Brad Neihouser CBC Shook

  OFF MARKET DEALS Most astute, seasoned buyers/investors are always looking for an off-market deal. From time to time brokers will advertise the sale of a property that, after some research, I learn never hit the market at all. All asset classes, from single-family homes, large apartment buildings, industrial warehouses or vacant land, seem to be pretty routinely bought and sold off the marketplace. Like anything else, Off Market Deals have their pros and cons, but who really benefits from selling or purchasing a property that never went up publicly for sale. The real estate broker, for one, certainly stands a fair amount to gain from this type of transaction. Off-market property exchanges involving a broker typically occur when that broker has a buyer already lined up to purchase the subject property/site. Without expending much effort, the broker has a nice & easy pay day. Or consider the buying side. If a property never goes to market, then the real value isn’t alwa...

Prospecting: The Thoughtful Way In any kind of sales, especially commercial real estate, you will most likely need to do some kind of prospecting for new clients. An old mentor of mine once said that new business doesn’t just walk in the door all the time, and wow, is that true. When you think of prospecting, the first thing to come to mind is probably the dreaded “cold call”. Everyone knows what I’m talking about, whether you’ve received them or done them yourself. The pitch for the latest service, investment, or product always seems to be the same and generally ends the same as well, without commitment. Instead of blind, cold prospecting, what about taking the time to research potential clients, obtain a base level understanding of their property, and make a “warm call”? What would that look like? Try sending an introductory letter or other mailed version of outreach. Perhaps include a photo or map of their property, including comparable sales, other current listings, and/o...