By Gail Ayers
CEO
Commercial Real Estate Women
Net work
Point Your Marketing in These 4 Directions
Focus on sustainability, networking, diversity and community needs
The changes in the commer- cial real estate market that are developing as a response to
the recession may lead to long-term
gains. Specifically, these benefits are
coming out of an economy that is increasingly green, networked, diverse
and communal.
Embracing these four elements
should be the backbone of any commercial mortgage broker’s marketing
strategy and may lead to new business.
Here are some points to keep in mind
when implementing these elements in
your marketing plan.
1. green, sustainable design:
Commercial real estate developers often
now have green roofs, renewable
water sources and energy-saving
systems available to them. We are
approaching an era where these
systems must prove that they make
economic sense before owners will
incorporate them, however.
Clear cost savings will be the catalyst needed to force sustainable
design into economic efficiency.
This may result in a permanent shift
with increased adoption of green
building practices and more Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design-certified projects.
In marketing your services and
when proposing new deals to lenders, you must clearly state not only
“Clear cost savings will
be the catalyst
needed to force
sustainable
design into
economic efficiency.”
how a proposed project is environmentally friendly but also how the
sustainable concepts translate directly into lower operating expenses
for your clients and their properties.
2. social networking: The networked
business model has become preva-
lent in recent years. From social-net-
working sites to specialized business
networks, business is increasingly
conducted online. Dealmakers are
posting their needs and finding in-
vestment partners who know the
potential deal’s parameters be-
fore exchanging a single letter or
correspondence. Business is moving
at megabytes per second, and this
too will yield overall rewards.
Illustration: Dennis Wunsch
networking, diversity and community,
mortgage brokers will help overcome
today’s financing barriers and position
themselves for the market’s recovery.
The resulting changes could be posi-
tive not only for the commercial mort-
gage and real estate market but also for
our communities, jobs and the overall
economy. •
Gail Ayers is CEO of the Commercial Real
Estate Women (C.R.E. W.) Network. She
oversees the organization’s 71 chapters,
C.R.E. W. Foundation, national educational
and networking events, research, education,
and outreach initiatives designed to enhance
the success of women in commercial real
estate and to bring more women into the
industry. She also oversees the organization’s efforts to enhance diversity within
individual companies and other commercial
real estate organizations. E-mail Ayers at
GailA@crewnetwork.org.
