If you want to invest in commercial property, there are a lot of good reasons to do so. At the same time, the choice to make this sort of investment must be your own, based on your own knowledge base. The more knowledgeable you are about commercial real estate, the more lucrative it can be. Expand on what you already know, or learn something new with the following tips.
Commercial transactions are significantly more time-consuming, complex and involved than the home-buying process. You need to understand, you have to be diligent in order to get a profit.
Make sure you’ll be able to access power, water and other utilities for your commercial property. Your particular business might need additional services, such as cable, but at the minimum there should probably be sewer, water, phone, electric and gas.
Think about any environmental concerns that the property poses. For instance, your property could be endangered by the presence of hazardous waste. When these issues arise, the burden ultimately falls on the property manager to solve them, regardless of who is responsible for having caused the issues.
Build up a system of prospective financial partners, including local lenders and business contacts; this ensures that you always have access to the cash flow required to make a purchase. Ensure that the contracts that you enter into have several repayment options available to you, either fixed rate or income percentage.
Keep watch for sellers who are looking to get rid of their properties quickly. It’s up to you to seek them out, particularly those who are willing to let the property go for less than its market value. The best way to make money in real estate is if you find that good deal, so keep an eye out for the seller who is motivated.
If you are new to investing in real estate, spend some time surfing online resources that house information that seasoned investors use. No one can ever honestly claim that they know too much.
Pro Forma
You want to verify that the rent roll and pro forma terms match. You don’t want to regret anything in the future. If you end up finding a term which isn’t covered by the rent roll, you’ll end up changing the pro forma.
Try to get a presence online prior to jumping into the market. Set up a LinkedIn profile or a website. Optimize your website for search engines so that you can get a good rank high on the results page. Ideally, people will be able to easily find your site or profile by keying your name into a search engine.
Be sure to enlist the assistance of an excellent real estate attorney to review any contracts or financing documents for your commercial properties. If something goes south in your property adventures, then you want the best backing you up to keep your reputation sound and protect you from threats.
To determine how honest a real estate broker is, you might consider inquiring about their financial performance. They should be able to discuss the question openly and tell you that their best interest differs from yours. Don’t hire a broker if he can’t adequately explain how helping you with the transaction will benefit his firm. If you don’t understand how the company benefits from transactions, ask questions to clarify the issue.
You should be certain that your asking price is a fair offer for your piece of real estate. Market conditions can vary greatly; therefore, an appraisal may not be the best indicator of true market value.
Use a digital camera to document the conditions. Be especially diligent in photographing any flaws that exist when you move in, like cracks in the wall or stains on the carpet.
Make sure that you explicitly welcome both local and non-local buyers when you sell a piece of commercial property. Do not assume that only local investors will be interested. If your property is well-priced, advertising outside of your direct area will enable you to tap into a large pool of private investors that would be interested in your property.
As mentioned previously, numerous reasons abound for why you should invest with commercial real estate; however, each does require that you gain some extra familiarity with the subject. Use the tips provided in this article and you will have the knowledge you need to begin your real estate endeavors.