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How to Choose the Perfect Location for Your Credit Union or Bank Branch

Sun Community Federal Credit Union exterior

a data-driven branch strategy approach

Selecting the ideal site for your credit union’s or bank’s next branch is a critical decision that can significantly impact your institution’s long-term success. Gone are the days of relying on intuition alone; today, financial institutions need to use data-driven strategies to make informed choices. 

At LEVEL5, we understand the importance of coupling data with our Branch Site Selection services to provide well-informed, actionable recommendations. In this article, we’ll explore why it’s crucial to let the data dictate the right location in your trade area and how partnering with a developer-minded firm like LEVEL5 can lead to the best results.

Bird's eye view of of a town with roads and trees

Data-Informed Branch Site Selection: More Than Drawing a Circle on a Map

Simply drawing a circle around a location on a map based on gut feelings won’t guarantee the best site for your next credit union or bank branch. Accurately assessing growth markets requires a comprehensive analysis of multiple data points that leads to a quantifiable recommendation. 

However, while having data pointing to a specific site is essential, it doesn’t guarantee the availability of suitable locations in that area. That’s why LEVEL5 synthesizes our data strategy with our vast real estate acquisition experience and capabilities.

Aligning Strategy with Actionable Branch Site Recommendations

Data without a clear strategy is meaningless. Paying for data analysis is only valuable if it leads to actionable insights. We combine our Site Selection services with the data obtained during our Branch Market Analysis Strategy sessions so that we only recommend prime sites which can be acquired. 

This integration ensures that the locations we recommend not only meet the data criteria but also align with your defined business strategy. By fusing data and strategy, we present you with workable options that truly support your long-term growth goals.

People in suits seated around a table discussing business

The Benefits of a Developer-Minded Branch Network Partner

Choosing a site is about understanding how the chosen location fits into your long-term plan. That’s why we think of ourselves as developers with your overarching plans as the goal, not mere brokers. Our approach involves a thorough assessment of the geographies and available options within a given trade area. 

Moreover, we overlay the Credit Union or Bank Branch Design types that best suit the specific location, directly aligning with your 10-Year Branch Pro forma developed during the Strategy phase. This approach ensures that the site chosen will indeed support your long-term objectives.

Construction worker and project manager on an unfinished job site wearing hard hats, looking at blueprints. Surveyor in the background.
Edwards Federal Credit Union branch exterior, three-quarters view

Location, Location, Data-Driven Action: Partner with LEVEL5 for the Perfect Credit Union or Bank Branch Site

Selecting the right site for your branch or headquarters is a critical process that requires more than just intuition or simple mapping. A data-driven approach, coupled with a clear strategy, is essential to making informed and actionable decisions to grow your branch network. 

At LEVEL5, we bring you the expertise of a developer, not a broker, as we assess geographies, identify suitable options, and align them with your long-term goals.

Let the data guide you to an optimal site and work with a partner who understands your unique needs. Contact LEVEL5 today to ensure that your financial institution makes the best location choices for sustainable growth and success.

Branch Optimization: Choosing the Right Path for Long-Term Success

increase Growth and Profitability with curated branch network strategy

branch exterior depicting branch network strategy by Level 5

What is important in branch network strategy?

When it comes to strategically managing branch networks, financial institutions face crucial decisions about whether to keep, remodel, relocate, or close branches. These decisions can significantly impact growth and profitability over many years. While data plays a vital role in informing these choices, there are several factors to consider beyond mere numbers to ensure your resources and efforts are allocated correctly for healthy growth. 

In this article, we delve into the strategies for making the right decisions and highlight the importance of strong leadership in shaping a successful credit union or bank branch network.

The Four options

Keep: Identifying High-Performing Branches 

Identifying branches worth keeping involves a comprehensive assessment that goes beyond immediate performance. It requires evaluating various factors such as financial benchmarks, forecasts, and environmental considerations.

By examining both internal and external data, financial institutions can determine branches that not only perform well in the present but also show promising long-term potential.

Branch Remodel: Breathing New Life into Branches 

Sometimes, a branch in the right market may experience a decline in performance. Instead of closing it outright, a remodel can be a viable option.

how the remodel helps

Through incorporating new technologies, design elements, and layouts, financial institutions can rejuvenate the member experience and attract and engage more customers with a fresh and modern ambiance. An updated branch remodel design enables them to tap into the untapped potential of existing locations.

interior depicting level 5 branch network strategy

Relocate: Unlocking Potential through Strategic Moves 

Under-performing branches in suitable markets might benefit from relocation. The decision to move can arise from factors such as branch type, traffic patterns, or location restrictions.

data for relocation

Analyzing external data, including market trends and demographic information, helps financial institutions identify areas with greater growth potential.

