ASHRAE – The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has played a large role in offering strategies to help lower the spread of the novel Coronavirus. This is not only prudent in today’s pandemic, but highly desirable at all times. Companies and offices have put off updating their HVAC systems due to high cost. But now is the time to put workers and residents’ health above price. Sutton Real Estate has added on new features to our existing systems.

 

Here are a few ways your commercial and residential real estate properties can address the issue.

 

1. Outdoor Air Ventilation – Bringing more fresh air into your building can help dilute infectious diseases. Increase the percentage of outdoor air in your HVAC above the minimum levels, even operating them at 100% outdoor air when conditions allow.

 

2. Portable air cleaners – Utilize portable room air cleaners with HEPA filters to clean during or after occupancy.

 

3. Ultraviolet Energy – ASHRAE recommends the use of UV-C rays where applicable. These can be installed in existing HVAC equipment, ductwork, or near the ceiling in rooms. Proper care must be used to shield the UV-C rays from building personnel, as direct exposure can be harmful to the skin and eyes.

 

4. Automated Systems – Consider updating your controls systems to be able to go into a “COVID Ready” state more easily.

 

5. Temperature and Humidity – It is important to maintain the moisture in the air. Ensuring proper temperature and humidity control can help reduce infection rates. Attempt to keep humidity levels between 40-60%.

 

6. Keep it On or Off? – Keep your HVAC systems running at all times if possible. Allow your ventilation and exhaust systems to run extended hours throughout the day. Bathroom exhaust fans should be left on 24/7.

 

 

Joseph J. Lewis

SIOR, Vice President, Real Estate Broker

 

The information contained in this article is based on data from Trane.com

Sutton Real Estate has closed on the sale of 8701 Henry Clay Blvd. The sale price was $220,000.

The 23.23-acre ball fields formerly known as Santaro’s Softball Fields were sold to MAD Baseball and Softball Academy, LLC – DBA  Legacy Sports Park. The seller was JB Properties of Cicero, LLC.

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At Sutton, we pride ourselves in promoting a culture of inclusiveness, tolerance and equal treatment for all. This holds true in the way we treat our staff and operate our business. We don’t tolerate discrimination in any form and find the recent events disturbing but we are also encouraged that so many people have raised their voices to speak out against racism and the overall inequities that exist in our country.

Diversity is healthy and helps make our company tick. Anything less than treating everyone fairly and equally is unacceptable. We hope the momentum to erase the injustices in our country continues to pick up speed and help heal some of the wounds that have existed in our country for too long.

We encourage people to have an open mind and embrace the values of equality and freedom that make our country so great.

 

Louis G. Fournier

CPM, President

As of June 12th, the Central New York region was approved for Phase 3 Re-opening and we are pleased to announce all our employees have returned to work.

As of June 15th, Sutton’s employees have return to their normal scheduled working hours in our main office. We will continue to follow the recommended re-opening guidelines and follow safety and sanitizing procedures to ensure that we are maintaining a clean and safe workplace. Our office has also re-opened to the public with safety protocols and restrictions in place.

Regarding our properties, our rental offices have re-opened to the public with safety protocols and restrictions in place.

All public and community gathering spaces will continue to be closed to the public until further notice.

Because the safety of our employees is a top priority, we will continue to take sanitizing and disinfecting very seriously in all of our offices and shared spaces. The main office has just completed a substantial upgrade to the HVAC system to ensure optimal air quality in the office. Masks will continue to be required.

At the main office and in each outside property office, we have required our managers to set up a health self-assessment and sanitizing station. Free masks and gloves will continue to be made available to all employees and visitors.

A special thanks to all our employees that worked their regularly scheduled hours in our essential buildings. While some staff were able to work remotely, others were required to staff our medical and residential buildings. Our many thanks to those dedicated employees that kept our buildings operating during the worst of the pandemic.

 

Louis G. Fournier

CPM, President

Written by Joseph J. Lewis, SIOR, Vice President, Real Estate Broker

 

A Commercial Real Estate Broker offers two important things – occupancy and delivery of services. Hiring a Commercial Real Estate Broker to be your tenant representative is more beneficial than you may initially think. If you think you can do it alone, consider the following before tackling the project yourself.

 

1. It won’t cost you any money – When it comes to residential real estate, a hired Broker shares part of the commission with the homeowner. It works the same way in commercial real estate. The Broker representative and the occupier representative share commission. Broker’s are usually compensated by the seller or Landlord’s Broker.

 

1. They will represent the best price AND your best interest – A Landlord might not know some crucial facts about the building but a Broker would, since they have the time to conduct the necessary research. A Landlord might omit disclosing unfavorable things while discussing the property. A Commercial Real Estate Broker will be able to point you in a different direction if the property isn’t quite as advertised. 

 

1. A tenant might want to know what others in the building pay for rent. A Landlord would not usually give up this closely held information since it’s their fiduciary responsibility to get the highest price possible. A Commercial Real Estate Broker can. The benefit here would be making sure you are not getting charged unfairly. The bigger picture? They know what buildings to stay away from based on Landlord reputation. 

 

1. A Commercial Broker knows how to plan a space – Commercial Real Estate Broker’s have connections to outside contractors, architects, and furniture vendors to help you once you’ve decided on a property. Instead of having to do the research on who is the best and who is the most trustworthy, they can do it for you. Not only do they know who the best people are, they also know where to find the best prices.

 

1. A Commercial Broker is better at negotiating – After the final plan comes together, it’s time to negotiate the lease. This can turn out to be much more complex than you might think. You need to get something this important done right the first time. A Broker will know the going rate in the area and can make sure the calculations of the “load factor” are correct. Most tenant occupiers will go through 3-4 leases in the span of their real estate career, whereas a professional Broker does anywhere from 10-15 commercial leases per year. Bottom line: they have more experience than you do. 

 

A Commercial Real Estate Broker’s job doesn’t stop after the tenant moves in. They stay available to review rent charges Landlords make as operating costs of a property increase. They can cap what the Landlord charges and can make sure they are operational expenses, not capital expenses. You can breathe easy knowing you have someone trustworthy to turn to for market information and renewals. Because they are able to do all this, they will be the first ones tenants call when they need more space.