1. Assembling the contestants. Internally, gather a list of names of real estate agents that either specializes in commercial real estate or do both commercial and residential brokerage. Take a drive down commercial streets and take names and number from for sale or for lease signs. Look for new developments in older neighborhoods and the sign often identifies the developer. Ask your circle of friends if they have personally dealt with someone they felt did a great job for them. The goal here is to get a dozen names to approach, and this list will be winnowed down to three “finalists”. This agent campaign winnowing takes place by telephone, email, and text messaging, or a combination, depending on how the individual agents communicate.
2. You want the names, cell phone number and email address on your list. If this information is not on the sign, call their office and ask for it. Start with a call. They may answer the phone and they may not. It doesn’t make any difference. If they do answer, the script is below in #3 and the questions in #4. If they do not, the script is the message you leave on voice mail. You can make all of these calls in less than an hour. Do all of them at one sitting.
3. Hello < agent first name>, this is <your name>. I found you through <source/name>. I am looking for an agent to help us sell a commercial property, and I would like to ask a few questions of you. This call may lead to a personal interview. I wanted to alert you to the email I will send when I hang up. If you are interested, please email me the answers. I included the address of the property, so you have a better sense of the project. If you have any question, please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thanks! I am looking forward to hearing from you. <terminate the call>
4. The email you send:
Hello <first name>, I am a member of a church group. We have a church we are going to sell. We realize we have to downsize.
Here are the questions I want to ask you I mentioned on the phone:
a.) When you list a commercial property like ours “for sale,” how do you promote it, so people know it is for sale?
b.) Is there a typical type of buyer that lean toward similar properties? For example, would it be other churches that are growing or a developer who would convert it into apartments? Or something else?
c.) If you believe a particular group might be the best source of prospects, what do you do to make them aware of the property?
d.) Have you ever sold a property like this?
e.) Is this property that you would be interested in handling?
f.) How do you go about suggesting a price for it?
If this property is something that you would like to know more about, or that you already know you would like to work on, please answer the questions and send them back to me at your earliest convenience. Once we have reviewed your responses, we will contact you.
If you have any questions, please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.