Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/205938
health, wellness & business ~ The Conrad Group THE CONRAD GROUP: photo by Susan Hagstrom by Suzette Martinez Standring Location, location, location is crucial, and a well-placed business will expand, creating jobs and benefits for the community. Finding the best site or facility requires an expert. For twenty-six years, The Conrad Group has represented commercial tenants, landlords, buyers, and sellers by offering real estate experience, market knowledge, and negotiation skills for both property purchase and leasing. 48 "Presently we have six brokers, each with an average of 25 years experience," said president Bob Conrad, age 61, who founded The Conrad Group in 1987 after a six year career with Coldwell Banker in Boston. The Conrad Group focuses and excels in the following areas: • Commercial leasing of office, industrial and retail buildings; • Commercial property sales for a user as well as an investor; • Specialization in the South Shore market: Quincy to Plymouth, and west from Quincy to Dedham. Conrad said, "Because of that we have a defined area and abundance of market knowledge. We have carved ourselves a niche in South Shore commercial real estate." He shared a fact that would shock most commercial tenants. In the majority of cases, a landlord pays for the services of a commercial real estate broker to represent a tenant in lease negotiations. Repeat: the tenant does not pay for broker representation, yet will derive great benefits, such as up-to-the-minute market knowledge, along with proven negotiating skills, which result in ultimate economic benefits during the course of a lease. "It's the least understood aspect of our business," said Conrad, who serves on the Executive Board of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. The Conrad Group prides itself on not owning any commercial properties, so its brokers work solely on behalf of clients with no conflicts of interest. Conrad offers advice for choosing a business site: Location factors should include proximity to major traffic routes and public transportation, and consideration of the labor force associated with that area. In addition, any future plans for the locale should be examined for their positive or negative effects on a business. A knowledgeable broker will know about such factors.