By strategically relocating branches, they can leverage favorable conditions and improve overall branch performance.

Close: Making Tough, but Necessary Decisions

Closure is a challenging decision for any financial institution. However, there are instances where it becomes necessary to maintain the network’s performance. Branches that not only underperform but also adversely impact the entire network may require closure. Strong leaders must rely on internal and external data to make the tough call of closing branches that are no longer viable.

Work with Credit Union & Bank Growth Consulting Experts

Effective branch management involves making strategic decisions about keeping, remodeling, relocating, or closing branches. 

In the dynamic landscape of branch network management, making informed decisions is vital to maximizing your credit union’s or bank’s growth and profitability. Financial institutions need a partner that can provide expert guidance and data-driven insights to navigate the complexities of keeping, remodeling, relocating, or closing branches. 

That’s where LEVEL5 comes in. As a leading growth consultancy and best-in-class branch design and construction firm, we’ve specialized in branch transformation for over 20 years, offering actionable, comprehensive solutions tailored to the unique needs of financial institutions.

Contact us today for help making your branch network optimization a success! 

Why FI Leaders Should Think Like a Developer

Just like the leader of a credit union or community bank, land developers always have growth in their sights and there are many strategies that a financial institution could benefit from to expand in an intelligent and financially advantageous way. Here’s how.

Let’s look at the big picture first; you know that your growth depends on increased loan and deposits, and a major factor of those numbers is your ability for new members to open new accounts. Branches are major avenues for creating and retaining new clients.  

Having well-placed brick and mortar branches is a necessity by geo-locating the right branch near those targeted new members/customers, so you might as well do it in a way that benefits you the most, from varying angles, just like a savvy developer. 

3 Ways to Optimize You real estate efforts

1. Develop Multi-Tenant Plaza, Occupy and Fill

If you build it, they will come.  

When you’re searching for a new prime piece of land, task one is to ensure it’s right for your organization’s needs. Beyond that, you can drive even more foot traffic into your place by making convenient shopping experiences surrounding it. Convenience is valued and appreciated ever more in our modern-day culture. Here’s how you can leverage that.  

Small retail outlets, coffee shops, restaurants, an urgent care, nail or hair salon, you name it. You’re creating a place of value for the local community and your branch is included in this hotspot.   

Prospect clientele may be drawn in by your new development, peruse shops, and realize that their banking needs can be met there as well. Another thing they can check off their “shopping” list. 

This can enhance relationships with existing clients in this market as well. They may have more incentive to drop into your branch on their shopping or errand trips, opening up the floor for more discussion, deepening relationships. Perhaps after their coffee next door, they’ll remember about that new account they’ve been meaning to open. 

If the idea of a plaza seems overwhelming, sublet just one part of your building to a boutique business like one of our clients did with a soda shop in Utah!  

2. Extra Land Extra Value

Secure a parcel of land that’s larger than your immediate needs require. This doesn’t necessarily mean go all out and grab 20 acres more than you need, but this can be done with a purposeful and lean strategy. Remember, the developer is always thinking ahead, just as you are. 

One LEVEL5 client benefitted greatly with this strategy by purchasing a 2 acre plot, then built their new, best-in-class branch on 1 of them. The property value of the empty acre then rose due to the modern branch’s proximity. 

The grand finale? This client ended up selling the empty acre for more than what they had bought both acres for.  

Now that’s a return on investment for the record books.   

When considering site selection, always work with a team who has ample experience and resources in locating the right credit union or bank branch real estate for your needs.  

3. Repurpose Your Existing Space & Scale Up Simultaneously

Developers understand the need for new space, but they also know the value of strategically making the most out of an existing space, too.  

Use your goals as guideposts, then take due action.  

Consider the example story of our client Hoosier Heartland State Bank’s branch transformation and operations center needs in Indiana. They desired to breathe new life into their main branch to better meet the needs of their modern, expanding customer base while also developing a new operations center to support an increase in employees.  

This all needed to be done in a way that differentiated the bank as a leader in their community.  

They partnered with LEVEL5, who knows bank construction inside and out, and thinks like a developer. 

