Commercial Real Estate Agent Prospecting Ideas That Work

As a commercial real estate agent or broker, you need to make and use a prospecting program to find new business leads.  It is a personal process, and it is not something that you can or should delegate.

I am amused sometimes when I hear that an agent has paid considerable money to a marketing company to ‘cold call’ their entire sales territory or market segment looking for leads and prospects to serve.  What a waste.

Delegating the prospecting process to a marketing company or another ‘unskilled person’ is a waste of time and your money.  Put yourself into your real estate market and talk to people. The best agents do that. Engage with people; you know what to talk about and what to say.

Relationships are Central

Commercial real estate is an industry built around personal relationships and trust; a marketing company or employed canvasser cannot offer that level of communication or service.

So why would a real estate agent employ such a ‘marketing firm’ to make prospecting calls?  The answer in most cases is glaringly obvious; the agent doesn’t have the skill or the long-term discipline for the prospecting process to be successful.

Focus on Things Yourself

If you want to win the new business, then you will need to do it yourself.  Yes, it takes time to get results and you will need to develop some new skills, but discipline will help you get to the results that you are seeking.

One thing should be said here; commercial real estate brokerage is tremendously rewarding for the sales people that can work hard and to a system or plan.  Looking for leads and opportunities is part of the process or game.  It’s a personal thing and it can’t be delegated.

New Business Strategies

Here are some way’s to find new business, better property listings, and good clients:

• Redundant Properties – Some properties will move to a level of redundancy due to age, deterioration, change of zoning, or lack of tenants.  When this happens it is time to move to the next phase of the property ‘lifecycle’.  A good real estate agent can see the signs early and work closely with a property owner as they start to deal with the issue of investment change.
• Vacant Land – As a city expands or suburbs change, vacant land will be rezoned for new development.  Keep ahead of this opportunity by monitoring the planning and development applications at your local planning approvals office.  Get copies of the public minutes of the planning committee meetings.
• Old Listings – Some listings don’t sell or lease at the first attempt.  What you can do here is withdraw the property from the market today and then revisit the property marketing effort a few months later in another and perhaps different marketing approach.  Refreshing a listing is a valuable business process. Check out old listings that seemingly have disappeared from the market. They can be your listings or that of others. Make a direct approach to the owners and see how thing are going. Perhaps they need more help.
• Open Listings – The best way to sell or lease a property is through an exclusive listing process.  Open listings are very much a process of luck; most open listings stay on the market for a very long time and on average are far less successful when compared to the dedicated marketing efforts of an exclusive listing.  Revisit old open listings to see if they can be optimised for a fresh marketing effort.
• Larger Businesses – Local businesses are involved in property either as tenants or as owner occupiers.  Business owners will need help with property from time to time.  The best way to tap into that opportunity is through direct and ongoing contact.  Cold call every business in your town or city and speak to them regularly about property needs and changes.
• Surrounding Other Listings – When a competing agent puts a property on the market, you can use that listing as a reason to talk to all adjacent and nearby business and property owners.  One property listing can be the catalyst to talk to others to see if they would like to compete or do something themselves.
• Street Canvassing– On a street by street basis, systematically move through your sales territory and research all property owners.  Eventually you will create a good list of owners for your database.  Ongoing contact will allow you to build valuable client relationships and the levels of trust that help grow commissions and listings.
• Cold Calling – The telephone remains the most effective business tool that we have.  Direct calls handled in a professional way will help you reach out to new people.  Selectively researching the property owners and business people in your area will support the cold calling process.

Simple and Direct Systems

A simple list like this will give you an abundance of property leads and opportunities.  Don’t complicate your real estate business. Keep it simple and focus on just a few things that you can do in a repeatable way.

The secret to making things work in commercial real estate today for you is doing it yourself. It is a special process and discipline. Give it a try.