The steps I am about to give you are time tested and proven over the years by many successful commercial real estate agents.

These steps are a great way for you to build your business.  These steps are worthless if you don’t create a structure that allows you to execute these steps on a regular basis. Find a quality CRM, put your head down and get to work.

1) Cold Calls - I recommend 100 calls per morning to a targeted group- either to an area or to a specific asset class, with every call you need to bring value…tell them something about the market in their area or a specific asset they may have interest in hearing about. Do not call and just leave a voicemail to call you back.  If you don’t have their emails be sure to ask for them and immediately but them into your CRM to add to your email list;

2) Social Networks - Most commercial agents frown on this, however, it’s a critical part to your branding. Create posts twice per week that have critical information about your market (create value for yourself).  Don’t just post about business though, also mix in some personal posts.  After all, people like to do business with people they know and like;

3) Sphere of influence - You need to reach out to friends, family, past coworkers and clients on a regular basis, there is no worse feeling than sitting next to a friend and having them say “we just relocated our office too………” your first question to them is, “who represented you?” and they respond ah man, I forgot you were in the business…. Email your sphere of influence at least once monthly, add something personal and as always something that brings value.

4) Reviews - In this day and age, most people immediately google what they are looking for, or who they are working with. Make sure you ask your clients to write reviews on Google and Facebook for you, it will make it easier for potential clients to find you and gain their trust that much quicker.

5) Email Blasts - I would recommend doing an email blast (in the beginning every two weeks) that is personalized and (again) brings value to everyone in your market (clients, potential clients, and networking contacts).

6) Block Program (Also called Canvassing) - Every two weeks walk a specific community (best utilized for office or retail) and get to know the people working in the stores or the offices, they will begin to trust you over time and you will learn a lot about the area.  Once per month you should also call the ownership of these properties and keep them informed as to what is happening in the area; do not gossip... just real data about who is moving out of or into the area and on what is happening in the communities their properties are located.  By doing this you become the “go-to” expert in this area for commercial real estate.

In the end it all comes down to being the professional to go to in the community, find ways to create value for yourself, and the last (but not the least) tip to be successful in this business… Treat this like a business, show up, do the work, out work and out perform your competition and you will soon reap the rewards.