The secret to finding commercial property leads that convert

You have tenancy voids to fill and empty units to sell; you need commercial property leads – and we can help you find them.

Leads are crucial to the survival of most businesses. But in the commercial property sector – with its long sales cycles and market volatility – fresh leads are your lifeblood.

Success relies on how efficiently you can get the right information in front of the right people at the right time.This is an article about lead generation for real estate – and why pay per click advertising is perhaps the best and most accountable method of them all.

One quick thing, before we start…

Pay per click advertising can transform the amount of unique, high intent commercial property leads finding your business. Let us prove it to you. We’ll even cover your ad spend. Tempted? Here’s what you can expect from us. Here’s the results we’ve already achieved for our happy clients. And here’s where you get in touch to ask for a free discovery call. Let’s do it.

“Superb experience, highly recommended. Having used 2 agencies previously with very disappointing results, we were starting to lose faith in being able to produce good quality online leads. I am delighted to say Adbetter have absolutely saved us! They reliably provide us with a steady stream of well qualified, high quality leads every month and our conversion rates have skyrocketed. They are a great team, a pleasure to deal with, prompt, professional and efficient. We are a very happy client!”

– Ed Scott, Founder, Finlock Property Investment

11 places to search for commercial property leads (and 1 place you can always find them)

1. Go to your existing database

We live in a network economy. Never underestimate the power of your existing contacts.

Mining your existing contact list – both past and present – is an easy place to start your lead generation efforts.

Even contacts who’ve been off the radar for a number of years can surprise you – whether that’s with a referral or a request of their own.

Speaking of referrals…

2. Implement a referral scheme

One of the best ways to market your business? Incentivise other people to do it for you. That’s where a referral scheme comes in. Make a list of previous clients and present contacts that you have a good relationship with. Then reach out to them and let them know you are looking for new leads – and will reward any successful referrals with a case of bubbly. Dinner at a fancy restaurant. A percentage of your fee. You decide.

3. Generate leads through your website

No matter what type of commercial property leads you’re targeting – investors, tenants, landlords – an effective website to showcase your properties is essential.

It shifts the marketing conversation away from soulless property aggregator sites and allows you to nurture leads in your own branded environment. One where you can track the browsing behaviour of your leads and create a more personalised relationship with each prospect.

And while it might be something of a marmite marketing mechanism, you may want to consider adding live chat to your website. It’s an easy way to begin a conversation with new leads, gathering crucial information on the type of commercial properties they’re looking for.

Yes, the intrusive little popup in the corner of the screen can be annoying. But some people want live chat. Just make sure you’re capable of meeting demand. Keeping your prospects waiting isn’t a good look..

4. Placate the search algorithms

A website is great for establishing your credibility. And if it can pull in some organic traffic from search too? Great. That means adhering to the latest SEO best practices – such as indexing your webpages correctly, including the right keywords in your copy and creating original, helpful content for your visitors.

About which…

5. Content marketing isn’t dead. (Long live content marketing marketing.)

Content marketing lives on. (After all, you found this article, right?) Think about the needs and ambitions of your audience. Ask yourself what problems they have. Then plan an editorial calendar accordingly.

A blog that provides high value – by which we mean genuinely useful – content to your target audience provides a gateway to your brand’s services. Articles such as your expert reaction to industry news, inside information on the state of the commercial property market and tips on acquiring commercial property are likely to be well received by the right people.

In the age of misinformation, disinformation and banal status updates, don’t underestimate the value of someone who genuinely knows what they’re talking about and speaks with conviction. Demonstrating your knowledge is a great way to build trust in your credibility. And you never know who’s reading.

6. Embrace social media

A well-maintained social media presence can be a fantastic lead generation vehicle for commercial property brands. The ability to post photos and videos gives you an easy way to showcase your properties and explain more about the opportunities you have available.

7. Monitor print media

Local newspapers and national trade publications can both be happy hunting grounds for news that suggests a business might be relocating, expanding or downsizing soon. Cue your opportunity to reach out via LinkedIn.

Ah, yes…

8. Establish your networks on LinkedIn

As we mentioned earlier, sometimes finding the next lead is about massaging your business network – and whether you love it or loathe it, you really should be on LinkedIn. It’s a content marketing outlet. An opportunity to connect with previous and existing contacts. And perhaps most importantly, a place where it’s easy to reach out to new contacts.

9. Attend industry events. (Or host your own.)

Exhibiting at industry conferences, talking the talk at networking events and being active in your local community: it all plays a part in enhancing your visibility and providing opportunities for new conversations.

Or if the prevailing brand of business schmooze isn’t your cup of tea, put your own stamp on things by hosting your own event – inviting guests to one of your commercial units and setting your own agenda. Rebellion tends to be memorable.

