09/12/2026
A $14,500,000 Building Was Completely Vandalized While in Escrow!
My client called and said, “Stephen, do you know anything about refrigerated commercial buildings?”
😳 “Yes!”
Truthfully, I had no idea where to begin, but it’s not in my blood to say no to an opportunity like this.
He owned a 42,000-square-foot refrigerated building on 2.5 acres and needed to sell it so he could complete a 1031 exchange into another property in New Jersey. He also lived in another country, which made everything more complicated.
After hanging up, I thought, “It’s go time!”
I reached out to my manager, who introduced me to Essi, our commercial real estate expert. Essi knew refrigerated buildings inside and out. He also shared the same culture as my client, which helped us establish trust and land the listing.
The property had already been on the market with another agent for nearly a year. It was also occupied by a world-renowned company with armed security and two years remaining on its lease.
Still, within 30 days, we found a buyer who wanted the building delivered vacant.
We carefully negotiated an agreement that protected everyone. Then, two weeks into the buyer’s due-diligence period, we arrived at the property and discovered that security was gone, the tenant had vacated, and the building had been vandalized.
The utilities and insurance had also been shut off without anyone notifying us.
For a moment, the entire transaction and our client’s 1031 exchange were in jeopardy.
Essi and I created an emergency plan within 30 minutes. Our client was understandably furious, but we remained calm and immediately went to work.
Within one week, we secured the property, restored operations, and got the entire facility running again.
Most importantly, we closed escrow on time!
Real estate isn’t about always having every answer. It’s about building the right team, staying calm under pressure, and finding solutions when everything appears to be falling apart.
Selling an investment or commercial property? DM me “1031” and let’s create a strategy to protect your investment.