Commercial listings can help you manage your sales and marketing projects with the tools that can make your initiatives move more smoothly and lets customers respond with greater results. Maximize your resources with commercial real estate for rent that provides the right investments in the right market for you and your clients. You should take advantage of the expertise developed by commercial real estate listing services to help you manage and run your real estate transactions in the most effective and profitable manner.

Commercial real estate rental information is available online so that you can work on your projects from any location with an Internet connection. Commercial real estate websites for small businesses can provide platforms that make the entire process from initial contact to final sale and added follow-up more streamlined and less labor intensive. Find a number of ways to begin using commercial real estate listings.

1. Attract clients with a commercial real estate lease

2. Build customer success with commercial real estate for sale

3. Reduce overhead with commercial real estate websites

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Integrate commercial property listings into your systems

The user-friendly options available in real estate listing software make using it easy and accessible for any business now. Small, medium and large companies can eliminate errors and grab those extra customers that will make you more profitable with real estate business listings that are updated and what your clients are looking for.

I recommend: Find news and information as well as avenues to find and list real estate at Xceligent. Get the latest updates and current information as well as listing information at Costar.

Go online for renting commercial real estate

For many of the newer online programs you don't even have to download any special software to your systems if you choose to engage Web-based real estate listing programs. These operations typically allow you a trial period, which you should take advantage of as well.

I recommend: RIS Media Real Estate News provides articles that are meant to inform and educate professionals while bringing you opportunities to learn from others and their best practices. For more than 25 years, REIS has been providing the commercial real estate industry with unbiased, independent information and education to keep up with listings changes.

Find commercial real estate listing services

Once you've started including commercial real estate listings into your company offerings, your need to keep abreast of changes, new technological developments and who are the big players in the field are and what they are doing.

I recommend: Interact with other professionals and keep up with the industry overall through membership in the AIR Commercial Real Estate Association. Take advantage of the reports and forums as well as the networking provided by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before choosing commercial real estate listing services, bring in the company principals to make sure they understand your market and your company goals.

In business, success often hinges on location. To find a stellar site for your business, scour commercial real estate listings. Whether you’re searching for commercial property for lease or commercial property for sale, business property listings should be your first step. Finding commercial real estate listings has never been easier thanks to the Internet. Numerous sites specializing in commercial real estate have popped up to put your property search right at your fingertips. The Internet isn’t your only option for business property listings. You can find commercial real estate listings in newspapers and weekly business publications, or you can hire a commercial real estate broker to assist with your search.

To get the most out of commercial property listing services:

1. Determine if you are looking for commercial property for sale or commercial property for lease.
2. Confine your business property listings search to a specific type of property, for instance, retail, office or industrial.
3. Narrow your search on online commercial real estate listings by choosing a price range, the number of square feet you need and more.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go to the specialists in online commercial real estate listings

Websites that specialize in business property listings generally have the most complete inventory of commercial properties for sale and for lease. Some sites require you to register as a member before searching the listings. Most sites offer free registration, while some offer enhanced access for a fee.

I recommend: LoopNet has the largest number of business property listings nationwide and lets you search by type of property, price and square footage. Black's Guide provides listings in 10 major markets and lets you search for commercial real estate brokers in those markets. You can scan commercial real estate listings for commercial property for lease or sale in approximately 40 markets at BizSpace, which is run by American City Business Journals.

Check major commercial brokerage sites for business property listings

Major brokerage firms post their commercial real estate listings on their websites for free viewing. Of course, only properties they are selling or leasing are included.

I recommend: Top names in commercial brokerage firms include CB Richard Ellis, Cushman & Wakefield, Grubb & Ellis, Marcus & Millichap, Colliers International, NAI Global and Jones Lang La Salle.

Hire a broker for help searching business property listings

Commercial real estate brokers know the ropes when it comes to commercial property for lease or sale. These experts can help you zero in on the right property and can help you negotiate the sale or lease.

I recommend: Brokers can be particularly useful because they have access to the subscription-only CoStar Group, considered the best of commercial property listing services. Use the directory of real estate brokerage firms and brokers at Business.com to help you find an expert or try the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, the leading industrial and commercial real estate association.

Narrow your search for commercial property for sale or lease

Targeting your search when using commercial property listing services is essential for a successful search. The more focused your search, the more likely the search results will meet your needs.