Their branch got an update with a new floor plan, diverging away from traditional teller lines, into a more open retail environment, giving staff a more effective way to interact with members and forge deeper relationships.  

Their operations center now fits their long-term staffing needs, and the new exteriors reflected their forward-thinking culture.  

Hoosier Bank’s President, Brad Monts added, “We chose LEVEL5 as our partner because of the value they bring to the complete design-build process. Few firms in the country can study markets, address headcount, procure real estate, design and construct facilities like their team.” 

Furthermore, their HQ is part of a larger renovated complex, where they have sub-leased space to small business owners that not only benefit their employees, but also help revitalize their home town.

Contact us today for assistance locating the right land or updating an existing branch for your needs. We have experience helping partners get the most value and return from their property.  

New Main Office in Southwest Louisiana


Headquarters Key Milestone for Credit Union

Lake Charles, Louisiana–based Southwest Louisiana Credit Union broke ground this week on its new main office. The new facility represents the credit union’s continued investment in the community as well as its membership and staff. The Southwest team partnered with Atlanta-based LEVEL5 on the site selection and design-build of the project.

Michael Dronet, Board Chairman for Southwest Louisiana, stated, “We are excited to see our new main office come to life. This building signifies our continued growth, and reinforces our commitment to serving members and the community.”

The location of the new building was selected based on an analysis performed by LEVEL5, which also procured the site on behalf of the credit union. The location and site provide convenience and easy access for members. Furthermore, the building is designed for expansion as Southwest Louisiana Credit Union’s corporate headcount grows.

Ronaldo Hardy, President and CEO said, “This new main office solves several challenges for our Credit Union. First, having the ability to house our entire team and enlarge the building as we grow is essential to our long-term plan. Second, the branch we have created will allow our team to provide even better service and engagement with our membership.”

The new branch within the main office joins the growing trend in banking toward technology automation and optimizing the member experience. Instead of traditional teller lines, the new facility will embrace an open retail environment. The branch’s function and experience are designed to allow staff to dive deeper into relationships with each member.

Mr. Hardy continued, “We needed a solution that developed a new branch, accommodated our current staff level and addressed our long-term back office needs. Moreover, our new building provides the complete experience we want for our members and our staff. The groundbreaking for our new main office represents a key milestone in the growth of our company.”

Jessica LaRocca, Chief Strategy Officer added, “I completely agree with Ronaldo. We chose LEVEL5 as our partner because of the value they bring to the complete design-build process. Few firms in the country can study markets, address headcount, procure real estate, design and construct facilities like their team.”

Financial Institutions all across the country are faced with addressing the headcount growth at the main office. Interested how others are addressing this challenge?

Video Story

Beware the Boogeyman of Design Fees

The F-word you’re likely to hear before construction starts

A creepy clown hiding inside a sewer. A chainsaw wielding crazy man in a hockey mask. A hideous villain who tends to show up at night. If you’re a fan of scary movies, you can probably cite each of those movies by name. In reality, each these are different versions of “The Boogeyman.”

On any construction project, there’s a name for this Boogeyman too: Scope Creep. Any number of unexpected scenarios can cause Scope Creep, from weather delays to scarcity of materials to change orders. That’s not news. Here’s what is. And it has everything to do with that F word – Fees!

Design Fees as Usual?

Design fees typically range anywhere from 4% to 14% of the total construction cost. Almost all design firms and many design-builders will state this fee as their agreed upon terms. We know because it is a part of our history too. It’s considered business as usual. It’s one of the costs of business that owners expect to pay, no different than site procurement costs, when deciding to locate a new branch or main office. (The Art of the Branch: Site Selection Edition.)

Here’s why design-fees-as-usual needs to change.

The costs of design is not a function of construction costs. It is a function of people-hours. It is the creativity, productivity and talent it takes to bring a unique solution to the table. Design has nothing to do with machine and tool rental, hardhats or safety glasses.

“Let’s say you’re building a typical house on Main Street USA, and the designer quoted a fee of 10% of the construction costs. The median house cost in the US is $188,900, so you pay $18,890 as a design fee. But, let’s say you decided to arbitrarily add 10 lbs of gold inlay and fixtures into the design (hey, it’s possible.)” 

“This would add 146 troy ounces to the construction costs. Given the cost of gold, you’ve almost doubled your construction cost, and in the process…(drum roll please)”

“You also doubled your design fee – with little additional effort from the designer!”

What really matters?

