Learn how to create eCampaigns that will generate leads for you again and again.

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Social Media and
Online Marketing
for CRE Professionals
Spring 2013
eCampigns
Week 4
Cindy Spivack
Cindy Spivack International, Inc
cindy@cindyspivack.com
847-562-0030

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Study Guide
eCampaigns
By: Cindy Spivack
Cindy Spivack International, Inc.
“Instead of one-way interruption, web marketing is
about delivering useful content at precisely the right
moment when a buyer needs it."
-David Meerman Scott-
“Content is King!”
-Bill Gates -
Simply put: eCampaigns (email marketing) are a cost-effective way to market. It’s
because you can send personalized, targeted, and interest-specific content
(messages) to a large number of people.
The value goes beyond its low cost, however. ECampaigns and email marketing
has certain advantages over other forms of marketing. For example, you can
measure the success of the campaign and replies are instant.
And in fact, if you keep the design elements and personality consistent over time
(this is called branding) each successive message will become more memorable.
Consider using an email marketing provider for your campaigns
(constantcontact.com, icontact.com, mailchimp.com, zoho.com, and etc…).
Examples of emails you can send:
Newsletters
Listings
Relevant articles
Announcements
Success stories/case studies

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Q and A’s
Tips and How To’s
Press releases
Open house Invites
Business Letters
Best times to send email campaigns: Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at 10
AM
Today, let’s explore eNewsletters as a stategy…
The Top 10.5 Reasons to Publish a Company Newsletter
Today more then ever businessmen and women are starved for accurate and
current information pertaining to their industry. Is seems as if everyone has an
opinion and they are all different!
For the most part, you can find an opinion to support whatever you’d like. For
example, take a look at the Sunday newspaper and you’ll probably read about
the commercial real estate market and its continued slide downward. Then on
Tuesday there’s an article about the commercial real estate market and its
amazing climb upwards.
Turbocharge your marketing with a monthly newsletter and watch your sales
increase magically. However Consistency is the key – once or twice each month
is suggested. Below are 10.5 reasons why:
A Newsletter Template that has been tested and deemed ultra successful
and the tools you need to get it out
1. People buy from those they know, like, and trust. Publishing a newsletter
allows your readers to learn more about you and then decide if they like
and trust you enough to do business with you.
2. Industry newsletters provide your prospects and clients with valuable
information they will appreciate.
3. It keeps you in front of your prospects on a regular basis.
4. A newsletter allows you to be perceived as an expert and people like to do
business with experts.
5. It you craft it with the goal of adding value to the reader it’s a win-win.
6. It can educate buyers, sellers, landlords and lessees about important
issues in commercial real estate or other business niches you may be
involved in.

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7. You can highlight “featured products and services” and make other
general announcements.
8. You can make requests for new business (those who learn how to
shamelessly promote themselves and their business make more money).
9. It allows you to have a format for keeping your prospects and clients
current.
10.It is one of the fastest ways to increase your credibility.
E-NEWSLETTER MARKETING POWER
How To Use E-Mail Publishing To Attract Hyatt New Prospects,
With Loyal Clients, And Grow Your Way To Success
Introduction
As a savvy business owner, you already know that the "fortune is in the follow
up." And these days, business owners like you and me have more options than
ever when it comes to how we choose to follow up with new leads. We can:
1. Send a quick EMAIL to say "nice to meet you, here's a link to my website,
and let me know if you'd like to discuss further, etc."
2. Give them a CALL and try to set up a meeting or initial consultation to
find out if it's a good fit.
3. Add them as a friend on FACEBOOK and TWITTER, so they can get to
know you and your services/products a little better.
All of the above might feel like a follow up, but if you don't get the RESPONSE
you were hoping for, it's easy to dismiss it as a dead end— especially in our
instant gratification society.
in today's online environment, it's crucial that business owners recognize that a
RESPONSE is multi-dimensional. A person isn't ready to buy until they scope out
your website, read a few testimonials, find you on Yelp, and check you out on
Facebook.
And one of the most effective tools out there today that allows you to package
ALL of the above into one polished package is... an eNewsletter.
Okay, I know what you're thinking. An email newsletter? That's soooo 1999! But
follow me for a moment...
According to a 2010 study by ExactTarget, 56% of U.S. Internet users interact
with brands only via marketing emails, compared to 1.3% who interact only via
Twitter and 0.7% by Facebook.

