If you are a commercial real estate leasing agent, you can get plenty of market traction if you work with local tenants and business owners. They tell you things and that then leads to listings and better commissions with quality property transactions.
Always err on the side of leasing quality when it comes to any property listing or property choices. Why is that? Consider these things:
- Quality properties create better levels of inquiry
- The rents are higher per unit of area
- The commissions are better due to the higher rents
- The tenants are drawn to a quality listing
- Modern buildings offer a level of improvement and services that most tenants require
What are the Leasing Positives?
There are some good things evolving from working in property leasing and resolving tenant needs. Think about these:
- Leasing leads to Property Management – Many landlords are open to property management services when you have just solved a complex leasing issue for them.
- Leasing leads to Sales – A lease today is likely to be a property sale in the future, particularly if you do a great job for the landlord property investor.
- Tenants share local property information – Local tenants will tell you many things about their location and other nearby businesses.
- Landlords want help with tenant placement and tenant mix – Whilst a landlord may have a fully occupied property right now, many leases may be in need of upgrade and renegotiation at the right time in the future. As a general rule, weaknesses in leases can be negotiated away over time with better leases and rents.
- Rental and lease strategies are highly specialized – There are many different types of rents and leases; they can be mixed and matched to the investment requirements of the landlord and or the occupancy needs of the tenant (it just depends on who you are engaged by as a client). You can drill down into market rent strategies and leasing alternatives. That will then make every lease negotiation more valuable for the clients that you serve.
So you can do a long way in the property market as a specialized agent or broker by starting from a ‘leasing base’. Understand the linkages between the 5 points mentioned and build your skills and property market around them.
In closing on these points, recognize the differences between office, retail, and industrial property. Understand the leasing opportunity in each property type, and then choose the segment that offers you the most market activity over time.
You can get more commercial real estate broker leasing tips in our ‘Snapshot’ eCourse right here.
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