The Twenty Percent

For this assignment, I worked with the same entrepreneur I did in my previous interview, Jason Tobin of Tobin Properties. He told me that their target demographic, as a company that provides commercial leasing, tends to me small business owners of a variety of backgrounds, and occasionally larger stores and companies. The primary needs of this customer base include vigilant upkeep and security of the surrounding storefronts, and responsiveness when contacted with issues. These customers tend to come to the company seeking to lease real estate, after seeing either advertisements on site or in papers.

I spoke with 3 businesses at a local strip mall operated by Tobin Properties, including a cell phone repair shop, a hairdresser, and a pool supply store. All three said that their primary desire out of a commercial landlord is responsiveness, as they had previously encountered trouble from absentee landlords who did not deal with disputes in a timely fashion. Additionally, upkeep up parking lots and lighting fixtures was important to keep the storefronts looking attractive and open to potential customers.

From my interviews, it would seem Tobin Properties has a very good grasp on what their customers desire in the commercial leasing business. This is to be expected, as it is a family business that has been operated for generations in the same area, so this kind of expertise is to be expected. Unfortunately, Jason Tobin was unavailable for video interview due to time constraints and other obligations, and none of the stores that were willing to speak with me were willing to do a video interview due to privacy concerns.