Commercial real estate is a special class of investment property. It lives and breathes income and price. As a real estate agent, that should be the basis for your listing presentation and to improve your chances of closing on the listing with the seller of the property.

As agents and salespeople, we are up against several other real estate agents in most listing presentations. The seller needs to be convinced of your ability to get the best price for the property and in the timeliest way. That is the best leverage you can use to win the listing.

As part of the pitch in the sales listing presentation, consider this question:

“Just how can the income of the property be used to enhance the price that the seller can get in today’s market?”

To answer the question you really do need to know about the current and future cash flow that comes out of the property. That means reading the lease in detail and with focus on:

• Income strength
• Lease term
• Rent review and option terms
• Income growth
• Tenant profile
• Tenant stability
• Minimal vacancy threat
• Lease strength and controls over the tenant
• Lease protection for the landlord

These points will attract investment buyer interest. Knowing the answers will help you convert the seller’s property to a listing. Show the seller that you really do understand the lease and the value it brings the property in sale.

Not all presentations are simple when it comes to selling commercial property and you can have a number of hurdles to overcome. Importantly you can be prepared for these hurdles if you take the right steps such as:

1. Comprehensively inspect the property before you meet with the seller. As a result of that inspection be prepared to talk to the property from a detailed perspective.
2. Take pictures of the property that can be available on a laptop for use in your presentation with the seller if required.
3. Itemise the strengths and weaknesses of the property today that will be points to handle in the marketing campaign. As part of the listing presentation focus on the strengths and how you intend to use them in the marketing of the property.
4. Establish the target market that will be ideal for the property promotion. From that target market show how you intend to reach them, and exactly what the requirements are from that target market in today’s terms.
5. Understand where the competition property is located relative to the subject property and just how the competition property can impact the marketing of the subject property.
6. Understand the local property history and comparable rents and prices from completed sales and listings for that type of property. Be prepared to use those figures as evidence and argument to support your marketing campaign.
7. Understand the supply and demand for local property including the threat of new property developments coming up.
8. Be prepared to talk about return on investment in the current market and how that will impact price to the seller.
9. Comment on property enquiry of recent time, where it comes from and what they are looking for.

This knowledge will help you find the right points of closure as you present your real estate services to the seller of the property. Local property knowledge and your ability to provide it whilst tapping into the target market will help the seller see that you are the real estate agent of choice to market the property and get the best price.

When things become untidy in any walk of life it can lead to items becoming lost, mistakes being made and could even result in you getting into trouble. On the other hand, when you organise things correctly it can ensure that everything is kept in one place, make you look like a competent person and guarantee that you can place your hand on anything whenever you need it. There are many different ways of becoming a better organised person or business to help avoid stressful situations.

Presentation ring binders and folders are commonly used as a way in which you can keep important documentation together for your own future reference or if you wish to present information to others in a clean and tidy manner. Binders are particularly useful as you can easily locate information by using plastic pockets and dividers inside them. It also means that the details inside will be prevented from becoming tatty looking or crumpled.

Most binders will also come with a clear plastic overlay on the front and spine of the binder so that you can detail exactly what the contents are for when you need them again. You can also easily carry round a binder with you if you need to transport information from one place to another with the minimum of fuss.

If you prefer to have a storage solution for paperwork that can be placed on a shelf at home or at work, an A4 box may be just what you are looking for. They are hard wearing and durable so the chances of damage occurring to your documents are virtually nil. When you keep your work safe in a box it also means that the chances of you losing things is lessened as it will be in a secure place no matter where you put it.

Presentation folders are one of the most popular means of transferring documents among the world’s business communities.

Whether promoting a product, a company or an individual, the presentation folder is the foremost visual connector at the beginning of the transaction, and the opportunities to impress are countless.

The introduction of ‘oversize’ digital presses has further enhanced the benefit and impact of the presentation folder by allowing personalisation of information as well as catering for multiple page presentations when including a gusset in the product.

As well as personalisation, digital presses also offer the option of a unique design for every folder produced – and it costs no more at the print stage.

Digital of course also implies, quite correctly, print runs as required – one copy and upwards. This is a far cry from as little as three or four years ago when the only method of producing a folder was using offset technologies which frequently necessitated larger than necessary print runs to obtain a perceived scale of economy.

Presentation folders are traditionally manufactured to accommodate A4-sized documents in countries using international paper standards. These folders are generally within the limits of what is achievable on a digital press, but smaller folders such as A5, or square shapes (cd case size for example) can have equal or even greater impact on their intended markets.

The well-designed folder may also cater for additional materials such as a business card inserted in a pre-cut location. If you think your unique folder may have subsequent applications, it is worth taking this option into consideration before designing the product, as the cost of manufacturing a die for cutting the folder’s shape following printing is substantial.

Folders manufactured using recycled paper stocks are extremely popular and help to promote and reinforce good green practices. The range of recycled materials available to digital printers is substantial and growing rapidly, while contemporary digital printing itself is the most environmentally friendly method of ink/toner transfer yet devised.

A further benefit of the presentation folder may well be its re-use by the client to whom it was originally given. Folders are handy items for storing any amount of printed matter that is of interest to that person. Hence its shelf life (along with your name, message or idea) may be extended indefinitely.

Presentation folders are offered by a variety of print firms, many of them on line. The better companies offer a template for downloading so that you or your graphic designer may generate the personalised item you require. The completed design is simply uploaded back to the printing firm where the file will be proofed and printed to your specifications.

Be bold in your folder designs for they remain your invisible handshake when you are no longer in the presence of the person to whom the folder was given. Primary colours can make an outstanding statement, so remember, bold is beautiful and colour has never been more affordable.