Hidden Money Makers: How to Find Commercial Real Estate Leads

When you are just starting out in the commercial real estate business you have to always keep your head on a swivel. There is always a property to be sold; always a flip to be made. You just have to go out and find it.

The commercial real estate business can be a crucible when you are just starting out. One of the biggest obstacles many beginners face is finding out where the next potential buy is. If you ask most professionals in the trade, they will tell you it is usually word of mouth that gets helps them find their prospective buy. Some will tell you looking through public records is the best way to find a new property. These are just a small few ways that you can go about finding your first buy, but you have many options if you look closely.

Word of mouth is possibly the best way to find out where the best prospects are for investing. The first place you could go to is your family. Most of the time they are best places to start. The commercial real estate business is about making and having connections. You want to make sure that you start making connections with people that are on the ground floor of the market that you want to corner. Having your ear to the street will give you a lot of leads when you are beginning.

Being a people person is a lot of the battle in the commercial real estate business; you have to be able to talk to different people without fear. Being extroverted is a great trait that you could use to your potential. Everyone likes someone that is personable. However, it is possible to be introverted.

Another way you could figure out where some potential properties is by mentioning to people that you are in the commercial real estate business. Just by giving people your business card or the link to your website in passing opens up many different doors.

Connections in the commercial real estate business are extremely important

This is the age of social media, with a swipe of a finger or a quick click of a mouse puts you in contact with millions of people. The same model can be applied to commercial real estate. If you are having trouble finding where the best lots are located or when the next foreclosure is happening a tweet could suffice. You could keep up with certain hashtags that involve your business such as #CRE. You could also send a massive email chain could also help you find some new clients. You also want to make sure that you keep up with the plethora of blogs and forums that are online. You usually will have some that could give you the rundown on a city you may want to start plotting investments.

When all else fails the commercial real estate business will always have something around you just have to go searching

Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and go cold searching for a property that you may be interested in. Many investors will drive around popular neighborhoods and cities looking for distressed or derelict properties that need a little refurbishment. This is called, “driving to dollars,” in the commercial real estate world. Depending on your experience this will be the first or last thing you do.

About the Author: Dennis has been working in the real estate industry in some capacity for the last 40 years. He purchased his first property when he was just 18 years old. He quickly learned about the amazing investment opportunities provided by trust deed investing and hard money loans. His desire to help others make money in real estate investing led him to specialize in alternative funding for real estate investors who may have trouble getting a traditional bank loan. Dennis is passionate about alternative funding sources and sharing his knowledge with others to help make their dreams come true. Dennis has been married to his wonderful wife for 42 years. They have 2 beautiful daughters 5 amazing grandchildren. Dennis has been an Arizona resident for the past 40 years.