To be sure, complexity, size and scope do impact the cost of your design, but so does your ability to state your desired aesthetic…along with your ability to make decisions. Communication skills matter, and knowing what you want really impacts the cost of design.

Applying what you just learned to future projects can only help. Knowing your likes and dislikes. Narrowing down a choice of concepts. Working within the budget (for real, not just a general direction that can be tweaked later). Construction-led design-build is all about designing and building to a budget, so you don’t wreck the Titanic!

Can you get the Fox out of the Hen House?

The problem with agreeing on a design fee as a percentage of construction cost is it offers an incentive to increase costs, indirectly. That’s not to suggest a designer compromises their professional integrity. They don’t. It’s simply that contract commercial terms must align with goals and objectives. So there’s no reason to allow the fox into the hen house!

Let’s try something different.

At the end of the day, all clients are concerned about the budget. At LEVEL5, we have been working to offer a different model to introduce more predictability into the process. A process that marries contract terms with the client’s preferences and needs.

For others in the industry, who are all too happy to reap the fruits of numerous design changes after the fact, this model may seem scary. Not hockey-mask scary mind you, but enough to keep you awake at night.

Everything starts when you decide what kind of facility is right for you.

Perhaps answering these five questions about your strategy will start the conversation.

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The Art of the Branch Site Selection Edition

The Book on Everything About Branch Site Selection

Peruse any business book atop the bestseller lists, and you’ll find a veritable smorgasbord of topics addressing investment strategies, office politics, and personal success. The book with everything you need to know about branch site selection?

Crickets.

Save your Google search. We already checked, and you won’t find that topic on that list. But you will find what you need right here, in this blog post.

We’re calling it The Art of the Branch– Site Selection Edition

Introduction

Branch site selection starts with – not surprisingly – finding a desirable location. But before you put a hard hat on and invite the mayor over for a photo op, here are a few questions you should be asking:

1. The Plot Points

Location is the “where.” A branch is the “what.” Grand opening is the “when.” And the “who” is whomever is writing the check!

That leaves the “why” – Can you build a business case for the branch? In a fin-tech and omni-channel banking world, understanding why to invest in a branch is critical. For banks and credit unions, that’s loans and deposits.

Just as important is the “how.” For branch or main office opportunity to be realized, then the process has to move from strategy into action. Many firms speak to market opportunity or back off analysis for a main office. Even more firms design and construct financial facilities. However, it is taking action on the best location that brings branching, and a new main office to life.

2. The Characters

Brokers – Selecting the best site for a branch or main office opportunity is not a matter of selecting the right broker. Brokers serve a role in choosing the site, but brokers are not the answer. In branch site selection, it’s about realizing business opportunity through the combo of market analysis and real estate procurement.

Landowners – In retail development, few businesses stir the cockles of a landowner’s heart like pharmacies and (you guessed it) banks and credit unions. They know what you know. The correlation of location, and performance, that is realizing business opportunity, is worth a hefty price.

Builders – We cover this group extensively here.

Our Story – You’ve come to the best part!

The process of bringing your branch to market determines its ultimate success. This is where LEVEL5’s real estate procurement process, during site selection, separates itself from everyone else.

What if you could get the property you want, and the owner would not know it was you? You could avoid the premium and have a greater opportunity to perform.

Our proprietary process veils your identity to protect you from the market, the owner and yourself. Our approach also negotiates contracts and performs all due diligence (surveys, environmental, and geotechnical tests). Brokers do not perform any of these services. They don’t study markets to define loans and deposits, they don’t negotiate contracts, and they do not handle due diligence.

A Happy Ending

Since 2011, LEVEL5 has annually procured between $20 and $25 million in property for banks and credit unions across the country. Driving predictability has allowed these institutions to outgrow their peers by a 3x multiple. Since the branch is still location driven, then selecting the best site is key to performance.

Epilogue

When it comes to branch site selection, the approach matters. If the business opportunity in a market can support the branch, then the critical component that takes the opportunity from good to great is how we procure the real estate.

The consumer voice continues to speak loud and clear about the importance of the branch. Listen to what they have to say when banks and credit unions decide to close their branch.

And then check out how one company is using site selection to grow its brand and marketshare.

Click Here

Public Service Credit Union’s New Canvas

A New Brand is More Than a Logo it Includes the Branch

Denver, CO based Public Service Credit Union recently announced their new name change to Canvas Credit Union. The name change is part of the $2.3 billion credit union’s strategy to transform the experience of financial services for its members and community.