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Pretty astounding, considering all the hype around social media, right? Don't get
me wrong, I love using social media to promote my business just as much as the
next, but what recent statistics are continuing to tell us is that most people still
heavily rely on email marketing to get informed about products, services,
promotions, and updates.
And business owners are responding... A 2010 StrongMail study found that
marketing and business leaders still choose email marketing as the top area of
investment growth (65%) in 2011, above social media marketing (57%) and
search marketing (41%). Email is still very much a heavy hitter in the online
marketing game.
So, whether you're just starting, or you've been publishing an eNewsletter for
years, the bottom line is: now is NOT the time to pull back on your email
marketing efforts. In fact, it's time to start leveraging it in a competitive,
savvy way.
Why publish an e-Newsletter?
An e-Newsletter is similar to sending an e-mail, but an e-Newsletter will provide a
variety of information (like a print newsletter), whereas an e-mail might only
provide information on a single topic.
Before you dive into learning all of the how-to's, it's really important that you
understand all the wise and different ways that publishing an e-Newsletter can
benefit you and your business. There are literally dozens of ways that having
your own e-Newsletter can help your business, but below I've listed my nine top
reasons:
1. List building (your #1 steady growth tool!) - Publishing an e-Newsletter
allows you to grow a list of potential clients that you can market to again and
again.
This means no more exhausting, time consuming one to one marketing. Instead
you're now marketing one to hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands with each
e-Newsletter publication. Okay, you still might want to market one to one to really
close the deal with the occasional big client who promises big commissions. But
you can see how an e-Newsletter can bring in lots of prospects to you without
having to expend a lot of your valuable time and effort.
This process has often been referred to as “building your herd”. Once you start
doing this with your own e-Newsletter, your business will change. Much of the
time previously spent on one to one marketing to collect new clients will be freed
up so that now your valuable time can be focused on other important creative,
moneymaking aspects of your commercial real estate business.

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Another way you can look at this process is with the well-known marketing model
called the funnel. The goal in a marketing funnel is to convert your e-Newsletter
subscribers into loyal clients.
A funnel is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom and swirling inside the final
are all of your services. Your objective is to get as many people into your funnel
as possible, so you can repeatedly let them know about all the great services you
offer. By the time a person reaches the narrow bottom of the funnel, ideally they
are your loyal, lifelong clients who will use you any time they have a real estate
service from the simplest to the biggest.
2. Effective promotion (your eNewsletter is typically your prospects’ first point of
entry into your marketing funnel). In fact, effective promotion is a natural lead-in
from reason number 1 above. It's probably not clear to you that an e-Newsletter
is a highly effective way to promote your services.
Rather than spending a lot of money on traditional marketing (which often just
tells how great you are and boring to the recipient), your E-news letter can
actually show your prospects how great you are by sharing your expertise with
them. You're giving people a taste of you, and educating them on why they need
your service.
If you think about it, this makes a lot more sense than traditional advertising.
Your e-Newsletter shows your prospects why you're an expert in your niche of
the industry, with each and every e-Newsletter, and it does it in a way that is
subtle and appealing (unlike traditional advertising, which can be like hitting
people over the head).
3. Positions you as an expert
When you publish an e-Newsletter you're essentially positioning yourself as an
expert. By showcasing your knowledge and skills regularly in your e-Newsletter ,
you begin to be seen by your readers as an expert in your industry or field. The
real key here is how you are seen through the lens of your e-Newsletter .
And through that lens you can attract inquiries – lots of them.
Also, if you speak to promote your business, or eventually you'd like to add
speaking to your credentials, having an e-Newsletter makes landing speaking
engagements effortless because your e-Newsletter spreads the word about your
expertise for you!
Nothing beats passive promotion when media and speaking engagements find
you. And you can reap this benefit too when you publish your e-Newsletter and
word of your expertise gets around.

