For clients requesting a turnkey service, WDGC will provide a full complement of Real Estate assessment, negotiation, and acquisition services. These can apply to manufacturing plants, distribution centers, offices, and other corporate facilities. A nationally recognized expert in the field with 30+ years’ experience leads WDGC’s Real estate services team.
Real Estate Search Guidelines
- Type of use
- Timing and method of delivery
- Property size (acreage or square footage) and configuration
- Building and construction specifications
- Utility requirements
- Zoning and permitting
- Compatibility of nearby uses
- Environmental sustainability
- Access (road, rail, air, port)
- Workforce penetration and proximity to labor competitors
- Preferences pertaining to:
- Existing building vs land site
- Ownership vs lease
- Shared business/industrial park vs standalone site
- Sole occupancy vs multi-tenant building
Once the requirements are documented, WDGC prioritizes the timing and focus of the Site Search or Building Search within the broader location selection process. In general, the more complex or Time Sensitive the requirement, the more weight Real Estate is given early in the search process. The Real Estate Assessment process commences once a Longlist of qualified communities has been identified.
WDGC obtains current and localized Real Estate Market Data from a variety of sources, including our state and local economic development networks, past project site inventories, Property Databases, and in-market real estate experts. We can work in partnership with your internal real estate team and service providers or act as your primary Real Estate Advisor throughout the site selection process.
It’s important to channel the property search within the context of project success factors. It is often important to orchestrate the Real Estate Transaction within and as part of the Economic Incentives Negotiation activity. WDGC works with our clients throughout the process to assure that the real estate solution is completely in line with the Business Case.
real estate Project Coordination
WDGC coordinates various Workstreams necessary to reach the Construction Phase. We also provide direct support to the Workstream Leader when requested. In effect, WDGC can assume the role of quarterback for Due Diligence tasks necessary to conclude the Real Estate Site Selection effort. Workstream Coordination, depending on nature of the project, can include the following:
- Real Estate
- Incentives
- Finance
- Taxation
- Engineering
- Environmental
- Legal
- Human Resources
- Technology
- Risk
- Corporate Affairs
real estate Implementation Team Selection
WDGC has the expertise to identify, recommend, and integrate key Vendors for project delivery, using our Real Estate and Construction Industry Networks in conjunction with our impartial selection methodologies. These include:
- Site Engineering & Facility Design Experts
- Construction Management
- Human Resource Services
- Tax and Legal Professionals
real estate Portfolio Optimization
Often, our corporate clients have a need to review their broader Real Estate Portfolio in the context of workforce expansion/reduction; or rationalization in the context of Mergers, Acquisitions, market changes and other factors that impact the geographic corporate footprint. To maximize the result of the Real Estate Site Selection Process, speak to a WDGC site selection consultant today.
WDGC typically functions as a member of a Multi-Discipline Team to advise clients on Real Estate Portfolio Optimization (or Footprint Optimization). This can embrace global, regional, or national corporate footprints.
We are most frequently tasked with providing Labor Market Analytics for all facility locations included in the optimization exercise. Sometimes this will embrace adding “Greenfield” or new locations for Location Benchmarking purposes.
Additional analytical tasks that we have performed as part of a Real Estate Portfolio Optimization team include Freight Cost, Disaster Risk, and Economic Development Incentives.
We're Here to Help
WDGC stands ready to guide you through the alignment process to ensure that the overall site selection process advances your business objectives. Our role is flexible, we can either lead to the study team or provide selected expertise (e.g., labor market metrics) as a dedicated team member.