There was a time not too long ago when getting a commercial property in front of the right audience felt pretty straightforward. You’d create a flyer, send some emails and make some calls, and then sit back and let the market do the rest of the work. And while this does still happen from time to time, anyone who’s listed property recently will tell you that things don’t work quite the same right now.
So what’s changed? Simply put, buyers and tenants are seeing more opportunities right now than ever. They're scrolling through listings faster, and using their phone to multitask. In a lot of cases, they've already formed an opinion about a property before they even speak to a broker.
This means marketing is no longer something that happens after the listing is ready; instead, it's becoming part of the strategy from the beginning.
Not Every Listing Gets a Second Look
One thing we’ve seen time and time again over the last few years is that exposure and attention aren't the same thing. Most listings get seen; the question is whether anyone stops long enough to care.
Sometimes, a property has great bones but gets overlooked simply because the presentation feels canned and generic. Other times, a pretty ordinary listing generates tons of buzz simply because the story is clearer and stands out.
People don't just evaluate square footage or lease terms when looking at a listing. They're thinking bigger, trying to picture how a property fits into their business plan or investment strategy. At the end of the day, the listings that help them do that usually have an advantage.
Photos Matter More Than People Want to Admit
This isn't exactly groundbreaking advice, but you’d be surprised how often it still gets overlooked: Poor photography can make a good property look forgettable (at best).
Most buyers and tenants aren't visiting a property immediately. Instead, they're making an initial decision based on what they see online. If the photos are dark, outdated, or incomplete, many prospects simply move on. First impressions matter so much here, and the opposite is true as well.
Strong images don't close deals, but they often earn something just as important, which is getting you the next click, the next call, or the next question. And in many cases, that's all you're really trying to accomplish at the beginning.
The Marketing Funnel Is Wider Than It Used to Be
It comes as no surprise, but a lot of CRE marketing still revolves around traditional channels. Things like email outreach, industry relationships, and listing platforms remain important. But it’s equally important to remember that prospects are finding properties in other ways now, too.
For instance, some discover opportunities through social media, while others find listings through digital advertising or word of mouth. That's changed the way some brokers think about visibility.
Instead of asking, "Where should I post this listing?" you should now ask yourself, "Where is my audience already spending time?" because the answers aren't always the same.
Reaching the Right People Beats Reaching More People
In commercial real estate, it's easy to focus on numbers: more impressions, more views, more clicks. But if the audience isn’t relevant, even the best metrics won’t do you much good. After all, a listing viewed by 50 qualified prospects is usually more valuable than one viewed by 5,000 people with no interest in the asset. That's why targeting your message to the right audience is so important.
Consistency Is Usually the Difference
Some brokers are naturally good marketers, but most aren't. What we've noticed, though, is that the brokers who consistently generate attention aren't necessarily producing better content; they're simply showing up more often.
They stay visible. They regularly share market insights, and they keep relationships active between transactions. Then, when a listing comes to market, they already have an audience that’s paying attention.
Marketing Is Becoming Part of Brokerage
The line between brokerage and marketing has blurred over the years. Today, getting a property listed is only one part of the job. Now, you also have to explain it, position it, and get it in front of the right audience.
Platforms like RealNex help you manage that process by bringing together all of your important information in one place. But the technology is only part of the equation. At the end of the day, the listings that attract attention usually have something in common: they're presented in a way that makes people want to learn more. And that's really where good marketing starts.
RealNex is a CRM tool that can be used by commercial real estate professionals to work more efficiently and improve their productivity. At RealNex, we offer an incredibly powerful, yet amazingly simple, end-to-end solution. To learn more about RealNex and see samples of the products that we offer, visit our website. When you are ready to experience the RealNex difference for yourself, schedule a demo or contact us today. We’d love to talk with you!
