A smart real estate investor once told me an essential counter-intuitive rule – don’t fall in love with a building. He pointed out that focusing on perfect architecture, the grace of an arch, an elaborate facade, or a pleasing balance was to miss the point. A building can be beautiful or ugly, but at the end of the day, it is just a container.
What’s inside determines value.
The people that live or work there, that’s what counts. Some of the ugliest buildings in the world can be the most valuable because that’s where people need or want to be. Of course, beautiful buildings can contain value, but the aesthetics of a container are no guarantee.
Better to fall in love with the people inside, to listen to them, understand them, care about them. They are the value – not the box they come in.
Too often, we confuse the box for what’s inside, and the box can only reflect the light contained within.
Keep chasing lights.
