commercial real estate

3. get a contact management program (e.g. Act!). Then really use it. Put every prospect you talk to in it. Schedule regular follow up calls. Make the calls

4. Telling isn’t selling. Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes. How can you help them make more money?

5. Consider subscribing to Lexis Nexis’s people finder service to track down difficult-to-locate owners. There you will find unlisted phone numbers.

6. Make the sales calls. It’s the hardest part. Most sales people loathe them.

7. If your focus is on selling property, work to secure exclusive listings. Make it your focus.

8. Consider taking the CCIM 101 course which teaches the basics of underwriting commercial real estate. Most of my colleagues and competitors can’t do much more than apply a capitalization rate to value a property. Being able to go a little beyond that, to have a basic understanding of discounted cash flow analysis, will lend you a TON of credibility.

9. When marketing commercial buildings targeted to users, use direct mail. You can buy lists at reasonable prices from D&B (www.dnb.com). You can design and mail the postcards from any number of online web sites.

10. I’ve sold a ton of real estate — primarily smaller assets — through craigslist. If you live in a major market where craigslist is popular, use it.