The Canvas team partnered with Atlanta-based LEVEL5 to help create and implement a long-term multi-site branching strategy to coincide with the re-brand and name change. The plan will establish new branches in key markets across their field of membership, and LEVEL5’s site selection team procured numerous sites for the roll out.

Todd Marksberry, President and CEO of Canvas Credit Union stated, “It is super exciting to see our long-term plan start to unfold. We believe brand is so much more than our name and logo. We are creating an experience for our members that feels like family. Our branches must bring that emotion to life. We have been working with LEVEL5 to develop the plan, procure real estate, and they will design-build the branches.”

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Above are renderings of the new prototype branch for Canvas Credit Union. The initial roll out calls for five freestanding branches, and two renovations to deploy the new brand. The new Canvas branches will join the growing trend in banking toward automation and optimizing the member experience. Instead of traditional teller lines, the new facilities will embrace pods in an open environment. The new branch function and experience is designed to allow staff to dive deeper into relationships with members.

Todd Marksberry continued, “We chose LEVEL5 as our partner because of the value they could bring to our plan. Few firms in the country can develop and implement multi-site branch roll outs like their team.”

For nearly two decades, LEVEL5’s integrated process has married site selection (consulting and real estate) with design-build (design and construction) to serve banks and credit unions across the country. Mike Colvin, EVP and Principal at LEVEL5 shared, “We have worked with Todd and the Canvas team tirelessly through this process. We consider it an honor to be a part of Canvas’s future and we look forward to the growth they will achieve through this roll out.”

Is Your Branch Strategy Keeping Up With the Jones’s?

The Five Questions Every Banker Needs to Answer About Their Branch Strategy

The traditional banking business model of the past was built around a decentralized branch strategy. Find a heavily populated area, sprinkle a network of easily accessible branches around it, and watch the growth happen. Pretty simple, right?

It worked like magic.

The psychology behind putting branches everywhere was intriguing: more branches implied a bank was doing well, so one’s money was somehow more secure. It wasn’t necessarily true, but it still seemed that way. Then the Great Recession hit. The large banks initially took the greatest blow, shuttering branches left and right. Then regional players continued the trend, despite the economic recovery that followed years later. Banks chose to put their faith more in cost reduction than customer service.

Market density matters.

What could have kept some of these recently closed branches open? Why close so many, even in places where there wasn’t a lot of competition? Turns out, maybe the bank’s misunderstanding of market density came back to hurt them. Given these ever-changing times, what kind of density solution is required to be successful?

Banks, particularly the larger ones, often close branches, not because of a shift toward digital and mobile channels (it’s certainly a factor), but a failure to plan for them in the first place. Though customers demand omni-channel options, at times, they still desire face-to-face contact with their branch. The latest surveys show the branch is a key channel:

What happens when a branch closes?

Closing a branch is a short-term solution, that while saving money initially, has long term implications. Studies have shown that up to 40% of customers change banks if their branch leaves the area.

Before you build your next branch, consider the following questions:

  1. Does your branch need to be large or small?
  1. Should the branch be fully-automated, or mostly?
  1. How can the bank’s or credit union’s people be convenient to the customer?
  1. Does it have to be a freestanding facility?
  1. Is a branch even right for the particular area?

So what’s the answer?

Perhaps bigger banks have done a poor job identifying the opportunities in their markets. Branching today takes considerable planning and precision, and if not done well can lead to unprofitable locations.

Market densities matter and the deployment of the right density matters even more. Density solutions are important and they do not always result in freestanding branches, which can be short-term considering the expense and risk. It’s really about convenience for customers and their needs.

At LEVEL5 we do more than design-build for financial institutions. We incorporate data, local market knowledge, and expert site selection to maximize your return on investment.

Site Selection done well, can make a huge impact. Click Below to Read How

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As branch numbers go down, is the future of banking going with them?

If you’ve done any scanning of the financial headlines lately, you’d think the banking industry was in some sort of downturn.

Numbers back up the concern.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported 1,700 branches were closed in 2017 alone. That represents 2% of all the branches in the United States, bringing the total down to somewhere around 90,000. This headline grabbed a lot of attention.

We know that the rise of mobile banking has reduced the amount of foot traffic in many locations. Are we in the midst of another digitally-led upheaval? Have millennials decided they’d rather conduct their banking without having to look up from their phones and actually talk to someone in person? (We kid, we kid).

What’s the real story?

