When tasked with finding a tenant for an unconventional industrial property, I decided to host a Community Open House and Networking Event. Setting the Stage I knew the property's size and layout made it intimidating for smaller businesses, but I also saw its potential as a versatile space for creative uses. To showcase this, I staged the property with temporary setups that highlighted its flexibility: A pop-up film studio with rented lights and cameras to attract interest from media companies. A small workshop area featuring tools and displays to show artisans how they could make use of the space. Event space decor in one section to demonstrate its potential for hosting large gatherings or productions. Inviting the Right Crowd Rather than simply advertising the open house to traditional industrial tenants, I reached out to local creative entrepreneurs, filmmakers, e-commerce businesses, and even nonprofits. I partnered with the local Chamber of Commerce and business associations to help spread the word. I also sent targeted invitations to companies I identified as potential tenants, emphasizing that the event was an opportunity to network, see the space, and imagine its possibilities for their businesses. Adding Value to the Event To make the open house more than just a property tour, I organized: A panel discussion with successful small business owners who had grown by moving into affordable, unconventional spaces. This inspired attendees to think outside the box about their own growth. A free workshop on scaling businesses using industrial space, led by a local business consultant. Local food trucks and live music, making it an enjoyable community event that increased foot traffic. The Results The event drew over 50 attendees, many of whom were small business owners or decision-makers. During the open house: A local artisan furniture maker expressed immediate interest in leasing part of the space for their expanding workshop. A film production company contacted me the next day, thrilled about the idea of turning a portion of the property into a temporary studio for their next project. The buzz generated by the event led to follow-up inquiries from two other small businesses. Within a month, I had secured leases for two tenants and was negotiating with a third. By shifting the focus from the property's limitations to its creative potential-and directly engaging with the right audience-I turned what seemed like a challenging listing into a success.
Some time ago, I had this industrial property client looking for tenants. The property was sitting vacant for quite a while because it was in a low-foot-traffic area and it also lacked the latest or flashy upgrades that many tenants usually want in such properties. So after the usual listings and outreach failed to get much traction, I got creative. Instead of waiting for potential tenants to contact me, I started reaching out directly to small business owners in the area and entrepreneurs in industries that could benefit from affordable warehouses or manufacturing spaces like furniture makers, e-commerce business owners, and tradesmen. I called them, sent them emails, and even attended a few workshops and community events to spread the word. At the same time, I convinced the owner that we needed to make some small but impactful changes to the property, and we worked on improving the lighting and took new photos and videos that highlighted how versatile the space was. Then, I organized an open house that wasn't just a standard showing. I set up a "pop-up" workspace in part of the building, showing potential tenants how easily they could use the space for different purposes, like a small production area or storage for their products. To make the event more inviting, I partnered with a local food truck to park outside the property making it all more relaxed and community-driven to draw in visitors who might not have come otherwise. It became such a great networking opportunity and directly communicated the potential and value of the property to business owners. It all worked out. We got offers and one custom furniture maker who attended the open house and was looking for a space to expand found it perfect for his business needs and signed the rental deal. I won't say all of this was easy, it took persistence, and a will to go the extra mile to connect my client with the right tenant. But that's what being in real estate is all about for me; rolling up your sleeves, making the right moves, and thinking outside the box to connect with the right audiences and help them see value in a space they would've otherwise not considered.
One time, I had an industrial property that was tough to lease because it could suit several different industries, but we couldn't pinpoint the right audience. To solve this, I created mock AI video walkthroughs of the property tailored to various business types-like a warehouse layout for logistics, a manufacturing setup for light production, and a tech-friendly space for startups. This helped potential tenants visualize how the property could work for their specific needs. By showcasing different possibilities through these AI-generated videos, we attracted more interest, and the property was soon leased to a company that saw exactly how it could fit their operations.