Allen Buchanan

Allen Buchanan is a principal and commercial real estate broker at Lee & Associates, Orange. He can be reached at 714.564.7104 or abuchanan@lee-associates.com. His website is www.allencbuchanan.com.

Using leverage — say, a bank loan — to buy a building works as long as the incoming cash pays down the debt. Otherwise, the leverage can snap into reverse and any cash-on-cash return goes down. (iStockphoto/Getty Images)

Leverage: A friend in real estate that can turn on you

July 19, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

There’s a flip side and it's become more common lately: negative leverage.

Commercial real estate owners and occupants need to make key decisions before 2025 ends, with new tax laws taking shape for 2026. (iStockphoto/Getty Images)

7 things commercial property owners, occupants should do before end of 2025

July 12, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Whether you own the building, lease the space or advise someone who does, here are seven smart moves to make before the year ends:

US President Donald Trump takes questions during a news conference following the 2025 NATO Summit on June 25, 2025 in The Hague, Netherlands. Among other matters, members are to approve a new defense investment plan that raises the target for defense spending to 5% of GDP. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

The Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for commercial real estate

July 5, 2025 at 5:02 a.m.

So, is this bill truly beautiful? That depends on where you stand

Broker Allen Buchanan is writing a book, a blueprint of sorts, for those interested in understanding how one broker carved out a successful commercial real estate practice. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A legacy project: My commercial real estate journey

June 21, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

This book will be part personal, part tactical.

Karma Innovation and Customization Center employees build a 2025 Karma Revero luxury hybrid in Perris on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

What’s really holding back manufacturing in California?

June 14, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

Manufacturing won’t return on sentiment alone. It requires trust, coordination and smart policy.

For commercial real estate brokers, celebrating a property closing also includes publicizing the win. (iStockphoto/Getty Images)

Don’t just close, expand: The final step that multiplies a real estate deal’s value

June 7, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

The lease is signed, the escrow is funded, the commission check hits your account — and we’re on to the next one, right?

Every real estate broker licensed in California is required to complete 45 hours of continuing education every four years. (iStockphoto/Getty Images)

How commercial real estate brokers stay sharp in their craft

May 31, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

Every broker licensed in California is required to complete 45 hours of continuing education every four years.

The 93-acre Boeing C-17 facility in Long Beach has been sold to the Australia-based developer Goodman Group. (File photo, SCNG)

Here’s what it would take to bring manufacturing back to California

May 24, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

It will take political courage, private investment, and a willingness to rethink how California supports its industrial base.

Warehouses stretch into the horizon near Nevada and San Bernardino avenues in Redlands in this 2021 photo. A Riverside environmental consultant recently updated his list of the 20 Inland communities with the most existing and planned warehouses. (File photo by Jeff Gritchen, The Orange County Register/SCNG)

Commercial real estate demand sits at apex of innovation and change

May 17, 2025 at 5:01 a.m.

Activity in late 2024 slowed — not because companies lacked need but because they lacked certainty.

Social media and professional websites are ways real estate brokers make connections and find new properties. (iStockphoto via Getty Images)

7 unconventional ways to source your next CRE deal

May 10, 2025 at 5:04 a.m.

Yes, cold calls and referrals still work, but the best transactions of my career have come from places most brokers overlook.

All Stories