Todd Lindsey & Associates, a commercial real estate company located in Boston, owns six office buildings in the Boston area that it leases to businesses. The lease price per square foot differs by building due to location and building amenities. Currently, all six buildings are fully leased at the prices shown here.

Price per Square Foot Number of Square Feet Building 1 $ 75 125,000 Building 2 $ 85 37,500 Building 3 $ 90 77,500 Building 4 $ 45 35,000 Building 5 $ 55 60,000 Building 6 $110 130,000

a. Compute the weighted average (mean) price per square foot for these buildings.

b. Why is the weighted average price per square foot preferred to a simple average price per square foot in this case?