Keep your investment and tenants safe by using these helpful commercial real estate security recommendations.

As a commercial real estate owner, you have a vested interest in protecting the value of your investment and the well-being of your tenant and their employees.

Protecting your commercial property and its inhabitants can be a tricky and sometimes expensive proposition, depending on your commercial space’s size, layout and surroundings.

And today, more than ever, security goes beyond the physical space of your property; it extends to your electronic files, as well. In this blog, we’ll look at some steps you can take to make your building safer. We’ll save cyber security issues for another day as that is a complex and involved issue worthy of its own blog post series.

Here are 5 helpful commercial property security tips that can both increase safety and prevent you from busting your budget:

• Limit the number of entrances and exits, if possible, and ensure these doors are made of heavy-duty material.
• Remove or trim back any bushes and foliage around high risk areas; intruders will seek places to hide themselves from sight.
• Install security lighting in key areas around your building. Lights with motion detectors are ideal, as they save energy and can act to surprise and scare would-be intruders away.
• Install an alarm system. There are many security system options today and not all are break-the-budget expensive. You can find security systems that are monitored and unmonitored, which can make a significant difference in monthly cost. With a little research, you can find an effective security system that fits your budget.
• Install exterior and interior cameras. Security cameras are very effective at crime prevention and have become more affordable than ever. Place security cameras in strategic, highly visible locations outside and inside your building.

As a diligent commercial property owner you want to protect your investment and the well-being of those people utilizing your building. Using the tips above will help provide your tenant and their employees with a solid security foundation without breaking your budget.

The combination of common sense, a little elbow grease. and the strategic use of technology can go a long way to protecting your asset, mitigating risk for your tenant, and limiting legal liabilities.

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Rocky Mackintosh, President, MacRo, Ltd., a Land and Commercial Real Estate firm based in Frederick, Maryland. He has been an active member of the Frederick, Maryland community for over four decades. He has served as chairman of the board of Frederick Memorial Hospital and as a member of the Frederick County Charter Board from 2010 to 2012.  He currently serves as chairman of the board of Frederick Mutual Insurance Company. Established in 1843, it is one of the longest enduring businesses in Frederick County.