---
title: "The Fix: Your Office Space Ally"
id: "16160"
type: "post"
slug: "the-fix-your-office-space-ally"
published_at: "2013-03-01T09:30:37+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:46:08+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/01/the-fix-your-office-space-ally/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/03/01/the-fix-your-office-space-ally.md"
excerpt: "When looking for prime commercial real estate, what should you consider before hiring a broker?"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Ethics"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "brokerage"
  - "Business"
  - "conflict of interest"
  - "Real Estate"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "C-Level"
  - "Executive Team"
  - "VP"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Executive Leadership"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
 » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/)
 » The Fix: Your Office Space Ally

Real estate is probably the largest single financial commitment an organization makes, says Thomas Fulcher, executive vice president at Studley, a commercial real estate firm. So it’s important to find a broker with your best interests at heart.

**Why hire a commercial real estate broker?**

I think not having one is kind of like going to a murder trial without your lawyer. The whole market around commercial real estate is complicated, and the level of knowledge needed to know that you’re getting a good price and that you’re getting the appropriate deal requires a level of expertise that someone coming in from the cold wouldn’t have.

**What should you look for in a broker?**  
 Someone you can trust, someone who knows the market, and someone who is an effective communicator.You need someone who can understand what your needs are and then can communicate them effectively to people on the other side—to the different landlords. And you need them to be able to communicate with your board.

**What potential conflicts of interest can arise between a client and a real estate broker?**

The way broker compensation works, the more space you take, the more money a broker makes, so you want someone who will look after your interests. You also don’t want to have your broker representing both sides of the transaction. If you’ve got someone who’s representing the landlord as well, you are probably always concerned about whose best interest they are looking out for.

Thomas Fulcher, executive vice president at Studley.

[ASAE Staff](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/)

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/asae-staff/)

Tags: [#brokerage](https://associationsnow.com/tag/brokerage/)
 [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/)
 [#conflict of interest](https://associationsnow.com/tag/conflict-of-interest/)
 [#Real Estate](https://associationsnow.com/tag/real-estate/)

**Stay Informed**

[Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/)
, *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day.

## You Might Like

- [TemplateMembers onlyConflict of Interest Disclosure StatementSeptember 18, 2008](https://associationsnow.com/2008/09/18/conflict-of-interest-disclosure-statement/)
- [TemplateMembers onlyEmployee Conflict of Interest PolicyJanuary 11, 2007](https://associationsnow.com/2007/01/11/employee-conflict-of-interest-policy/)
- [TemplateMembers onlyASGE Cross Organizational PolicyJune 15, 2018](https://associationsnow.com/2018/06/15/asge-cross-organizational-policy/)
- [TemplateMembers onlyNATA Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality PolicyAugust 29, 2008](https://associationsnow.com/2008/08/29/nata-conflict-of-interest-and-confidentiality-policy/)

## Comments

**Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/)

[Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F03%2F01%2Fthe-fix-your-office-space-ally%2F%23comments)
 to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/)
!