Donaldsons' new deal
Donaldsons Polska, a firm specializing in comprehensive consulting and managment services for the commercial-property market, has extended the range of its services to include the retail-leasing sector.
Donaldson Polska's principal activity as an independent advisor has been the management of over 470,000 sqm of commercial space and more than 850 rental agreements, based mainly in shopping centers but also includes distribution centers, the Holland Park office building in Warsaw and firms like ING Real Estate Investment Management and Balmain Asset Management.
In response to evolving market conditions, Donaldsons is offering a comprehensive approach to portfolio management that aims to maximize the end value of real-estate assets.
"The last two years have brought an increased demand for consulting services in the scope of commercialization, in particular the recommercialization [renewing expiring leases, replacing tenants and improving the the tenancy structure] of shopping centers entering their maturity period," says Marta Burek, development and marketing director at Donaldsons Polska. Many of the initial five-year contracts are nearing their expiration dates and many companies are seeking advice from experts in the field on how to take advantage of their position in the market.
A new department has been created at Donaldsons Polska, run by Marta Burek, to address this demand. Jolanta Wawrzyszuk has been appointed the manager of the commercial consulting team, which works closely with clients to advise them on recommercialization as part of a business plan developed for particular shopping centers in cooperation with Donaldsons asset-management department.
Donaldsons also handles contract negotiations and leasing management for the firms in its portfolio. It relies heavily on consumer feedback in order to evaluate present and potential retail tenants and provide recommendations to its clients.
"We face the task of creating a product that will meet the expectations of all three parties: the consumer, the investor and the tenant," says Wawrzyszuk.
Both Wawrzyszuk and Burek believe the department will grow in line with the development of the lively retail sector. Donaldsons Polska is currently providing services to six shopping centers and is negotiating agreements with several potential clients.
