building is the next part of my unfolding vision to create opportunities for others. Since people spend so much time at work, the location where we work matters.
When I walk into your building on W. Dean, I feel a sense of home, and I see a compelling future.
I see myself sitting on a stool with a steaming mug of coffee. It’s still dark outside and I can see the lines of traffic waiting to enter the high school parking lot. We’ve installed new soffit lights on the building, and I drop my daughters off at school before rounding the block to get to work. My team will be arriving at work soon but right now, it’s only me, my coffee, and my MacBook.
I see every office space occupied and bustling. We’re busy on our computers, or we’re gathering in the loft to brainstorm new ideas, drawing out elaborate plans on our whiteboards.
I see a row of crock pots lined up on the long counter: our team loves to gather to eat together, and I picture us gathering in the expansive space, laughing while taking a break from our work.
I see a row of posters lining the wall up the stairs. I’ve been in business for nearly 8 years. We have posters for each year of the business, celebrating the books we’ve launched.
I see myself walking outside the front door to look to the east for another magnificent sunrise. I’ve changed into my running clothes and I’m crossing the street carefully to pound out a few miles on the track before returning to work to shower and meet my first client of the day on a video call.
Envisioning the Future
I see construction dust; we’ve been working in the building for a year or two and it’s time to break down walls and expand to fill more of the building. My greatest joy in my business is creating opportunities for others and I see both front units of the building occupied by the new team members I’ll hire as my team grows.
I don’t know yet who the people are who I’ll hire as my team expands, but I know what they’re like. They value flexibility; they’re juggling work and family life. They’re creative and disciplined. They value relationships. When they join my team, they feel like they’ve started working with lifelong friends, family even. When they walk through the doors of our office, they feel a sense of home.
I’ve lived in Bedford for a decade, and I’m here to stay. I’m looking for a place to move my company, to grow my business, and to create and sustain jobs for people in our community.
Is it too late to reconsider our offer?
I hope your letter changes the trajectory of Al’s future sale. I hope your current employees and future employees live this vision with you.