Grow Your Principal Selling Position in Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

In commercial real estate today, the local property market has plenty of competitors chasing your clients and listings.  The clients and prospects that we serve have lots of choices when it comes to the right agent for the right property.  In the end, the client will choose the agent or broker with the best market penetration and control for the property type.

The marketing of commercial, industrial, or retail property is not an experiment, and your clients will be seeking the best solution in sales or leasing.

Your reputation matters from a business growth point of view in commercial real estate.  Are you promoting yourself comprehensively to the right people in your town or city? Can you do it better?  What is your ‘principal selling position’?  Is your brand so strong that the clients and prospects seek you out?

Here are some good ways to grow your personal brand:

1. Understand the differences between clients and prospects.  Some are better than others.  Some will own multiple properties in various locations.  These special clients are what I like to call VIP’s.  They should be encouraged and serviced at a top level.
2. Ask for exclusive listings at every opportunity.  If the clients want a top service from you, they must commit to you for a reasonable period of time.  Give them clear reasons to do just that.
3. Why should clients and prospects use you?  Ensure that the answer is specific and not generic.  Elevate your value to your clients with market coverage and knowledge.
4. From every inspection, negotiation, marketing effort, and internet listing, there will be facts and information to feed back to your client.  Put them at the centre of your response process.  With the convenience of email, SMS, and voice mail you can communicate quickly and directly.  Great client communication leads to referral opportunity.
5. Every exclusive listing should be targeted to the right tenants and buyers.  That takes real effort on the part of the broker or agent.  Tell the client exactly what you will do on a personal basis to take the listing to the market today and how that should attract enquiry and inspections.
6. There will be plenty of stories and examples that you can share from other properties locally.  If your client is struggling with decisions and choices, give them a story of experience from another client that you have serviced.
7. Establish a social media platform that is comprehensive across your client base.  Feed into those social channels the updates of the market, recent listings, and comparable prices and rents.  You can easily become a marketing expert in commercial property by providing up to date information.
8. Give your client choices when it comes to taking action on a key issue.  Choices facilitate momentum.  That will help your listings and negotiations.

One last comment should be made here about personal branding in commercial real estate brokerage today.  Take your business cards everywhere; you never know who you will meet and what the circumstances can be in the future.  Your business card is the best marketing solution that you have.

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