Today, I want to guide you through the lessons I picked up in small CRE deals, not just how to market properties but how the right tactics can make even modest listings stand out and sell.
Today, I want to guide you through the lessons I picked up in small CRE deals, not just how to market properties but how the right tactics can make even modest listings stand out and sell.
Today I want to show you not just that depreciation is a deduction but how it can significantly shape the financial results of your CRE investments.
Most of my deals in Commercial Real Estate (CRE) now are in the $1 million to $15 million range. Retail buildings, office spaces, multi-family developments and mixed-use properties.
Nothing too flashy. Nothing too big either.
And you know what? That’s where I learned real marketing grit.
Because when you’re pushing a $2M neighborhood retail center instead of a $200M Class A tower, you don’t necessarily get the hype or big marketing budget.
You have to hustle smarter and learn how to position, promote, and sell value.
Today, I’m going to guide you through the marketing tactics that helped me build a successful career by listing small to midsized properties.
One of the biggest mistakes I see new brokers make is trying to market small commercial deals like they’re blockbuster corporate transactions.
Wrong move.
In small CRE deals, you’re typically targeting:
Each of these groups has different hot buttons.
You need to tailor your messaging.
Stat:
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 84% of small CRE deals involve local or regional buyers not national institutions.
Pro Tip:
When marketing a small flex industrial property, I always focus on functionality and flexibility. When marketing a small retail center, I highlight tenant stability and traffic counts.
Listen to your clients, understand their objective s and solve their specific problems.
You’d be shocked how many agents slap together one blurry photo and a bad flyer and expect the phone to ring.
In today’s world, visual presentation matters more than ever.
For every small deal I list, I invest time (and often a little money) to create:
Stat:
Listings with professional photos sell 32% faster than those with amateur photos, according to a study by VHT Studios.
When I started, it was all postcards and cold calls.
Today, digital first is the rule even for small deals.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are critical for commercial real estate in the USA, with 92% of U.S. realtors utilizing Facebook for lead generation, 52% using Instagram, and listings with video content (common on YouTube) receiving 403% more inquiries and selling up to 31% faster.
Here’s my digital checklist for every small property:
Pro Tip:
Use paid ads strategically. I often run a targeted Facebook or Instagram ad campaign with a small $100–$250 budget, aimed at local business owners or investors within a 10–25-mile radius.
In small commercial deals, local brokers are your secret weapon.
I always:
Pro Tip: Half the buyers I find for small deals come not from the public but from another broker whose client wasn’t even actively looking.
They just saw my sharp marketing and that was enough to keep me top of mind.
People don’t buy property, they buy stories.
I advice my team to frame listings with a narrative:
Stat:
Properties with emotionally engaging descriptions spend 50% less time on the market, according to Realtor.com research.
Sometimes, you need to create buzz even for smaller properties.
I often host:
Pro Tip: Always add a little incentive: Gift cards, free business consultations, local vendor discounts. It’s a small investment that gets bodies through the door and offers on the table.
One of the biggest killers of small deal marketing?
Silence.
Listings go stale fast
That’s why I advise my team to:
Pro Tip: People are busy. They’re bombarded with information.
You need to stay politely persistent and keep your property top of mind.
Final Thoughts
For small to mid size commercial deals, you win with precision, hustle, and heart.
You win by:
I’ve seen plenty of brokers overlook small deals as “not worth the effort.”
Big mistake.
Small to midsize deals are the foundation of careers, and they teach you skills that make big deals inevitable later.
Remember:
In real estate, smaller doesn’t mean less important. Smaller often just means “faster to close and easier to cash.”
Get good at marketing them, and you’ll never worry about where your next commission is coming from.
At CRE Content Pro, we help commercial real estate brokers turn industry expertise into market authority. If you’re ready to position yourself as a tech-savvy thought leader and drive real results, let’s create content that elevates your brand and closes more deals.
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