Originally written 6 March 2011. Updated May 2025 for republication.
No landlord wants to be in a market where there are more units available than tenants looking. This means empty units, unrecoverable costs, poorly maintained properties, and extra hassle. Not too long ago, I faced that reality at E-Net Park, located within Mill Road Industrial Estate in Linlithgow.
We had many vacant units that weren’t moving. They were brand new, priced fairly, and well-built, but they blended into the crowd. In a competitive market, being “good” isn’t enough. You have to be exceptional. And in that moment, I realised we had to offer more—not just space but value.
So I started thinking about which businesses were thriving. It didn’t take long to land on e-commerce. Online sellers, especially those trading on platforms like eBay and Amazon, were scaling fast. They needed space—but not just any space. They needed smart, affordable units with courier access and minimal friction. Many were working from home, buried in stock, and spending half their day at the Post Office.
We flipped the script.
We launched a concept called eBay Village, a shared-space model aimed directly at e-commerce businesses. We secured discounted courier rates through volume-based deals, giving our tenants lower carriage costs than they could ever get on their own. That meant their rent was essentially offset by delivery savings. More time, more margin, more business—that’s value.
E-Net Park transformed from mostly empty to nearly full, climbing from 20% to 80% occupancy.
We didn’t win on price. We won on insight.
If you want to fill empty units, don’t start by asking what’s wrong with your property. Instead, start by asking who needs something they’re not getting, and then build around that.
Tip from Shaf:
When demand is soft, don’t just lower your rent—raise your offering. Think like your customer. The landlord who adds value wins.
