Every retail property owner knows the journey. Your once-thriving shopping center starts showing symptoms, and suddenly you’re Elisabeth Kübler-Ross with a commercial mortgage. Let’s walk through the stages together – misery loves company, but profitable transformation loves professional guidance.
Stage 1: Denial
“The anchor tenant isn’t really leaving. They’re just… reorganizing. For the third time. This year.” You convince yourself that Radio Shack will make a comeback. You ignore the tumbleweeds in the parking lot. That Amazon fulfillment center being built nearby? Totally unrelated to your problems.
Stage 2: Anger
You’ve entered the “kids these days” phase. Why don’t millennials appreciate the joy of walking through a half-empty mall? Don’t they understand that online shopping lacks the ambiance of flickering fluorescent lights and muzak? You may have written strongly-worded letters to Jeff Bezos. We understand.
Stage 3: Bargaining
“If I just add food trucks on Fridays, everything will turn around.” You’ve considered every possible tenant: escape rooms, CBD stores, another CBD store, maybe a combination CBD-escape room? You’ve definitely Googled “is pickleball profitable” at 2 AM.
Stage 4: Depression
The financial statements don’t lie. Your property’s occupancy rate has more holes than Swiss cheese. You’ve started naming the pigeons that nest in the former Macy’s. The only consistent tenant is that guy teaching martial arts in what used to be a Subway.
Stage 5: Acceptance (The Plot Twist)
Here’s where the story changes. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up – it means embracing transformation. That empty anchor store? Perfect for medical offices. The struggling food court? Ideal for a co-working space. Your “dead” mall? Prime candidate for mixed-use redevelopment.
The truth? Every successful property transformation starts with accepting reality, then aggressively pursuing opportunity. Your retail property isn’t dying; it’s evolving. Sometimes evolution needs a catalyst.
Williams Capital Advisors specializes in guiding property owners from grief to growth.
We’ve helped hundreds of owners transform denial into decisive action and depression into solid returns.
Ready to skip straight to profitable acceptance?
Call (213) 880-8107 or email francisco.williams@williamscap.ai.
Visit williamscapitaladvisors.com to learn how we turn the five stages of grief into five steps to success.