I recommend: Cityfeet.com lets you search for commercial property for lease or sale by type, including industrial, retail, office, showrooms or medical offices. Find additional sources for retail real estate at Business.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A local broker who understands the business climate in your area is better equipped to help you find the best commercial property for lease or sale.
• •  Once you have a short list of commercial property for sale or lease, drive by each of them to see if they offer the kind of access and visibility you need and to see if the neighboring businesses complement yours.
• •  When searching commercial property listings, consider how much square footage your company will need as it grows, not simply how much it needs today.

Commercial listings companies are in a constant flux, coming up with new technologies and distribution methods for their commercial real estate rental needs. Commercial real estate lease news is more critical than ever as new markets emerge and change so quickly in the national marketplace.

Commercial real estate listing technology and emerging market information makes the news on a regular basis. With the expansion of global markets in the commercial real estate for rent market with which you do business, you’ll need to stay on top of all the innovation and emerging real estate business listings. To remain competitive you’ll have to find ways to include commercial rent software in your operations. As commercial real estate websites continue to improve, there are a number of ways you can keep up with commercial real estate listings news and trends.

1. Log on to commercial real estate websites

2. Subscribe to commercial listings publications

3. Sign on for email alerts from commercial real estate listing services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Share information with other commercial real estate rentals professionals

Blogs and electronic newsletters are increasingly becoming the media of choice for many small business owners looking for quick and efficient means to communicate with other like-minded professionals. Find an Internet blog or website that provides trust-worthy information on renting commercial real estate and attracts reliable posting participants.

I recommend: Commercial Real Estate News will keep you updated on all the news you need to keep up with the national news landscape. Check in with Globe St. to get all the latest news and trend-watching information for the industry.

Read up on changes in commercial property listings

Commercial property listings news and trends continues to dominates many of the real estate publications available online and in print. It's a good idea to stay on top of the industry as whole so that you can know about changes that may be ahead.

I recommend: The Wall Street Journal Online provides regular updates exclusively for commercial industry insiders to follow the trends worldwide. Commercial Property News is a great resource for updates and news on the industry.

Receive commercial real estate rental alerts

Sing up for regular updates and email alerts to be sent directly to your email box to save time hunting for the latest information. Set up a separate email account to receive the newsletters and reports so that they don't interfere with your other business communications.

I recommend: Find news about every area of the commercial real estate industry at the National Real Estate Investor. Subscribe to City Feet to coverage that you can use in your commercial real estate business to keep up with national listing.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Develop a culture of sharing information at your business. Ask each of your employees to regularly read at least one commercial rent newsletter or magazine and share the news and trends they've uncovered at staff meetings.

Familiarity of commercial real estate terminology is beneficial in a variety of ways. For starters, it allows individuals to narrow online commercial property listings to fit the particular needs of your business. In addition, familiarity of commercial real estate key terms gives you an understanding of the “fine print,” such as base or contract rent, common area maintenance, cost of occupancy and certificate of occupancy that comes along with signing a lease.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Office space

A commercial real estate listing identified as 'office space' allows for professional or business office uses and can range in size from a suite to an entire office building. One may also find office described as Class A, B or C. Class A properties are more modern and command higher rents than Class B and Class C properties, which often need upgrades.

I recommend: For more information on office space, including types of office space, refer to HowStuffWorks.

Zoning

The zoning of a property regulates the uses - such as commercial, industrial or manufacturing - that can occur on the land. Zoning is a determining factor in whether a business can locate at a specific location.

I recommend: For more information on zoning and its effect on commercial real estate, refer to Real Estate Lawyers.

Base or contract rent

The base rent, sometimes referred to as the contract rent, is the total amount of money one must pay as part of the lease agreement.

I recommend: For more information on base or contract rent and associated provisions, refer to AMTdirect.

Common area maintenance audits

When renting commercial office space, the tenant may be required to pay common area maintenance fees that go toward maintenance of the building and parking lots, utilities, landscaping and snow removal. If paying a common area maintenance fee, having an audit performed to ensures that you are paying a fair rate.

I recommend: Refer to Stuart Maue for further information on common area maintenance audits.

Tenant improvements

Tenant improvements refer to the remodeling of a building or physical improvements to the property that are necessary to meet the requirements of the tenants. Tenant improvements can be the financial responsibility of the tenant, landlord or both parties.

I recommend: For more information on tenant improvements, refer to the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

Certificate of occupancy

The certificate of occupancy ensures that a building complies with all necessary codes, like those related to electrical, fire and plumbing, and may safely house tenants. Before signing any lease agreement, it is important to verify that the building has a certificate of occupancy issued by the local government.

I recommend: For more information on certificates of occupancy, refer to the City of Minneapolis website.