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Summer 2018: Inside The Industry: Recruiting, Marketing, Thriving
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Five Step Guide to Marketing Your Commercial Property

August 27, 2018
Marketing, Sales Tips & Techniques
Connor JEff HEadshot

by: Jef Conn, CCIM, SIOR

Congrats, you’ve just landed a new listing! Now what? This is the age-old question all agents face. How do you market the property to reach the right customers so you can quickly lease or sell the property for your clients?

Here are five ideas that could work for you:

  1. Physical Signage – Simply placing your real estate sign in front of the property will catch people’s attention as they drive by. Be careful to place your sign to maximize drive-by exposure. Facing the sign where most of traffic sees it is ideal. Sometimes you need two signs, depending on the property and exposure levels.
  2. Marketing – Make your property stand out with these pro tips: Use good colors on the package to grab attention. Show the property at multiple angles, including the inside! When possible include a floor plan. This helps potential buyers see potential in use of the space. Don’t forget to include demographics. RPR® Commercial is a great asset to find demographic data for your property. Plug in the RPR® data to beef up your marketing.
Notice: The information on this page may not be current. The archive is a collection of content previously published on one or more NAR web properties. Archive pages are not updated and may no longer be accurate. Users must independently verify the accuracy and currency of the information found here. The National Association of REALTORS® disclaims all liability for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information or data found on this page.
  1. Tell the neighbors! – Sometimes the most likely buyer for a property is located within a stone’s throw of the property. When I list a building, I drop off marketing flyers in person to the neighbors of the property. It helps build new relationships, creates awareness for your real estate business, and of course helps market your property.
  2. Geo-Farming – In addition to telling the neighbors, send physical marketing to the people that make the most sense. On a typical commercial deal, sending a postcard or marketing piece to the following entities creates awareness and drives business: properties within one-mile radius of your property, similar properties (ex: industrial marketing to industrial clients, retail to retail, etc), and other brokers. Some brokers find it important to send marketing to their top 100 clients (or future clients).
  3. Pick up the phone – You’ve set up the marketing plan, now it’s time to pick up the phone. Follow up with the people who received your physical marketing pieces and ask if they have any questions or know of anyone who might be a fit. Reach out to other brokers to make sure they are aware of the listing. Finally, cold call future clients. You now have a reason to call – your new listing!

Ultimately, you must decide what works best for you and your property.

Top 3 go-to Sources for Geo-Farming Lists

1. List Sellers
Buy them from list sellers. Just Google “buy mailing list for <zip code>.”

2. Central Appraisal District
Find out if your central appraisal district is an option. Many will sell their lists for a nominal fee ($20-$100).

3. Do It Yourself
Create your own lists by taking information from online appraisal district information. This takes a long time but is the most accurate.

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