Commercial Real Estate Loans

In commercial real estate agency, you need good listings if you are going to grow and thrive in your property market. Good listings will give you a better database and more qualified enquiry. When the market gets tough, these two factors will get you through. Your database is your source of opportunity.

You can develop a presentation model which focuses your listing sales pitch and system. Here are some ideas to help:

1. Every listing that you pitch for should be a prepared process. That means inspecting the property before the presentation, and understanding the precinct in which it’s positioned. Take plenty of photographs of the property so that you can use the photographs as a ‘slide show’ on your lap top computer during the presentation. This has far more impact on the client than showing them other properties or general presentational slides. The client’s property is more important to them than anything else. That is why the photographs of their property attract their attention and sustain it. You can talk to the pictures and they will listen.
2. Your confidence in the presentation should come through in many aspects. This will be in how you appear, your knowledge of the property, the facts and performance of the local property market, the needs of the client, and your strategy to handle their property pain. If these elements are lacking in any way, it is likely that you will not win the listing.
3. The pitch for the property listing should be a two way process. This means plenty of questions to the client built around your ideas and strategies; this helps break up your listing pitch and the client does not feel that you are ‘selling them’.
4. The client wants to be understood from the outset so respect their ideas and needs through deliberate questioning. When they say something, ask more questions around it and paraphrase their comment into your words. This shows the client that you respect and understand their opinion. Continue Reading

All businesses, regardless of their size have to start somewhere. For some people, their business may start in their living room, garage, or a small office somewhere in town. Wherever you begin your business, a number of factors may lead you to consider moving to new premises, such as up sizing to bigger premises because of company growth, wanting to move somewhere nearer or closer to town, or simply needing a building with better facilities and internet access. Whatever your reasons for wanting to relocate, the whole process can be a little daunting if you’ve not done it before, or if you’re limited by budget or location, so here is a quick guide that will help you find your next commercial property.

When you’re trying to find a new property for your business, such as a new retail unit for your shop, or a new office for your company, then you’ll know that the market is full of options, but sometimes there are so many places to see and things to do that it can be quite difficult to find what you’re looking for straight away. So where do you start? Well, before you start viewing properties, it’s best to sit down and make a list of what you need at your new property. This list can include anything you like, but start with the basics first, such as toilets, a kitchen or kitchenette, internet access, a phone line, and most importantly during the winter: central heating. Once you’ve got down the basics, you can start looking at the specifics, such as what floor you want to be on, easy access for wheelchairs, if required, and security systems. Once you have your list you will find it a lot easier to narrow down the amount of properties that you will view. Continue Reading

When you run a commercial real estate agency with many salespeople, it is important to avoid operational problems that stifle listing opportunity and deal conversions. All too often today we see some agents cutting corners when it comes to operational support and backup for the sales team.

You cannot make good commissions when you cut corners.

The common operational problems we see today are usually:

• Lack of support staff to assist the sales team with their listings, advertising, database, and contract or lease documentation processes.

• The sales team spending too much time on administrative duties therefore not getting into the market and meeting enough of the decision makers.

• Little or no database support to capture the qualified enquiry accurately and in a timely way.

• Little or no marketing material to assist the sales team with their sales presentations and pitches.

• Poorly constructed marketing campaigns that have little relevance to the property precinct or the listed property.

• Lack of consistent prospecting and cold calling systems and strategies on the part of the sales team.

• Sales staff that do not know how to handle technology in the presentation and marketing process.

• Selection of under experienced staff with little or no market presence.

Let’s face the facts; today’s commercial real estate market is challenging and competitive with many agents chasing the same listings. This means that your agency and the sales team should have all the required tools at their fingertips to move on a potential listing and take it to market as quickly and effectively as possible. Continue Reading