What is Canvassing Karma?

People ask me all the time what exactly is Canvassing Karma, and I know when people ask me, that they are not systematic or routine canvassers, because if they were, they wouldn’t have to ask.

I get a canvassing karma experience at least once, if not twice a month. I remember I was waiting for a huge deal to get approved by Bethesda Wellness Center, which is the main hospital corporation or facility in Palm Beach County. The deal was going to be over 15,000 sq feet on a second floor of a retail shopping center in Boynton Beach, and I had been working on this deal for months, and months, and months. They were finally going to be presenting it to the board and I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

I literally stayed in the office for a few days after the meeting because I didn’t want to miss the call, which was a big mistake, but I didn’t know better back then. So finally, after three days of waiting, and my boss telling me that I couldn’t call them, I had to wait for them to call me, you know, some negotiating ploy, I went out canvassing. And wouldn’t you know it, when I got back to the office, and this is before cellphones, I had a voicemail from the Facilities Director saying, “Congratulations! The deal was approved, send us the leases.”

That was my first example of Canvassing Karma, I was so excited, and it’s happened a lot since. In fact, when there’s something I want to happen, I purposely leave the office, even if I wasn’t planning on canvassing, just because I know that if I go canvassing, the thing that I want to happen on a deal, will happen.

Canvassing Karma is this unscientific result of what happens when the universe rewards the person for taking extra effort to prospect; to leave their offices, to get off their butts and actually go and do something that’s hard and welcome rejection.

Pretty much no one in their right minds would not want to get out of their comfort zone and welcome rejection in their lives, so what the universe does is reward them for doing the work.

So what happens exactly?

Sometimes you plan, some times you just wing it, but regardless, you’re out of your office, speaking to people that you don’t know, giving them suggestions of properties that you could offer them for them to open additional locations.

When you get back to the office or even before that, you check your emails or your texts, and you find out that the person you’ve been waiting to call you back on that deal has called you, or emailed you, or texted you.

That’s Canvassing Karma, and the reason why it’s called canvassing karma is because, if you were to just hang out in your office and wait for that phone to ring or that email to come in and let you know about that letter of intent or lease, those calls or emails don’t come in.

Canvassing Karma is the karma you receive with the good news on the deal when you’re out in the field, playing the game of offense or doing something that is not comfortable versus sitting in your office waiting for the phone to ring.

I constantly get calls from people around the country, and emails and texts, that say, “I had a canvassing karma today!”, so I know it’s just not me, it’s probably something that’s in our industry and it makes me very excited to hear it.

How does one just go canvassing when they don’t feel like it?

The simple answer is, like Nike, you just do it.

There are two kinds of canvassing, there’s target canvassing and market canvassing. Market canvassing is when you go from shopping center to shopping center and you’re just canvassing in the market. Target canvassing is when you pick a use that you want in your shopping center, for example, a bike store, you find out that there are 23 bike stores in your county, and you try to hit all 23 bike stores in a span of a week or two. Certainly, when you’re out, if you find a bike store in a shopping center, you can canvass it, but you don’t then go to the shopping center next door to it, you continue where you left off and try to go to the other bike stores on the list.

The best way to do it is to time block. That’s what I do; my goal is to go out every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. I don’t always achieve that, but if I can achieve that at least twice a month, it’s good for me, considering I got a bunch of other things I’m doing now.

When I was a young leasing agent and canvassing was 80% of my job, I would go every day from about 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. I started at 10:00 am because that’s when the stores opened, and I wanted to get back to the office at around 4:00 pm so that I could follow up on anything that was happening in the office that I needed to follow up on.

So now that you know the power of canvassing karma and how to get it, create a system that works for you and GO OUT THERE AND CANVASS!

I’ll be hosting a canvassing breakfast in Las Vegas on May 19th at the Waldorf Astoria! Your ticket? Email me your canvassing and/or canvassing karma story at beth@azoradvisoryservices.com.

