Marketing your available commercial real estate listings online is a great way to reach potential tenants. As posting property online becomes more commonplace, we find that landlords and brokers are looking for ways to improve their interaction with these potential tenants. Below are some tips we think will help you convert online prospects into paying tenants.

1. Call Them Back!
   The most important first step is to pick up the phone, call the prospect, and encourage them to come and tour your vacancy. Do this as quickly as possible. We have some clients that tout their ability to call each prospect within 5 minutes of receiving the inquiry. Many landlords just email a marketing flyer to the prospect and wait for them to either call back or come by for a tour. There are a lot of space options out there for businesses to choose from, and just emailing a prospect is not enough. The best time to qualify a prospect, if you can’t call them immediately, is either 8-9am or 4-5pm. For additional tips on this topic, check out The Lead Response Management Study.
2. Follow Up with an Email
   If you are unable to connect with a prospect over the phone, email them. For many businesses searching for space, email is the preferred form of communication. A suggested process would be to try a prospect 3 times over the course of 3 work days, if you fail to connect.
3. Email Marketing
   For the prospects you cannot reach over the course of those 3 days, we suggest adding them to your email marketing campaigns. Sending flyers and property updates monthly to prospects that have previously expressed interest in your spaces, is a great way to stay in contact with the prospect.
4. Don’t Negotiate Over the Phone
   Businesses that are searching for available properties online, are often looking to move within a short time frame. We commonly see prospects trying to negotiate lease terms over the phone or by email before touring. It is very important to get a tour set up and meet the prospect before negotiating on price, lease length or tenant improvements.
5. Online Listing Content
   We find that online property listings with detailed information receive higher quality leads. When you provide more information about your available listings, your potential customers are more educated and can determine if the space might be a good fit. The most important details to provide are: price, available square footage, interior build out details, and pictures. If you can provide floor plans and video, you are really differentiating yourself from other available spaces online.