The decisions made by a property owner in selecting an agent to sell their investment property should be based on the property knowledge and expertise of the agent and the salesperson involved. Far too many property owners choose an agent based on the discounts of advertising and commission offered in the listing process. In this market, discounts in shortcuts in the property marketing process are counterproductive.

There are no shortcuts to selling commercial property. The property has to be marketed completely and fully to the target market. In only that way can the landlord or the property investor achieve the best price. Any shortcuts offered and taken in the marketing and listing campaign are counterproductive.

To find the right agent to market the property the property owner should make some essential decisions around the following:

1.  The agent should display a significant amount of local property knowledge. That includes the comparable properties in the area that impact the potential listing.
2. The agent should have significant signage presence in the market with other listings. It is the signage that creates reasonable volume of enquiry that can be used across various listings.
3. The sale of a commercial property can be undertaken in a variety of ways. That is auction, sale by tender, or expressions of interest, negotiation, or sale without a price. Not all methods of sale suit the individual property. The agent should be able to clearly identify the best method of sale given the prevailing market conditions.
4. Exclusive agency methods of sale are far more effective than open property listings. The exclusive agency method allows the agent to commit to the marketing process for a fixed period of time. This gives the property owner full market penetration as they seek to sell the property.
5. In selling a commercial property, the attributes and elements of the property should be explored and understood prior to the marketing program commencing. Any hurdles or obstacles which could be frustrating the sale or the settlement should be identified and addressed. The real estate agent is the best person to advise the client in that regard.
6. The marketing of a commercial property for sale should comprehensively cover traditional advertising and electronic based media. The mixture between the alternatives will always vary subject to the attributes of the property. So the marketing of the property should feature a mixture of newspaper adverts, database contact, email marketing, direct telephone call marketing, flyers or brochures, signboard, Internet website placement, and any previous contacts all qualified prospects that the agent has identified.

When selling a property today, the initial four weeks of the marketing program are critical to the outcomes and the enquiry that can be generated. Agents should recommend intense and comprehensive marketing during that first four week period. » Read more: Essential Decisions for Agents in Selling Commercial Property