The One Thing that Makes All the Difference in Commercial Real Estate Brokerage

A career in commercial real estate does not need to be complicated but it does need to be focused.  Above everything else that you do in the industry, one thing will stand ‘head and shoulders’ above everything else as a success factor.

Exactly what is it that will help you convert more listings and commissions?

The answer to the question is quite simple; it is the number of people that you know at a personal level who are the relevant players in the property industry in your town or city.

That is the most important factor to incorporate in your marketing efforts and professional promotions.  Get to know the right people in a comprehensive way.

Database focus?

If you are looking to build your career as a commercial real estate agent, or perhaps you are looking to improve your market share, take a serious look at your database and the depth of relevance you have created with every prospect and client.  Those people need to know you as the best agent locally for the property type and the location.

In keeping your real estate career simple and direct, as well as successful, look at your database and the communication processes associated with it.  Here are some ideas to help with that:

1. Over time you will find that some people or clients will fall away from the property industry and become less interested in buying, leasing, or selling.  For this very reason you do need to top up your database continually with new people and fresh contacts.  That is then a prospecting strategy.
2. You will find that many people will take months if not years to take the next step in property activity.  For that reason your database should be structured around a pipeline process and a staged level of contact.  Every 60 to 90 days you should be connecting with the best people within the database in a relevant and real way.  That will help you build a professional profile as a top agent and industry professional.
3. As in any other professional sales career, your communication and negotiation skills will be critical to the outcomes you achieve.  Practicing those two skills will help you improve conversions from listings, inspections, and negotiations.  Develop a practicing process that you can merge into your weekly or daily diary; role plays are valuable to help with the challenges of the property market as they apply to your industry type and location.  Keep practicing the challenges that you see every day and develop real responses that you can give to solving the problems your clients may have.

It is quite clear from this simple strategy that you do need to know a lot of people in your local area.  Those people should be recognized prospects or clients that are acting or will act on a property investment situation now or in the future.

Take a simple and direct look at your database processes.  Understand how you are finding new people and connecting with them over time.  Improve your client and prospect connections at every opportunity and practice your professional communication skills to suit the challenges of today’s property market.