Leasing entire buildings: results speak for themselves.

The commercial real estate market is tight: vacancy rates are lower than they've been in decades and brokers are vying to represent fewer and fewer spaces.

Brokers may talk about what sets them apart from the pack and spend thousands of dollars on advertising, but results should speak for themselves. When selecting a brokerage to rent out a building, we feel landlords should look for consistent results; at Adams & Co., we're confident that we can stand on our results alone.

Recently, a landlord on West 36th Street contacted us to see if we could rent the available space in his building. In just over a month, we were able to strike deals for all the available floors, representing both the tenant and landlord in every transaction, and lease the entire building. All the while, the building next door sat with vacancies that still exist.

What enabled us to rent the space in such a short period of time and for such prime rates? What set this building apart from the one next door that is still unfilled? The neighboring building wasn't much different, but this property revealed that a first-rate brokerage firm can make all the difference in the world.

We believe that teamwork--sharing resources, expertise and experience--was a critical factor in our success in renting the entire building. One broker could easily know of a tenant looking for the exact type of space another broker is trying to lease, but if they don't take the time to share information or brainstorm creative solutions for tenants with special needs, the deals might never take shape. We approached the 36th Street property from different angles, and the landlord got the benefit of both. We believe it is extremely important to give each client every advantage by making sure we work together--from the principals who have decades of experience to the young brokers who bring a fresh perspective to the business.

This emphasis on teamwork and results has helped Adams to build a reputation with landlords, and that reputation in turn has generated more requests to rent buildings.

An owner of a similar building on 28th Street hired us as well, and within four months, was able to add a fully rented building to his portfolio. Most recently, the owner of a 39th Street building asked us to lease his whole building, and we're confident we'll have the same success for him.

The lesson we take from these successes is that commitment, integrity and consistency matter. We didn't develop our reputation or expertise overnight; Adams & Co. was established more than 85 years ago and still operates with the same level of integrity and commitment to results that brought us this far. Good brokers aren't just in the business to earn a quick buck--they're in it for the long haul and will take the time to develop relationships with landlords and tenants. They will generously share information, time and advice with their colleagues.

We think every landlord who is deciding what brokerage firm to retain for their buildings should take care to look for these intangible qualities, not just hide behind a name.

When a firm's track record recommends them and they display unique teamwork, you can be confident they will find good tenants and ink top-dollar leases for your properties.

BY JEFF BUSLIK AND ALAN BONETT, ADAMS & CO. REAL ESTATE

Jeff Buslik is an associate director and Alan Bonett is a senior managing director with Adams & Co. Real Estate.