Shifting the Balance of Power to Tenants
At Wally & Co. we are passionate about representing office space occupiers – tenants and owners – in the acquisition of space. Our goal is to help you obtain the space that best meets the needs of your business as you define them. From recruiting and retaining the best talent in your industry to presenting the right image to attract specific clients, from finding just the right amount of space to choosing a workplace that facilitates a whole new way of doing business, we can help … and reduce occupancy costs along the way.
Our team has more than 30 years of experience exclusively representing tenants. We’ve done so on behalf of the world’s largest commercial real estate providers representing some of the biggest and best companies in America. It’s these experiences that have led us to offer a personalized approach to working with clients who value relationships and results.
Wally & Co. is an innovator in protecting our clients from an inherently unfair process of acquiring office space that exists because:
Market data is unregulated and unreliable
Landlords and their brokers make the rules and write the leases
They count on tenants’ lack of experience to take advantage
They behave as if tenants have no leverage
Wally & Co. changes all this. We un-bias the market data. We research for deeper insights impacting when you will move and what you need. We challenge landlords, and their brokers, to do it our way. We embrace the adversarial. We can’t be intimidated because the dynamics are different with us.
Unmatched Expertise
Capitalizing on decades of experience in commercial real estate, CEO Chris Wally is widely recognized as an industry expert. He and his team leverage their extensive knowledge to the benefit of clients through his unique guide, The 25 Gotcha’s Hiding in Your Lease. Owing to his specific niche in tenant representation, Chris has his finger on the pulse of trends — and he knows how to use them to his clients’ advantage. He is sought after as an industry commentator by media outlets local and nationwide.
The effects of the coronavirus on leasing loom large. Get an inside look at Chris’s thought on what trends to expect as companies debate whether and how to return to the office after months of working from home.
Office brokers don’t expect a return to normal anytime soon
Read about de-densification of office space and a potential trend of opening more suburban offices.
Reopening KC: Offices ease into a changing reality, with safety atop the list
Learn how employers plan to assess what working conditions employees will be comfortable with before bringing them back to the office.
Key Client Services
Reduce occupancy costs – HOW TO avoid The 25 “Gotcha’s”
Gotcha’s are the financial components of a lease that you may not know exist or don’t think affect you. Try this test. Ask anyone in commercial real estate what the financial components of a lease are. They’ll come back with an answer like, “Rent, operating expenses, tenant finish allowance … and … parking …. I think that’s it.”
Ask us the same question, and we’ll show you there are actually 25 components in a typical commercial lease that will have an economic impact. Often times, these components are buried in the lease and can easily get missed — or left out of your lease altogether! Finding and evaluating the 25 components can save you tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Realize space is a recruiting and retention tool
Virtually every study about the biggest challenges corporations face today puts attracting and retaining talent at the top of the list. Your workplace plays a key role in helping you win the talent war.
Wally & Co. has worked closely with numerous HR teams and space planners to consider how physical location, interior design, image, health and wellness, and more align to make your firm competitive in the talent war.
coordinate Project Management – Control the black hole of tenant finish allowances
Tenant finish allowances, along with rent and operating expenses, are one of the biggest budget items in an office lease … and laden with ways to get abused.
We answer important questions to get to the heart of the matter, including: How is the total allowance calculated? Is the space in “shell” condition or does it need demolition of existing improvements? Is the job cost calculated on a unit price basis or competitively bid? Does the landlord charge a project management fee? Who is that project manager loyal to?
The answers allow us to negotiate on your behalf for the terms you want.
Create and Maintain agility
Agility is the new buzzword in commercial real estate. It’s what McKinsey’s Global Survey calls “the ability to quickly reconfigure strategy, structure, processes, people and technology toward value-creating and value-protecting opportunities.” Wally & Co. has long sought to support agility with “flexibility options” to grow, shrink, renew, terminate or reconfigure real estate.
Undo the “landlord centric” control of Real estate market data
Commercial real estate market data is compiled by the big real estate providers. Their information is unregulated, inconsistent and inaccurate. Market data is further distorted by its singular focus on vacancy (supply) while tenant demand is ignored. Comparable lease information is incomplete and meaningless. A George Washington University study described it this way: “This condition of asymmetrical information supports the interests of landlords and their brokers to the detriment of tenants.”
Wally & Co. will un-bias the market data. We research data specific to when you will move that analyzes future vacancy, shadow vacancy and sublease vacancy; demand and absorption; and market trends.
Select Clients
Kansas City Headquarters
- JPMORGAN RETIREMENT SERVICES
- NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NCAA)
- MIDWEST TRUST COMPANY
- GEORGE K. BAUM & COMPANY
- CBIZ MHM
- VARIFORM, INC.
- PNC MIDLAND LOAN SERVICES
- DEBRUCE GRAIN
National Offices
- CHUBB INSURANCE
- PRESCRIPTION SOLUTIONS
- HOME CREDIT
- HYLAND SOFTWARE
- VERIZON
- ZURICH/FARMERS
- WELLS FARGO
Legal Clients
- LATHROP & GAGE
- BERKOWITZ OLIVER
- STEWART WALD MCCULLEY
- MORRISON & HECKER
- FERREE & BUNN
Not-For-Profit Organizations
- CIVIC COUNCIL OF GREATER KANSAS CITY
- WOMEN’S FOUNDATION
- THE SUNDERLAND FOUNDATION
- PREPKC
- THE JUNIOR LEAGUE
Testimonials
10 Reasons to Choose Wally & Co. for Securing the Space You Need to Succeed
EXPERTISE AND LOYALTY – Just like you need an attorney in a lawsuit, you need a tenant broker representing you in your search for the right office space.
NO EXTRA COST TO YOU – The same commission is paid whether you have your own broker or not, so why not level the playing field?
PROTECTION FROM THE 25 GOTCHA’S – Identify and understand the hidden costs of a real estate transaction to avoid unpleasant surprises.
AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR PREFERRED OUTCOME – We don’t back down against “the big guys” but instead bring a different dynamic to the negotiating table that gets meaningful results every time.
TIME SAVINGS – Stay focused on your core business while you let us do what we do best; utilize our “in the trenches” experience on your behalf.
LEASE REVIEW – We will read and redline every lease draft (which typically averages 50+ pages) along with your attorney.
UNIQUE OUTCOMES – Choose a real estate partner who recognizes that each office building is as unique your business and can match you with your ideal solution.
TEAM EFFORT – We’re well versed in including architects, engineers, project managers, contractors, furniture vendors and more into your project team for streamlined communication and results-driven outcomes.
LASTING PARTNERSHIP – Long after the lease is signed, we will be there to answer the inevitable questions that will arise during your tenancy.
LESS STRESS & MORE FUN – Many of our clients have become repeat clients and friends because we strive to make the process of working together enjoyable and hassle-free.
Let's Chat.
(Regardless of when your lease expires.)
Email or call us to talk about making a no obligation appointment.