Don’t Let a Commission Push You Into a Bad Deal

Brokers will push for 10-year deals—because 10 years means bigger commissions. But guess what? You’re the one guaranteeing that lease, not them. Here’s my rule: I don’t do 10-year terms with mom-and-pops or first-time franchisees. I don’t care if they’re with a national brand—if it’s their first rodeo, I treat it like one. Five years max, maybe a 5-year option at market. Commission structures? Stick to 3% on the first 5, 1.5% on the next—not 4% on 10 years unless the tenant is dropping a million bucks in improvements. Commissions are already higher because post-COVID rents are sky-high. Don’t let desperation from tenant reps (who are struggling to find space) force you into a long-term commitment that doesn’t make sense. Want brokers to bring you deals? Be responsive, be fair, and pay them fast. I wire commissions the day after lease signing. It builds trust—and reputation. Remember: if you feel pressure or something seems off, phone a friend (or me!). Don’t get bullied into handing out 15-year leases like candy.

March 23, 2026

Operational Tweaks That Make a Big Difference

When it comes to owning and managing shopping centers, operational excellence can make or break your tenant retention and NOI. Let’s stop thinking only about big leasing wins and start focusing on the little habits that drive long-term value. Overflowing garbage cans in front of your stores? Remove them. Yes, remove them. You’d be shocked how much cleaner your center will stay when customers take their trash elsewhere—and your pressure cleaning budget will thank you. Lock your roof hatches. Tenants’ vendors love to leave them open, which leads to copper theft, roof punctures, and leaks. Make them call for access and follow up with your maintenance team right after. Lighting matters. If pole lights are out, it’s a liability—especially for women walking alone at night. Do regular light checks and fix outages within 24 hours. If your trees grow and start dimming the lot, don’t wait. We added new lights for $5K and dramatically increased nighttime visibility. Skip sweeping large lots with expensive machines. Instead, invest in a great porter. Handpicked garbage beats weekly sweeping in most neighborhood centers. Bonus: Colored flowers at entryways and pylon bases grab attention from the street. It’s a subtle marketing trick that draws eyes

March 16, 2026

Get to Know Your Tenants—Really Know Them

Want to increase sales across your center without spending money? Build real relationships with your tenants—yes, even the nationals—and learn what makes their businesses tick. Whether it’s knowing when their busy seasons are, or what local events might drive traffic their way, these little nuggets can lead to big wins. Case in point: One of my tenants recently hosted an autograph signing with two Stanley Cup champs. We worked together to notify other tenants, open a nearby vacancy for overflow merchandise, and even coordinated with restaurants to hand out free sliders and smoothies. The result? Packed parking lots, happy tenants, and buzzing social media. The more you know your tenants’ businesses, the better you can support them—and when they win, you win. Don’t wait for rent checks to be your only interaction. Ask them how they’re doing, what’s working, and what’s not. They’ll often tell you exactly what they need—and how you can help. Rockstar Move: Challenge your property manager to tell you one thing about each tenant’s business. Just one. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

March 9, 2026

Make Friends with Your Neighbors

One of the biggest mistakes I see shopping center owners make? Relying on online rent comps. You know those listings are wrong—I don’t even give my info to those sites! So how do you get accurate market data? You build relationships with your Neighborhood Leasing Agents (NLAs). When I was underwriting a deal, a quick call to a neighboring agent gave me the inside scoop on a renewal deal with a national tenant. That insight alone let me confidently increase my projected rent by $10/SF—which helped me win the deal! And I don’t mean a one-time “nice to meet you.” You’ve got to nurture those relationships over time. I even host Dead Deal Meetings twice a year where I gather the leasing agents in my market and we swap deals we couldn’t do. I’ve leased space from leads that came directly out of those meetings! Pro tip: Sharing is key. You can’t just take, take, take. Be generous with your own intel. It builds trust—and it comes back tenfold. Bottom line? Don’t isolate yourself behind rent rolls and listings. Get out there. Meet the agents. Build trust. Share leads. Real-world info beats appraisals every time.

March 2, 2026

Beth's Resources

Beth has established a reputation for “giving back” and creating a legacy of helping others. To support this mission, she offers a wealth of FREE resources for individuals in the retail leasing industry, whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned professional. Her collection includes case studies from her nearly 40 years of experience, providing practical insights and guidance. With Beth’s resources, you’ll gain valuable tools to navigate the complexities of retail leasing and achieve your professional goals.

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