Big banks aren’t necessarily in trouble. They’re just pivoting. Each mobile interaction costs about 10 cents per customer, while an interaction with an actual human being is around $4 (see infographic below from Bain & Co.). It doesn’t take a CPA to realize the cost savings of closing a branch that’s not being utilized.

Another reason the numbers are skewed.

Another data point that makes the closures sound more alarming than they actually are, is that they are attributable to the top ten banks. When larger banks make cutbacks to save money, the numbers reflect it, and the market pays attention.

Do we even need the branch anymore?

All the studies say: Yes, absolutely.While consumers are certainly shifting their routine banking needs to their mobile devices, they still visit branches. Studies put the numbers as high as 90%  as noted below from Bain & Co. The need for customers to spend time speaking to their banker, either face-to-face or over the phone, is still important.

What happens when a branch closes?

When branches serving less populated areas decide it’s not financially feasible to keep a branch open, longtime customers are forced to drive miles and miles to their nearest branch.

Customers may love you, but do they love you that much? Studies have shown that 40% of the time, customers will switch to a different bank that has a branch nearby. All banks deal with “churn” to a degree, and closing a branch can be a self-inflicted pain that may cost the bank in the long run.

What does this mean?

If the branch solution is built on a “If we build it they will come” mentality, perhaps the big banks closing branches did a poor job identifying the real opportunity in their markets. Otherwise, they they wouldn’t have to be closing the branch.

There is a precision to branching that can rear its ugly head later if not done well. At LEVEL5 we specialize in solutions that go beyond design-build, by helping you decide what kind of branch solution works best for your markets and needs.

What can we learn from big banks on what not to do?

Click Here

 

Branching: Location…Location…Which Location?

Consumers love the branch, so how do you get the one you want?

U.S. Consumers and the Branch. There is no denying that the number of branches in operation today is less than before the great recession. However, simply pointing out there are fewer branches is only part of the story. For example, when you consider a recent a IMF study, the number of branches is rising. Per their research, the peak of branches per capita was 35 branches in 2009. The low point was 33 in 2014 – the same level as 10 years earlier. But in 2015, the number of branches per 100,000 started rising again.

Let’s Talk about the S-Word. So instead of another article focusing on “if the branch is still important”, let’s talk about one of the key steps in making sure when you do branch – you get what you want. Let’s talk about Site Selection.

Good to Great: Site Selection

First Things First. The first step in site selection is not the real estate procurement, but establishing the business case. Site selection is the marriage of market analysis and real estate procurement. In a fintech and omni-channel banking world, understanding why to invest in the branch is crucial. And for banks and credit unions – that’s loans and deposits.

Begin with the End in Mind. Therefore, when it comes to site selection, the approach matters. Here’s why: If the business opportunity in a market can support the branch (solutions produce over $35 million in new deposits) then the critical component that takes the opportunity from good to great is how we procure the real estate.

Face the Brutal Facts. Selecting the best site for a branch or main office opportunity is not a matter of selecting the right broker. Brokers can serve a role in selecting a site, but brokers are not the answer. In site selection (market analysis and real estate), it is about realizing business opportunity.

A Retail Perspective. In retail development, there are two users that every owner wants – pharmacies and financial institutions. Owners of land understand the correlation of location and performance…and they understand that business opportunity is worth a hefty price.

Good is the Enemy of Great. But what if you could get the property you want, and the owner would not know it is you? You could avoid the premium and have a greater opportunity to perform. This is where LEVEL5’s real estate procurement process, during site selection, separates itself from everyone else.

Our proprietary process veils your identity to protect you from the market, the owner and yourself.

Furthermore, our approach negotiates contracts and performs all due diligence (surveys, environmental; and geotechnical test). A broker doesn’t study markets to define loans and deposits, they don’t negotiate contracts, and they do not handle due diligence. So, site selection with LEVEL5 is so much more.

Actionable Strategy

Getting what you want. For branch or main office opportunity to be realized, then the process has to move from strategy into action. Many firms speak to market opportunity or operations analysis, and even more firms design and construct financial facilities. However, it is taking action on the best location that brings branching and a new main office to life.

It’s about predictability of outcome. For the last seven years, LEVEL5 has annually procured between $20 and $25 million in property for banks and credit unions across the US. Driving predictability has allowed these banks and credit unions to outgrow their peers by 3x. Since the branch is still location driven, then selecting the best site is key to performance.

The consumer voice continues to speak loud and clear about the importance of the branch. Listen to what they have to say when banks and credit unions decide to close their branch.

Click Here

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