How  do  you  attract  the  right  customers  to  your  commercial  real estate listings? If you find that your ads are largely ignored, or attract  those not ready to buy, that’s understandably frustrating. Many things influence the success of a property listing. One of the most important is the quality of the copy that you write.

This  is  largely  because  selling  commercial  property  involves  complexities  that  aren’t  necessarily  an issue when you are selling residential  properties.  While  suitability  and  appeal  play  a  role  in  both  cases,  people looking at commercial properties have to consider the following:

• Whether the property fits into their business model.

• Getting investors and stakeholders on board.

• If investing in the property is a wise use of company capital

That  requires  a  bit  of  a  perspective  shift and a different approach. To get started, take a look at the following five tips for writing high-converting commercial property listings.

Commercial   property   is   really   an   umbrella   term   that encompasses   many   types   of  properties.  Each  of  these appeals to a different audience. 

• Industrial:  Is  the  property  secure?  Does  the  lot  have adequate space for trucks? Can the space accommodate forklifts and pallet  racks?  Is  it  close  to  an  interstate  or  railroad  terminal?  Does it include office space, adequate restrooms, and break rooms?

• Retail:  Is  it  visible from  the  roadway?  Is  there  main  road  access?  Has the parking lot been designed to provide adequate, accommodating space? What about foot traffic? Are there businesses nearby that attract a similar clientele? Is the neighborhood safe?

• Office:  Is  it  in close proximity to restaurants, stores, and other businesses? Is it accessible to public transportation? Is parking well-lit and adequate? Does the space have a versatile layout that includes meeting spaces, open work areas, executive offices, and  a  welcoming  reception area? How is the internet infrastructure? Are there existing tenants, and will they be staying long-term?

As  you  write your listing,  try  to  predict  the  questions  and concerns potential buyers will have. Address them to move interested investors closer to a showing.

Consider  your  property  and  all of its features. Next, distill out a handful of truly noteworthy items. Evaluate those, and identify the feature  that  is  most  likely  to  grab  the  attention  of  suitable  buyers.  Now,  find  a  way  to incorporate that into your heading or subheading. You may even be able to fit in two benefits to create a winning headline. For example:

• Beautiful Storefront With Plenty of Foot Traffic

• Modern Industrial Space With Great Amenities

• Office Space Priced to Move: Perfect For Startups

• Spacious Retail Space in a Growing Neighborhood

• Spectacular Investment Opportunity

• Centrally Located Office Building With Long Term Tenants

Your goal is to get the buyer to stop scrolling the second they read your headline.

Never  assume  that prospective buyers can easily imagine how a  property  might  work  for  them.  Be  explicit,  and  write your listing  in  a  way  that ensures they can picture their business in that space. 

Instead of writing: ‘Large, welcoming reception area with natural lighting, and a coffee bar.’

Try: ‘ Welcome  clients, guests, and others into an airy reception space   with   plenty   of   room  for  comfortable  seating  and  a refreshments area.’

Instead of writing: ‘Open floor-plan office space.’

Try: ‘Watch your team collaborate, problem-solve, and share ideas in a roomy, open space.’

Instead of writing: “Large loading zone with multiple loading bays, turn-around space, and plenty of lighting.”

Try: “Relieve your logistics headaches with a spacious loading zone that can accommodate multiple delivery vehicles, 24 hours per day.”

You   really  can’t  write  a  compelling  property  listing  without  understanding your potential buyer.  Start  by  answering  a  simple question.  ‘Who  is  going  to  be  most  interested in this property?’ Chances are, you won’t have a singular answer. A given property might  attract  owner- occupants,  investors  and  landlords,  those  seeking  startup  spaces,  and established businesses who need to expand.

Make   a   list  of   those   prospective   buyers.   Then,  create a list of characteristics, concerns, values, and goals for each one. Now, determine which are the most important points for you to address in your listing. 

Imagine that you are selling a small, standalone commercial space on the main strip of a medium-sized town. You determine that the space would be perfect for a small medical office, insurance agency, or a small tech firm/consultancy that has outgrown home office space.  At  the  same  time,  it  would  also  be  the  perfect  opportunity  for a  landlord  who  is  interested  in  adding  a   low-maintenance property to their portfolio. Start by creating a table to hammer out the most pressing concerns for each.

At this point, you should be able to write a listing that speaks to your target audience.

What  are  other  agents  doing  to  successfully sell commercial listings like yours? Find out by taking a look at your competitors’ listings.   What  are  they  leveraging  as  selling points? Who are they targeting?   Take  examples  of the things that work, modify them for your own purposes, and use them to write listings that sell.

Final Thoughts

The  best  way  to  write  a  commercial property listing is to remember that buyers are often making an investment decision, not a personal one. Take into consideration that each property type has its own set of important attributes. Finally, identify your target audience for each property, and write property listings that effectively speak to them.