10. Pen an article, print an ad

The wonders of the www are such that business is no longer confined by matters as trivial as geographic location. But if your property portfolio is concentrated in a certain area – or you have a key development you want to promote – then local media and trade publications can be a great option for lead generation. Whether penning an article or publishing an advert, the right message can help you turn the right heads.

11. Buy a list of leads to reach out to…?

No.

Just, no.

Never.

It’s unreliable.

Your competitors have probably already called them a thousand times.

And it’s potentially problematic re: GDPR.

Avoid.

9 ways PPC streamlines the search for commercial property leads

Non-PPC advertising strategies have their place. Of course they do. But they also have something in common: uncertainty. When you are looking for some substance and security in your new business pipeline, it’s preferable to have a strategy that provides you with some certainty – and that’s PPC.

Here are nine reasons why you should get involved.

1. Find the people who want to find you

Good marketing is all about connecting with the right people. Pay per click advertising platforms make that incredibly easy, with sophisticated audience profiling tools that allow you to determine who sees your ad and – perhaps more importantly – who doesn’t.

One of the biggest benefits of PPC for property is the ability to set your campaigns to display in specific geographic locations – i.e. the places where you have commercial properties available. That’s invaluable in a sector where the search for properties and services is always localised.

And location is far from the only way of making sure your ads find the right people. For instance, you can target people who have visited certain websites that suggest they have a need for your services. Or you can target people based on their job title, income, education, hobbies and a whole lot more.

Example: let’s say you have a biotech site available in Glasgow. You can create PPC ad campaigns that target C-level executives in the pharma industry living in Scotland – and see if anyone bites.

2. Capture demand, nurture demand

Different pay per click platforms have different benefits.

Advertising on Google search can be super powerful because you can get your brand in front of people at the exact moment they are expressing an interest in commercial property in a specific region.  

That’s called demand capture. But you can also use pay per click for demand generation.

By utilising pay per click platforms that are more visual and less intent driven – such as Facebook and Instagram – you can showcase your commercial property opportunities to carefully targeted audiences who are likely to be interested in your services, if not now then soon.

3. Cost effective use of your advertising budget

The name says it all. With PPC you only pay when someone actually engages with your ad. And if they’re making the effort to engage with your ad, there’s a good chance they’re interested in what you’ve got to offer.

It’s an advertising model that works to keep your ad spend accountable while maximising your chances of ROI. Because unlike other advertising platforms, you are paying for actual brand engagement rather than brand exposure.

4. Bring flexibility to your budget

With PPC you can set daily, weekly and monthly spending limits – yours to adjust as needed. You can also set limits per campaign. And put an immediate pause on spending within a matter of clicks. You’re always in control. No surprises

5. You can get fast results

It can take weeks, even months, to see the impact of certain marketing strategies. With PPC you can begin shifting the needle for your property brand immediately. Once your ad is approved – that usually takes just a few short hours – it’s out there working to drive engagement for your business. And you get real-time analytics on how your ad is performing.

6. Build your own proprietary data

We all know that good leads are often hard to come by in the world of commercial property. With your PPC campaigns, every new lead you uncover is yours to nurture a one-to-one relationship with; a chance to gather data that your competitors don’t have.

7. Generate competitive advantage

Despite its proven ability to drive leads, there’s still lots of property businesses out there getting PPC wrong – if they’re using PPC at all. Taking the time to learn about pay per click advertising can put you streets ahead of your competitors. And the more you optimise your campaigns, the more you drive home that advantage.

8. Optimise your campaigns over time

Tap into performance analytics that reveal where your campaign is getting results. See what’s driving clicks. Discover the messages that people are most receptive to. Armed with this data you can iterate and optimise your ad campaigns, making sure your ads are working as hard as possible for your business. Marketing insight like that can be a gamechanger for your business at the strategic level.

9. Nurture new leads towards conversion

PPC doesn’t stop after the first click. In fact, that’s just the start. With the right tracking on your PPC efforts, you can set up imaginative retargeting campaigns that allow you to nurture your leads towards conversion. That’s especially valuable in a sector like commercial property, where the lead-to-sales time can be painstakingly slow.

>> 6 expert tips for real estate retargeting ads

Let us get results for your business

The stakes are high with PPC for commercial property. The finances involved are huge – and if your campaign isn’t properly optimised you could easily waste a lot of money. We can help. We’re experts in lead generation for property. And we’re so motivated by getting results that we can even offer to cover your ad spend. (Here’s how.) Sounds good? Get in touch and let’s arrange a short discovery call.

You may also be interested in:

>>Commercial real estate PPC: 12 tips for big returns
>>PPC for property: a guide to getting big results
>>A guide to getting better returns with commercial property advertising
>>Why you should use Facebook ads for commercial real estate
>>Grow your business with Facebook ads for property
>>A complete guide to Google ads for property businesses