There absolutely no doubt about it: investing in commercial real estate has made a lot of people a lot of money. But many others haven’t done nearly so well buying and selling commercial real estate, some even losing a substantial amount of money. For it’s a completely different ball game from buying and selling residential real estate – more complex, fraught with more risk, and usually requiring more operating capital. You need to know what you’re doing when you get into commercial real estate investing. So check out these tips for buying and selling commercial real estate in Chicago.
Buying Commercial Real Estate in Chicago
A good way to think about buying (and selling) commercial real estate in Chicago is to see it as much like buying traditional real estate but on a larger scale. Much of it, then, has to do with taking the right preparatory steps, for example:
UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONS AND GOALS
For success in buying commercial real estate in Chicago, you must first get clear about why you are doing it and what you want to accomplish. Determine the “why” first and then began searching out potential commercial investment properties.
SELECT THE RIGHT INVESTING OPTION
Buying (as well as selling) commercial real estate in Chicago offer several kinds of property and investing options, such as industrial complexes, retail shops, office buildings, and many more. The trick is to figure out which option(s) best fits with the reasons and goals you previously determined.
LOCATE ADEQUATE FINANCING
As we mentioned, buying commercial real estate happens on a larger scale. And that means you will need more investment capital and financing. So before jumping into buying, make sure you have a solid source of financing, one that is both big enough and fast enough.
FIND THE RIGHT ALLIES
Real estate has always been a people-oriented business, and that applies to buying commercial real estate in Chicago as well. Your success, then, will depend in large part on finding the right allies – aligning yourself the professionals who can provide the services you need. You can’t do everything yourself, so you’ll need other qualified professionals to fill in the gaps.
RUN THE NUMBERS
After locating properties that meet your criteria (with respect to goals), you should always run the numbers to make sure a property offers profit potential, that is, a good ROI. This means doing due diligence and performing a careful risks-and-benefits analysis. Your local real estate agent can be a huge asset here. To discover more call 773.233.2301.
Selling Commercial Real Estate in Chicago
The other side of this real estate investing coin is selling commercial real estate in Chicago. Our main tips here are:
SEEK OUT A MENTOR
Selling commercial real estate in Chicago offers substantial profit potential – but it also poses a huge risk for loss. Most experienced commercial real estate investors recommend that you find a mentor to help you avoid costly missteps. The learning curve is steep, so guidance from those more experienced can only help. Building a solid relationship with your commercial real estate agent is perhaps the best component of this. (To discover more, reach out at 773.233.2301.)
MARKET AGGRESSIVELY AND EFFECTIVELY
For success in selling commercial real estate in Chicago, you will have to market aggressively and effectively because you’re in competition with other sellers. But marketing, if not done right, can be a huge money and time sink. Today, effective marketing means online and video marketing. And building up a contact list is critical. Your agent will be the most valuable ally in your marketing efforts.
HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Selling commercial real estate in Chicago also means not being seduced by visions of, say, sexy, towering downtown skyscrapers. Being realistic will do much more to ensure your success. Most commercial real estate transactions are much less glamorous, yet still profitable – for example, light industrial buildings, agricultural properties, vacant business-zoned land, and small retail properties. And it also pays to be aware that buying and selling commercial estate is not a way to quick riches – success depends on hard work and time.
KEEP LEARNING
Commercial real estate investing is more complex than other real estate ventures and is always evolving and so involves a host of things to learn. This means that you must keep learning to keep up. And no small part of that learning is mastering new tools to streamline your operation and to give you an edge over your competition.