The Rent Roll Coaching Team – Part 3
When the Game Plan Has to Change
Good coaching is not abandoning the plan. It is knowing when to adjust it.
Every rent roll transaction starts with a game plan. The price is agreed. Due diligence is mapped out. Finance dates are fixed. Settlement is circled on the calendar. Everyone knows where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do.
Then the game starts. Finance takes longer than expected. Due diligence uncovers something awkward. A financier or key stakeholder adds a new requirement. A retention suddenly becomes more important than anyone first thought. Settlement has to move.
That is when a good coaching team matters most. A good coach does not abandon the plan at the first sign of trouble. Equally, only a stubborn coach keeps sending the same play down the same side of the field when it has repeatedly failed.
Suppose due diligence reveals that several management appointments may be at risk. The buyer may want to reduce the price or walk away. The seller may insist that ordinary attrition was always part of the bargain. Positions can harden quickly.
But the choice is rarely confined to surrender or termination. The parties might extend due diligence to obtain better information, increase or lengthen the retention, quarantine the disputed amount, strengthen the seller's pre-settlement obligations or record an agreed variation. Each option changes the risk without necessarily ending the deal.
The broker brings the commercial perspective. Is the transaction still fundamentally sound? Is the problem temporary? What solution would the market regard as workable? Can a practical compromise preserve value for both parties?
The solicitor brings the contractual perspective. What rights have arisen? What protections are needed? Does the proposed solution work with the existing contract? Can it be documented clearly without creating a new uncertainty at settlement?
Working together, the coaching team can help the client distinguish between an issue requiring a tactical change and one that really does justify calling the game off.
Changing tactics does not mean lowering standards. Nor does compromise mean surrender. Sometimes the smartest play is not to win every argument along the way. It is to protect the client's position while keeping a sound transaction on the field.
The best coaching teams know the game plan, know the rules - and know when the circumstances require a tactical change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if something goes wrong with a rent roll deal after the price and settlement date have already been agreed?
It's common — finance can take longer than expected, due diligence can uncover something awkward, or a retention can turn out to matter more than expected. A good coaching team doesn't abandon the original plan at the first sign of trouble, but also won't keep pursuing an approach that has repeatedly failed.
If due diligence reveals a problem with management appointments, does the buyer have to walk away or reduce the price?
Not necessarily. The choice is rarely confined to surrender or termination. Options include extending due diligence to get better information, increasing or lengthening the retention, quarantining the disputed amount, strengthening the seller's pre-settlement obligations, or recording an agreed variation. Each of these changes the risk without necessarily ending the deal.
What does the broker focus on when a rent roll transaction needs to change direction?
The broker brings the commercial perspective — assessing whether the transaction is still fundamentally sound, whether the problem is temporary, what solution the market would regard as workable, and whether a practical compromise can preserve value for both parties.
What does the solicitor focus on in the same situation?
The solicitor brings the contractual perspective — identifying what rights have arisen, what protections are needed, whether a proposed solution works with the existing contract, and whether it can be documented clearly without creating new uncertainty at settlement.
Does adjusting the approach mid-transaction mean lowering standards or giving up ground?
No. Changing tactics does not mean lowering standards, and compromise does not mean surrender. Sometimes the smartest play is not winning every argument along the way, but protecting the client's position while keeping a sound transaction moving forward.
Damien Ingwersen | Senior Consultant | Adamson Legal Group | damien@adamsonlegalgroup.com.au
This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Advice should be obtained about individual circumstances.