Why This Ivybrook Academy Franchisee Partnered with Franchise Realty Partners

Franchise Realty Partners, a full-service commercial real estate company that operates as an internal real estate department for emerging franchisors, is ready to solve the pain point of real estate for emerging brands across the country. Especially as the commercial real estate market deals with pent-up demand and a severe lack of inventory, emerging franchisors can enlist the help of Franchise Realty Partners to ensure their franchisees secure prime locations and attractive lease terms. Darah Kirstein, the owner of preschool and child care franchise Ivybrook Academy in Pittsburgh, is one such franchisee. 

The mother of four decided to invest in the franchise with her husband after working for a financial institution for 15 years. Kirstein says she recognized an unmet demand for preschools and daycares in her area, and after meeting with the Ivybrook team — including Drew McWilliams and the Franchise Realty Partners (FRP) team — she knew she had found the right choice.

When Kirstein signed on with the brand last June, she says she was nervous to start the real estate process, but saw right away that McWilliams was there to make it as smooth as possible. McWilliams, the founder of Franchise Realty Partners, is a commercial real estate broker in the Carolinas with over 20 years of real estate experience, as well as a franchisor with firsthand experience in the franchise industry.

“This FRP concept was born because, as a franchisor, I knew from actual experience the pain points that both franchisors and franchisees go through,” said McWilliams. “That is the number-one reason we stand out in the real estate industry. We walk and talk franchising. We understand the complex process of outsourcing an essential component of the onboarding process. I had peers in the franchise industry who kept telling me real estate was a major pain point for them, and I realized that if I could do it myself, why not do it and help other brands as well?”

For one, the team at Franchise Realty Partners offers access to an invaluable, nationwide network of brokers that franchisees like Kirstein can tap into. “Drew reached out to some contacts that he had in Pittsburgh and hooked us up with agents from Howard Hanna Real Estate, a very prominent agency in the area,” said Kirstein. “They were able to show us info for the commercial market in the area, specifically tailored to our search for sites that were 5,000-square-feet or larger with outdoor space.”

Especially with today’s real estate market, in which demand far outpaces supply, Kirstein says these connections were incredibly important. “The real estate industry is crazy right now, and we knew pickings would be slim, so we were open to all creative solutions,” said Kirstein. “They gave us a list of about seven to eight properties, and we eventually narrowed in on our top choice. The agents that Drew connected us with also ended up being the listing agents for the property, so that was a huge help.”

As ideal sites become harder and harder to come by, the team at Franchise Realty Partners can help connect franchisors with the resources and expertise they need to quickly and efficiently complete the real estate process and move on with the opening. 

“When we initially found our site, Drew flew up here to give us his expert opinion before we officially signed the lease,” said Kirstein. “Then, Drew worked with us and the agents to draft up a letter of intent to share with the landlord and represent us as a viable tenant. Drew took on most of the lease negotiations — there were a few small challenges that came up along the way, but Drew helped with everything. For example, when the bank was hesitant to give us a loan because our landlord was also our general contractor, the team went through the lease line-by-line and found the verbiage the bank wanted to see. They really put in a lot of hard work to make sure the process was easy for us.”

Through it all, Kirstein says there was constant communication with the Franchise Realty Partners team, which aligns with FRP’s mission to provide an unparalleled experience for clients by, first and foremost, always picking up the phone.

“It honestly felt like Drew was our agent,” said Kirstein. “He would call us on Saturday mornings and tell us about where we were in the process to ensure everyone was on the same page. I’m someone who likes to be hands-on and know all the details, and Drew made sure to put everything in layman’s terms so I could feel confident I didn’t need to be an expert in real estate and lease agreements — I just needed to be an expert in selling the service to the community and being a franchisee.” 

But Kirstein says what she is most appreciative of is the speed at which she has been able to go through the whole process. “We signed with the franchise last June and we’re going to be open this August,” she said. “So many other franchisees aren’t able to find a piece of real estate, or they need to have building development so their opening is delayed. Everything went smoothly for us, and I’m so excited to get started.”

McWilliams says this ability to open sites faster is a prime advantage for not only the individual franchisee, but also for the franchisor. 

“The faster franchisees can find sites and open new stores, the faster franchisors can start to bring in royalties,” McWilliams said. “We want to be a turnkey solution — when a franchisor signs a new franchisee, we will take on 100% of the site selection and real estate work to make their role easier. They no longer need to hire one company to handle data-driven site selection and another brokerage to show the properties to franchisees and yet another to negotiate the lease. We will handle it all through our established connections in the industry, so the franchisor and franchisee just have one point of contact, us.”

Now, McWilliams says Franchise Realty Partners is looking to provide this much-needed service to more clients, with a focus on adding 10 new and emerging (between 0 to 100 units) franchisor brands to its roster. In addition to Ivybrook Academy, the firm works with franchisees of multiple brands, including salon franchises Supercuts, Cost Cutters, Mad Splatter, ActivAge and Atlantic Poke.

“As a first-time franchisee, this whole process was so new to me,” said Kirstein. “Drew and his team truly made the experience as seamless as possible, solving all of the usual pain points and guiding me down this path of following my entrepreneurial dreams.”

For more information on Franchise Realty Partners, visit: https://franchiserealtypartners.com/