Whenever you are considering new office locations, a good tenant representative is going to provide you with a tremendous amount of information on various building options. Most of the obvious primary selection criteria will be evaluated comprehensively, such as economics, location and quality of the building, ownership and proposed space, as well as the various amenities of the building. Your broker should have a good knowledge base about the nuances of particular buildings.

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However, here are nine little things you should do on your own before making a decision among your final building options. After all you are the one who is going to be spending a significant amount of your time there, typically for the next five to 10 years.

1. Scan the tenant directory and look for less than desirable companies or competitors.

2. Stop by the property management office.

3. Speak to a few of the existing tenants about their opinion of the building.

4. Inspect the common areas and restrooms for cleanliness and maintenance issues.

5. If there is food service on location, either a deli or restaurant, have lunch there and sample the food.

6. Park your vehicle in the tenant parking area instead of the more convenient visitor parking section.

7. Visit the building at peak traffic times either in the morning and/or at the end of the work day.

8. Ride the elevators at peak traffic times: at lunch or at the end of the work day.

9. Make a cell phone call from the building.

Your broker will often make you aware of any suspected glaring issue with a particular building or location. However, any perceived inconvenience such as the speed of the elevators, degree of traffic congestion or inferior cell phone reception, for example, can be subjective in the eye of the beholder.

Coy Davidson is Senior Vice President of Colliers International in Houston. He publishes The Tenant Advisor blog.