22 Aug How ELIFIN® Negotiated a Land Exchange to Save a Baton Rouge Warehouse Deal

Alex Ruch of ELIFIN® represented the buyer in the successful acquisition of the ±5,000 SF warehouse located at 10441 Mammoth Ave in Baton Rouge, LA.

Challenge

A survey conducted during due diligence revealed that a portion of the land being advertised as part of the property was not actually included in the parcel. For most buyers that might have been a manageable discovery, but for this buyer it was a significant problem. The laydown yard in the rear of the property was a central part of what made the site work for his intended use, and without it the property was materially less valuable to him.

Strategy

Alex moved on two fronts simultaneously. He negotiated a price reduction that reflected the discrepancy between what had been advertised and what the survey confirmed, making sure the buyer was not paying for land he was not receiving. At the same time, Alex reached out directly to the neighboring property owner in the rear to explore a land exchange that could restore the yard the buyer had originally counted on. The dual approach gave the buyer the best possible chance of getting the site he thought he was acquiring at a price that accounted for the reality of what was there.

Result

The transaction closed with the buyer securing the property and the laydown yard he needed, without having to pay twice for it. What could have been a deal-ending discovery during due diligence was converted into a resolved transaction through proactive negotiation on both the price and the land itself. The buyer walked away with a site he was genuinely excited about, and Alex delivered a close that required turning a material due diligence setback into a resolved transaction without losing the piece of the property that made the deal worth doing in the first place.

Leading Agent

Alex Ruch