The landscape of commercial real estate brokerage has changed substantially since I started my career in 1973. Forty-two years ago it was a different world: no internet, no email, no cell phones, no fax machines, no personal computers, and no FedEx. My listings were typed by a secretary on an IBM S electric typewriter which I then hand-inserted into a loose-leaf binder. That binder was my stock in trade, and the value provided to my customers was my knowledge of those available buildings.

Today, property information and listings are a commodity, and easily purchased. As result, the depth of value-added services, not listings, is the yardstick you should use to compare commercial real estate brokerage services. Financial analyses, assessment information, environmental considerations, economic incentives, construction advice, and space planning are just some of the services provided by true professional brokers. And on the marketing side, there are so many services offered by the industry that it is actually unusual to find a commercial or industrial building for sale or lease without an exclusive broker managing the process. The featured article in this month’s email newsletter addresses how to select the organization that will best market your real estate and give you the value-added services that you deserve. Take a look!