Chris Freeman
Hi, I’m Chris Freeman, Senior Vice President of Property Management for Kimco. I am responsible for the team that manages Kimco’s 900-plus shopping centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. We handle day-to-day operations at our centers -- everything from tenant relations and services, to managing the overall upkeep and appearance of our properties. Working together using common standards and shared best practices, we’re also responsible for long-term strategic planning, expense management, capital improvements, energy and utility management programs, sustainability initiatives and reporting, vendor management, and operational ancillary income programs. I joined Kimco in 2001 as a Property Manager, and was promoted to Regional Property Manager and Director of Property Management and Operations before assuming my current position in 2009. Earlier in my career, I held posts with Advanced Facilities Services International, a third-party property management company, and Benderson Development Company, a privately held real estate company. I live with my wife and two children in North Carolina, and in my spare time I love to ski and mountain bike (I used to manage ski and mountain bike shops in college), and play soccer and tennis. I’m also an avid outdoor photographer.
Utility management: It’s not a glamorous job, but someone’s gotta do it!
Chris Freemanon May 14, 2018
For years, landlords have struggled to manage their vast inventory of utility accounts. Kimco had this challenge as well, up until about six years ago when we decided to get our arms around this beast and implement a more efficient utility management system.… Read More
How Kimco breaks the mold when contracting maintenance services
Chris Freemanon April 11, 2017
Contracting maintenance for a shopping center has followed the same process for decades. Traditionally, most real estate companies contract for maintenance services on an as-needed basis. For recurring services—think landscaping—contracts generally last from one to four years. This service work is usually bid out and coordinated directly between the property manager and the vendor.… Read More
Getting to the root of retail property beautification
Chris Freemanon January 17, 2014
NATURAL ATTRACTION: The indigenous plants and flowers at Kimco’s Riverplace Shopping Center create an immediate visual impact to draw foot traffic
Most retail landlords maintain seasonal flowers and other plants at their properties to create an aesthetically pleasing shopping environment and draw traffic.… Read More
The Perfect Storm
Chris Freemanon February 26, 2018
During my 25 years in property management, I’ve been through, and have personally dealt with, almost all types of natural disasters, weather, and man-made events that you can think of. The hurricanes and wildfires we experienced last year, however, make 2017 one that I will never forget!… Read More
Illumi-Nation enters its second phase
Chris Freemanon November 2, 2015
In October of last year, Kimco announced the Illumi-Nation program, our biggest sustainability program to date and the latest rollout under our Best-in-Class umbrella. Through Illumi-Nation, we had committed $9 million in 2015 to upgrade the lighting in 100 of our Tier 1 properties by year end, and the program will carry us through 2019.… Read More
Bouncing back from Hurricane Sandy
Chris Freemanon November 28, 2012
As a Long Island-based company, Kimco is among many organizations recovering in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In addition, however, we’ve also been helping those affected get back on their feet, as one of Kimco’s company values is to be a steward in the communities it serves.… Read More
How landlords can prepare for a hurricane
Chris Freemanon September 6, 2017
Only a week after Hurricane Harvey hit the Southeastern U.S., Hurricane Irma is making its way towards Puerto Rico and Florida. As residents start to evacuate, business owners and landlords need to ready their property for any possible storm damage.… Read More
Budgeting for a best-in-class portfolio
Chris Freemanon June 4, 2014
Kimco’s Mooresville Crossing in Mooresville, North Carolina
It’s budget season again for most REITs, and Kimco’s Property Management team is hard at work doing their due diligence for the process. In this post, I’m going to share with you the approach that Kimco takes to budgeting, as well as some of the tools that we use to assist in making informed business decisions for our properties.… Read More
Advancing the art of property management
Chris Freemanon September 12, 2012
Many think of property managers as the people responsible for the physical upkeep of a property — keeping areas clean, fixing leaky roofs, changing light bulbs, and filling potholes in the parking lot. While this is certainly part of the job description, it doesn’t begin to describe all of the many services Kimco’s property management team offers.… Read More