In commercial real estate agency, you will work with many different landlords. They will have tenant and rental challenges. You can be the leasing expert to help them.
Have you ever seen a landlord owner of a property that tries to lease the vacant premises themselves? They usually put a sign up in the window and drop a few adverts in the local paper; they then sit back and wait for a result. The vacancy then ‘eats its head off’ in lost rent and outgoings costs. The ‘hope’ process doesn’t work well in commercial and retail property leasing.
So let’s say that you are going to approach one of these landlords to see if you can list the property for lease. Only do so on the basis of an ‘exclusive listing’. If you don’t do that, the landlord is likely to market the property and the vacancy around you. Any tenants that show an interest may also try and get a lower rental from the landlord directly. Protect your efforts and your commissions with wise listing processes.
You have real value that you can bring to a landlord in this situation. As a leasing ‘expert’ you should have a comprehensive database of tenant contacts locally that you can refer the listing to. Your database is very valuable when you pitch for listings. Improve the value of your database by prospecting for tenants and buyers every day. Sell your leasing services around your database.
Why is it that agents take on ‘open listings’? It can be a method of quoting the property to your database if there is no other way of you getting a ‘foot in the door’. That is the only reason you should take on an open listing. Control your market with ‘exclusive listings’. That is how you dominate market share.
The leasing advice that you give landlords as part of listing a property (or pitching for a listing) should include these issues:
- Define the target market specifically for the vacancy. This will help you stand out as an agent of relevance.
- Show the landlord what is happening at the moment with rentals, incentives, leases and marketing.
- Get a list of competing properties together so the landlord knows what the asking rents are like locally.
- The time on market will vary from time to time during a business year. Track that trend so you can give the landlord some solid recommendations regards property promotion and marketing.
- Ask for marketing funds to use in the property promotion. Any landlord that is serious about marketing will participate in the request.
- Provide some marketing alternatives so the client can make some choices.
Your leasing recommendations should stand out as the best in the area. Use your database to show the landlord that you have a few tenants to take to the property as soon as it is listed.
Commercial Real Estate Online 