In its June 10, 1956 issue, The Van Nuys (Calif.) News said the three most important things about real estate were location, location, location. Since then this phrase has become the mantra of every Real Estate Professional east and west of the Mississippi!

I would certainly agree with this notion that location is so important that it has to be the first, second, and third priority when considering any real estate purchase or rental.

To clarify this a bit, I would say that, specifically, one’s address is just as important, since an address is what we use to describe or identify our location. And the description of that location can exude confidence, success, longevity, or even instability, unpredictability, flightiness, inexperience, and unreliability.

Consider the following three addresses:

Company A
124 Walnut Dr.
Seattle, WA 98119

Company B
PO Box 159753 PMB 3571
Herndon, VA 22071-2716

Company C
1990 N. California Blvd.
8th Floor
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Which of these would you guess is a little metal box that some guy checks on the way home from his “real” job? Which is the cute three bedroom home with a white picket fence? And which one is the expensive office in a corporate office or campus setting – perhaps a corner window office with a view of the valley?

Now, which company would you rather do business with? Of course, we’re only talking first impression here, but haven’t we been taught that it’s our first impression that really counts?!

An Office Business Center can provide a prestigious address and mail forwarding service for less than $100, a “Virtual Office” presence for $200-300, and a full service Executive Office for $500-1000 per month.

So, next time you hear the phrase “location, location, location”; think to yourself, “address, address, address”!

keithKeith Warner
Managing Partner, Silicon Valley & Marketing

Keith has over 15 years experience as President and co-owner of American Executive Center prior to joining PBC (rebranded as Pacific Workplaces), and is a highly regarded figure in the OBC industry. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Santa Clara University.