This section considers the history of tenants who previously occupy the retail space you are considering and special issues for a new center. Once a space has made it to the "short list", research why the previous tenant left the retail space. If it was a location for a chain which filed for bankruptcy or an individual who retired and shut down the store, it is not too troubling.

However, if it is someone who operated a business similar to the one you are contemplating, and the business fails, serious due diligence is appropriate. In this event, you should attempt to speak to the proprietor who previously occupied the space. You may also want to speak to the tenant who occupied the space prior to him. Visiting with other tenants regarding the history of the space as well as the history of the center and the prosperity of their businesses can provide excellent insights.

If you are considering renting space in a proposed shopping center, serious caution is warranted. Is the concept or theme for the shopping center tested? Or is the developer trying to introduce a new team or mix of businesses for this retail property. There is clearly much higher risk that the property will not be successful if the owner is experimenting with a new concept. While you may decide it is the ideal location for your retail space, be aware that the risk of a poorly performing retail center is higher with an experimental concept.

You will certainly want to research which other tenants have committed to the shopping center. If nationally recognized retailers have committed to lease in the shopping center, you can feel comfortable that they had done meaningful due diligence and believe the concept is workable.

Separately, what is the developer's experience? Is this his first retail development or has he developed 10 or 20 properties over the last five years? If the proposed property is a retail strip center, and the fundamental characteristics of the center are sound, leasing from an inexperienced developer is probably a reasonable risk. Also consider obtaining the work history or résumé of the developer. Does his recent history indicate a pattern of successes or failures?

Desirable characteristics for a retail strip center include a hard corner location, space which is parallel to at least one of the streets, and a relatively modest size (perhaps 10,000 or 20,000 ft.²). Ideally, it would also have an anchor tenant, perhaps a nationally recognized convenience store. However, many strip centers do not have an anchor tenant.

Renting space from an inexperienced developer building an experimental concept is probably taking an unnecessary and inappropriate level of risk.