How is healthcare commercial real-estate different?

Question

I'm a newbie commercial healthcare realtor. I'm trying to get a good grasp of how healthcare commercial real-estate is different from other types of commercial real-estate. Here's what I've gathered. Please comment!

1. zoning/usability Issues - healthcare commercial real-estate has a different zoning rules, may use specialized equipment (x-rays, etc)

2. smaller pool of clients  - hospitals, healthcare providers, healthcare organizations

3. build-out costs - dental offices, for instance, require significant tenant improvement - equipment, etc, similar with surgical space

4. clients are risk averse compared to other clients, leases generally longer term

Any other thoughts?

Jay Kuruvilla · Answer

I am trying to build a dental office for my wife on a 1.1acre land we purchased recently in the Houston area. I might need only 2000sq ft. The rest of the building, I would like to lease to other medical, vision or urgent care  do you recommend to use a general contractor or someone specialized in building medical offices. Also, why strategies can I use to attract health care related tenants?

Jessica Zolotorofe · Answer

Hi Sharon! Only other thought is besides zoning, a lot of landlords have restrictions. Important to have a lawyer read leases carefully. Some things to look out for would be disposal of medical waste issues, a lot of landlords do not allow abortions on premises, fetal tissue transplants, or medical marijuana, for example. So even things that may be legal and comply with zoning regulations may be prohibited in leases.