Advisors Quadruple Building Value for Seller With Long-term Lease

Real estate advisors Matthew Bonnnett and Baker Townsend successfully represented the seller, Lands End Capital, in a $1.15 million transaction earlier this month. But that’s just part of the story. 

In 2024, Lands End Capital was in escrow to buy the building at 1127 S. Chattanooga St., LaFayette, Georgia.

“We originally planned to purchase this industrial property from the seller, but it was vacant and in need of repairs,” said Maarten Deschaumes, Managing Partner at Lands End Capital. “We had to determine how much we were willing to spend on both the purchase and the improvements. Typically, when we acquire a building, we either have a tenant in place or have a plan to secure one. While we were in escrow, Baker and Matthew went out prospecting and successfully found a suitable tenant,” Deschaumes said.

The two agents secured a long-term lease with GE Electric, a Fortune 500 company.  

“A vacant building can only achieve a limited value, but a fully leased property truly delivers a return on investment to an end investor. Their efforts significantly boosted the property’s valuation and our return,” added Deschaumes. 

With the tenant in place, the team set about securing a buyer for the building as a fully leased net investment. The team secured a buyer at $1.15 million.

“Many brokers and agents tend to take a reactive approach in commercial real estate—waiting for opportunities to come their way and limiting marketing to LoopNet and Crexi. However, the team at Second Story is highly proactive. With a solid marketing strategy in place, this deal became a home run for us. They even went as far as meeting warehouse managers in person to effectively pitch our property. It’s a challenging process, and they executed it exceptionally well,” said Deschaumes.

The industrial market requires a unique approach to commercial real estate.

“The North Georgia real estate market is about shaking hands, meeting people face-to-face,” said agent Baker Townsend. “They don’t actively track online listings like some other markets. We bring value by presenting business owners with growth and expansion opportunities before they even start considering their space needs or a location change.”

This isn’t the first transaction that Lands End Capital completed with the SVN | Second Story team. 

“The SVN | Second Story team was instrumental throughout the entire process—from facilitating the initial purchase to securing the lease and eventually selling the property. Their ability to see the bigger picture and deliver true value is why we continue to work with them,” Deschaumes added. 

Lands End Capital Partners is a real estate investment management firm that prioritizes essential real estate investments on behalf of institutional investors.

Ready to make an investment purchase or need to secure a long-term tenant for a property you own? Reach out to the commercial real estate brokers at SVN |Second Story to get started.