Investor · Edmonton, Alberta · Member since 2021 · 10 posts · 2 votes
My brother and I invest in CRE in Edmonton. Our typical focus is small retail (2-6 bays). We've previously used brokers to bring us deals. In the current market we're looking for owners open to creative deal structures and finance, and we're looking to go directly to owners with our offers. We've looked into getting owners' contact lists from Loopnet, but their service is a little cost prohibitive for a small operation like ours.
I'm reaching out to seek advice or experiences from others re: how to acquire contact lists of CRE owners for purposes such as cold calling, email outreach, or direct mail campaigns. Any insights or suggestions to help point us in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks!
Austin
**keep in mind we're in Canada... i.e. fewer online RE databases and more privacy laws, so not all the approaches that work in the States are available.
***If you’re an Edmontonian with a small retail building you’d consider selling, DM me!
Welcome, I don't work in Canada so this may not apply, but the most success I've had is literally on county auditor's sites and good old google. I don't find any "list services" to be all that accurate, especially in the commercial world. We use a ton of google earth to pick out areas that look promising, and to identify specific lots/buildings etc, and that combined with a simple spread sheet has allowed us to take down many off market retail and land deals for our clients. Its simple, but tedious, but there's been no substitute for the quality of leads/lists in my experience.
Welcome, I don't work in Canada so this may not apply, but the most success I've had is literally on county auditor's sites and good old google. I don't find any "list services" to be all that accurate, especially in the commercial world. We use a ton of google earth to pick out areas that look promising, and to identify specific lots/buildings etc, and that combined with a simple spread sheet has allowed us to take down many off market retail and land deals for our clients. Its simple, but tedious, but there's been no substitute for the quality of leads/lists in my experience.
Thanks Michael, very much appreciate your insights! Yup, good old google maps/searching is I think what it's probably going to have to be. My brother and I are both full-time ER docs, so main limitation for this approach for us is time. If you've worked with any VAs that have a particular talent for this kind of work please feel free to DM me their contact info, or pass mine onto them. Thanks again!