09/02/2026
Building The Steady Edit | Camden Steady has changed the way I see commercial real estate.
Before opening my own studio, I understood commercial real estate from the advisor’s side. Now I understand what it’s like to be the business owner on the other side of the lease, too. That changes things.
Quite. A. Bit.
I’ve experienced the excitement of entering the new space…and the anxiety of wondering whether the numbers will work.
I’ve thought about every square foot differently. I’ve worried about TI costs, visibility, parking, accessibility, customer experience, occupancy, and whether the location and surrounding business community are actually conducive to the business’s growth (pauses to chuckle at the irony of building a wellness business in a market seemingly overflowing with v**e shops).
And I’ve learned that a space must not only be a good property aesthetically and functionally, but truly meet the unique needs of the business operating within it.
Having this perspective has made me a stronger commercial real estate advisor.
I have a much deeper appreciation for the fact that behind every commercial lease is someone taking a risk, investing their time and money, and actively working to build something.
I have a much better understanding of what it means, as an advisor, to “know the market” and the value it gives your clients.
The building matters, absolutely. But it’s much more nuanced than that.
I’m not sure that I’d have fully understood this without becoming a business owner myself.
