In commercial real estate, questions form a big part of our interaction with clients and prospects. Asking the right questions will help you move through the listing and marketing process with focus and momentum.
When you think about it there are a few phases to a commercial property process that are critical and that we are at the centre of. Here are some of them:
- Prospecting for new business and listings
- Getting to know the right people for future property activity
- Pitching and presenting your skills and services to the right people so you can attract the listings
- Qualifying enquiries and people as they come to you for new business or a new property
- Inspecting properties with the right people that have been vetted for relevance and ability to act
- Negotiating and closing on sales and lease opportunities
All of these things involve some advanced questions and processes of communication. You can never know too much about the process of communication.
It can be said that top agents are usually very good communicators. They know what to say and do, and they practice their skills.
Your success in the commercial real estate industry depends on many things but two of the biggest are:
- Your prospecting and networking strategy
- Your rapport building skills and systems
Have you ever been involved with a salesperson that took your business but clearly did not want to have anything much to do with you? They invariably leave a bad taste or experience, and you will usually spread the word at your disgust.
Salespeople with ‘stinking attitudes’ do not deserve business or customers; over time these salespeople do not survive.
Bad news will always be spread by clients and customers that did not like your attitude and or service. They will do their upmost to tell others not to trust you and or you agency.
So let’s go back to the fact that questions are critical to rapport building and communication with your clients. Here are my ‘rules of engagement’ when it comes to clients and customers. Use questions to address these things:
- Seek to understand their needs fully before you offer suggestions of the market or the approach to sales or leasing.
- Get to know the property requirement in all respects before you give an opinion of marketing and target market.
- Get involved with the clients ‘thinking’ so you know how to help them.
- Offer real market suggestions given the local area and the competing properties
- Be a real strategist that can bring high relevance and momentum to a good property in a quality area.
Commercial real estate is not overly complex; it just requires salespeople that align to the client and the property.
Commercial Real Estate Online 