Seeking strategic neighbors.

Location. Location. Location. Working with real estate associations for the past 13 years, I am certainly familiar with what is said to be the most important property feature. I would suggest that, for the small association, seeking strategic neighbors is the best way to achieve curb appeal the association way.

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At the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, our offices are located in the same building as the copy center and technology firm that we rely on to drive major association services. Being in this location has increased our productivity and our bottom line.

More often than not, associations with small staffs are pinching pennies in every area and are operating out of space they do not own. When circumstances dictate a move for your association and you begin shopping for that new home, in addition to the cost per square foot, consider who your neighbors might be. Here are some tips for making an advantageous move.

Evaluate the benefits of locating your offices near your service providers. Because you do not have a large staff or budget, chances are you outsource many of the services that support the administration of your group and drive your member services. For instance, it is likely that your copier is adequate for day-to-day jobs, but for large projects and special features such as binding, you make a trip to a local copy center. And while you may be able to modify your Web site and troubleshoot your computer hardware and software, you likely have to call an outside professional to provide higher-level services. How much time and money would you save if those people were next door?

Be open to other less traditional alternatives for office space. You may find that locating next to a firm that provides specific services for you, such as a meeting planner or travel agency, is enough to increase your productivity and your bottom line. You may also find that you need a variety of services, and locating next to an association management company is the fit that makes sense for your association.

You might even consider going so far as to locate next to or even inside the offices of one of your members--especially if your association's culture will allow that member to donate office space, use of equipment, staff support, or simply expertise in your association's content areas.

Take advantage of your nimbleness as a small association--your ability to pick up your operation and put it where it makes the best use of your human and fiscal resources. You may find that you decrease the stress level of everyone in your office while increasing the time and money you have to get things done, which can be worth more than a prestigious address or a great view.

--Craig Cheatham, CAE, executive vice president, Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, Montgomery, Alabama (staff size: 2; annual operating budget: $660,000); [e-mail]