From renter to owner: four years, two deals, and no direct fee.
Victory CRE represented Jeff Houpt of Automation Integrated in two deals over four years: a lease in 2019 and the 2023 purchase of a 12,812 SF industrial building at 4730 SW 20th Street in Oklahoma City for $1.35 million.
By Tom H. Vaught, SIOR ·
In early 2019, Jeff Houpt was running a fast-growing building-technology firm out of a worn-down office near the airport, his first space outside the garage, full of deferred maintenance. He was introduced to us through one of his employees. Over the next four years, we'd move him twice: first into a space worthy of his business, then into a building he owns.
Get out of the wrong space.
Jeff's office near the airport was holding the company back: deferred maintenance, the wrong environment for a growing tech firm. We toured several options and landed a quality 7,942 SF office/warehouse lease at 235 N MacArthur, with room to operate and a four-year runway. We negotiated three months of free rent and a cap on Jeff's repair costs, and that cap came into play during the lease. The landlord paid our commission.
Build the business.
Over the next four years, Jeff fulfilled the full lease term while Automation Integrated scaled, taking on bigger projects, hiring, and investing in the company. The space did its job: it gave the business room to become what it is today.
Find the building worth owning.
When Jeff was ready to buy, we searched patiently for a building that fit a technology-and-integration business, not just any warehouse. After a long hunt, 4730 SW 20th Street came up: a 12,812 SF industrial property with office, warehouse, and a garage/workshop, near the airport between I-40 and Airport Road. The perfect fit.
Own it, with no direct fee.
We negotiated and closed the purchase at $1,351,735. Jeff went from renting a deteriorating space to owning a building that, in his words, makes him smile every time he pulls into the parking lot. We also negotiated a price reduction during inspections. Across four years and two transactions, he never wrote us a check: the landlord paid our commission on the lease, and the seller paid it on the purchase.
"Tom is the best. I've used him for years. He helped negotiate a fantastic lease rate for my last office. He worked with my team for a year and a half to find the perfect building and helped us negotiate a price that makes me smile every time I pull in the parking lot."
Jeff got a veteran real estate professional in his corner for four years, through a lease and a purchase, without ever writing us a check. That's the model: business owners are our focus, and our commission comes through the deal.Tom H. Vaught, SIOR · Victory CRE
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