These days, it's not enough to have a passing acquaintance with your tenants. It makes sound business sense to build working relationships with your tenants and be a part of their future plans. It's time to be more than a landlord and become a strategic business partner. It's time to switch your thinking from a "tenant" to a "customer". But how do you become a partner? It's all about having the right conversations. But first you need to earn the right to have those conversations. Who should you be talking to? And is it worth the effort? NB Real Estate looks on the importance of building strong relationships with customers in a downturn.