Steven Taylor, Los Angeles |
If you’re
thinking about getting into real estate, you may be wondering what it’s like to
navigate the Los Angeles commercial and residential real estate markets. While residential
and commercial real estate have a lot in common, the day-to-day of each
industry can be very different. Steven
Taylor Los Angeles native and a real estate expert in the LA. In this
article we’ll break down how to navigate the world of commercial real estate in
Los Angeles, and explore what your day-to-day may look like as a commercial
real estate broker. Despite the challenges, a career in real estate can be
profitable and highly rewarding.
What does a work day look like in commercial real estate in Los Angeles?
Your
daily routine and activities as a commercial
real estate agent may be different depending on a variety of factors. What
part of the market do you focus on? What type of properties do you specialize
in? How long have you been in the business? Do you have a team of employees or
are you working alone?
In your
day-to-day as a commercial real estate broker, you may need to make cold calls
to building owners or businesses. Steven
Taylor of Los Angeles, says cold calls can feel intimidating to new real
estate agents, but soon will become routine. As a broker, you’ll get into the
habit of studying the current payment rates for properties in your area and
interpreting current leases of prospective buyers.
Many
commercial agents spend a lot of time calculating break-even ratios for
properties, and reviewing reports. You may also need to study data from the
city like the market reports from the Chamber of Commerce. A more exciting part
of a commercial real estate broker’s day is often visiting potential properties
or checking out popular competing properties to evaluate them. Overall,
navigating commercial real estate involves more day-to-day in-depth analysis
than in the residential real estate industry.
What do commissions look like in the world of commercial real estate?
Many
people get into commercial real estate for the money. It’s true - you can make
some very big commissions working in the commercial market. But, compared to
the residential market, the process can take a lot longer. It can often take
several months or more for a deal to move to closing. To be a commercial real
estate broker, you need to have patience.
Client relationships require a different approach in commercial real estate.
In residential
real estate, the majority of the client relationship takes place up front.
Helping your client find a home they love is the goal, and the back-end work
just seals the deal. As long as everything goes smoothly, if your client loves
the property, they are happy...and likely to refer you to others.
In
commercial real estate, the client relationship needs to be navigated a bit
differently. Lease clients or commercial buyers have a lot at stake, and are
typically much more concerned with the back end of the deal. Los Angeles native, Steven Taylor,
says that in the LA area, clients typically want to be involved in financial
details, hear about research, and understand the big picture before closing. In
your day-to-day as a commercial broker, you’ll spend more time talking to
buyers about statistics than you would in residential real estate. It can feel
like a lot of work, but in the end, commercial real estate can be interesting,
detail oriented, and very rewarding.