Avoid These Budgeting Mistakes in Retail Real Estate | EP 69: I Own A Shopping Center Now What?

Beth Azor

Even if you don’t create your center’s budget yourself—you still need to know exactly what to look for.In this episode, I walk you through how I personally review the annual budgets for my shopping centers—despite not preparing them myself. Whether it's spotting weird dips in base rent, double-counting taxes and insurance, or bad timing on capital projects, I’m sharing the real checklist I use to catch costly mistakes before they impact NOI.This episode is perfect for shopping center owners, asset managers, or anyone handing budget prep to a CPA or property manager. Don’t miss my tips for tracking leasing fees, mortgage escrows, and cash flow month by month—and why I never schedule capital work during rainy season in Florida.🔑 Key Takeaways- Always review income line by line across all months- Check for base rent or recovery dips that don’t make sense- Compare op-ex items across properties by square foot- Watch out for double-counting taxes and insurance- Make sure capital expenses are scheduled during dry months- Avoid paving or painting during key retail seasons- Review CAM, insurance, and RE tax breakdowns per tenant- Flag lease renewals and verify the correct rent bumps- Don’t skip budgeting - even if you’ve never done one before