Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM, often hears clients asking about if they should invest in a residential home that can be rented out as AirB&B or to a tenant, or in a commercial real estate, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and Fremont.

In one column (residential): 12-month lease, a single rent check to cover every owner expense, frequent move-outs, and growing regulatory pressure on rental housing.

In the other (commercial): 3–5-year lease with automatic annual rent increases, triple-net reimbursement of taxes and operating costs, and a tenant base that treats rent and repairs as business expenses.

He walked the investor through each line: lease terms, turnover, rent control, operating expenses, financing, tenant behavior, and long-term value.

The numbers told one story. The real turning point came from a different set of questions:

• How involved do you want to be as a landlord, month after month?
• Whose cash flow should really carry surprise repairs and upgrades—you or your tenant?
• If you can afford to be patient, what kind of tenant can you attract, and how does that change the building’s value?

In the full case study, you’ll see how those answers led away from a single-family rental and toward a Newark industrial property leased to a $25 billion public company, through a deliberate “bridge” tenant, disciplined underwriting, and a tenant-selection process shaped by Tim’s own experience as both residential and commercial landlord.

👉 To learn more, you can access, for a small fee, case studies: https://theivygroup.com/course-category/property-site-selection/👉 Subscribe to The Ivy Group newsletter: https://theivygroup.substack.com/📩 Contact The Ivy Group: https://theivygroup.com/contact-us/

About The Ivy Group The Ivy Group specializes in commercial sales, leasing, and investment advisory across Fremont, Silicon Valley, and the Greater Bay Area. With over 100 years of combined experience, expertise and designations including SIOR and CCIM, The Ivy Group provides strategic guidance for complex transactions in commercial real estate. When you need to sell, buy, or lease, The Ivy Group is ready to help you reach your goals. Contact us with your next real estate needs.

To read it as a 15-min blog

To watch it as a 22-min video

🔗 Read the full article: “Why Investing in Commercial Real Estate to Diversify Your Investment Portfolio” on The Ivy Group website: https://theivygroup.com/why-investing-in-commercial-real-estate-to-diversify-your-investment-portfolio-tim-vi-tran/

👉 To learn more, you can access, for a small fee, case studies: https://theivygroup.com/courses

👉 Subscribe to The Ivy Group newsletter: https://theivygroup.substack.com/

📩 Contact The Ivy Group: https://theivygroup.com/contact-us/

- You own a specific asset in a specific market

- You choose the tenant profile and lease structure

- You control the business plan: rents, improvements, debt, and exit

- Longer lease terms and built-in rent increases

- Tenants who often pay many operating expenses

- Potentially steadier cash flow over a 10–20 year horizon

CRE asset types: industrial, flex, warehouse, office/R&D, retail, and multifamily

- Ideal focus: markets you truly understand (Fremont, Silicon Valley, Greater Bay Area)

A well-leased industrial or flex building can become a long-term compounding engine in a portfolio that also holds traditional financial assets—especially with the right advisory team.

At The Ivy Group, we help high-income professionals, business owners, and family trusts:

- Evaluate opportunities in Fremont and the Greater Bay Area

- Acquire and reposition commercial assets

- Align investment decisions with long-term wealth, tax, and legacy goals

🔗 Read the full article: “Why Investing in Commercial Real Estate to Diversify Your Investment Portfolio” on The Ivy Group website: https://theivygroup.com/why-investing-in-commercial-real-estate-to-diversify-your-investment-portfolio-tim-vi-tran/

👉 To learn more, you can access, for a small fee, case studies: https://theivygroup.com/courses

👉 Subscribe to The Ivy Group newsletter: https://theivygroup.substack.com/

📩 Contact The Ivy Group: https://theivygroup.com/contact-us/

The Ivy Group specializes in commercial sales, leasing, and investment advisory across Fremont, Silicon Valley, and the Greater Bay Area. With over 100 years of combined experience and designations including SIOR and CCIM, The Ivy Group provides strategic guidance for complex transactions in commercial real estate. When you need to sell, buy, or lease, The Ivy Group is ready to help you reach your goals with more than 100 years of combined experience and expertise. Contact us with your next real estate needs.

All information shared here in this article, and in all blogs, case studies, and courses offered by The Ivy Group are for general education only, not as tax, legal, or investment advice. Please seek professional advice from tax, accounting, legal, and other professionals.

Copyright © 2026 by Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM. All rights reserved.

To read this as a 1-min blog

To watch it as a 2-min video

In this episode, Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM,

To learn more, you can access, for a small fee, detailed case study here: 👉 https://theivygroup.com/course-category/cre-strategies-tactics/

👉 Subscribe to The Ivy Group newsletter: https://theivygroup.substack.com/ 📩 Contact The Ivy Group: https://theivygroup.com/contact-us/

About The Ivy Group The Ivy Group specializes in commercial sales, leasing, and investment advisory across Fremont, Silicon Valley, and the Greater Bay Area.

Commercial real estate deals require expertise across investment strategy, financing, negotiation, taxes, legal structure, and portfolio alignment. With more than 100 years of combined experience, and designations including SIOR and CCIM, The Ivy Group provides strategic guidance for complex 1031 Exchanges and commercial real estate transactions. When you need to sell, buy, or lease, The Ivy Group is ready to help you reach your goals. The Ivy Group is ready to support your next purchase, sale, or lease.

📩 Have a real estate need or question? Contact The Ivy Group.

All information in this episode, and in related articles, blogs, courses, and case studies, is intended for general education only and not as tax, legal, or investment advice. Always consult licensed tax, legal, accounting, and financial professionals before taking action.

Copyright © 2025 by Tim Vi Tran, SIOR, CCIM. All rights reserved.