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4. Regular contact with prospects and clients (they need 7 to 10 touches
before they buy).
An e-Newsletter is a perfect way to stay in touch with your clients and prospects
on a regular basis.
In marketing, there is a “7 to 10 rule” which means that most people will never be
ready to buy from you in the first contact. You usually need to touch people at
least 7 to 10 times with your marketing message before they'll buy. It's the later
contacts that seal the deal. And most of your peers never seem to get past touch
one!!!
With this important rule in mind, clearly, you need to be in front your prospects all
the time. It's not your prospects job to remember you're still alive and in business.
So when the time comes that one of your prospects is ready for a service from a
commercial real estate professional, you're already right there in front of him or
her, and top of mind, so that it's you they hire.
Publishing an e-Newsletter keeps you on your prospects radar screen in a way
that's not obnoxious. You’re building trust in a relationship with them because as
shown in number three above, you're the expert while subtly yet constantly
reminding them about you. And the more you touch a reader with your marketing
message through your e-Newsletter, the better your chances are to seal the deal
and make the sale.
5. Wide exposure (your eNewsletter can be forwarded all over the world!)
As I'm sure you know, e-mail can be easily forwarded. It gets around, and that's a
good thing where your e-Newsletter is concerned. By publishing via the medium
of e-mail, your e-Newsletter allows you to spread the word effortlessly, far and
wide, about you and your service. Your prospects and clients spread the word for
you!
And, you've heard of 6° of separation right? Even if you write just a halfway
decent e-Newsletter, your readers will pass it on to friends and colleagues all
over the world. Often your e-Newsletter can be passed on to some very
important people, within just one or 2°!
6. Means to capture visitors to your website (via your opt-in form)
Offering people the opportunity to subscribe to your e-Newsletter is the ideal way
to capture the e-mail addresses of your visitor to your website. I cannot stress the
importance of this benefit enough; but, naturally this means you have to have a
web presence such as a blog or a website that allow you the means to have an
opt in.

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Let me give you an example: if I visit your website or blog today, but I'm not
ready to hirer from you today, you've already lost me forever when I click away.
This is the case with 99% of your first-time visitors. That's right, 99% of your first-
time visitors to your website or blog will take a look around and then go away, not
having done anything. All visitors to your website are very valuable to you
because they are pre-qualified sales leads -- because they took the time to find
you and learn about you. If you don't figure out how to capture these people and
get them into your funnel you might as well watch hundreds or even thousands of
dollars bills fly out of your window.
So what you want to do is invite your visitor to receive your free e-Newsletter
featuring helpful information and useful tips on the topic of commercial real
estate. When they opt into your free e-Newsletter you've now got them in your
funnel to market to over and over again, automatically with every issue of the e-
Newsletter you sent out.
You can clearly see how valuable this benefit of capturing all visitors to your web
site or blog is.
7. Fast, easy, and inexpensive to publish
An e-Newsletter is cheap and easy to publish, especially when compared with a
print newsletter. With an e-Newsletter you don't have to have a fancy design
involved unless you want there to be, no printing, and no postage costs. It costs
just pennies to put together and publish an e-Newsletter.
Plus you get the word out immediately–much faster than with traditional snail
mail newsletters. And one more BIG BONUS – it’s really easy to take action –
your prospect just has to hit the “reply” button.
8. Good will—the info you provide helps others
One of the best reasons for publishing and E-news letter is because it's good for
your clients. You’re providing useful, interesting content that is focused on their
needs; it benefits them. In essence you're spreading goodwill, especially if your
e-Newsletter is a free subscription.
And I'm sure you're already realizing, whatever you do that benefits your readers
will ultimately benefit you. Take it from me, it really means a lot when you receive
authentic, heartfelt feedback that the information you're providing is truly helping
others. It feels great. You’ll see what I mean when you start receiving the same
kind of wonderful things in feedback from your readers.
9. If you choose to archive your issues, you add value to your website as a

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resource
Besides including on your website the option to sign up for your free eNewsletter,
choosing to archive your articles added value to your website as well. When
you archive your published articles, you’re providing helpful information not
just to your subscribers but anyone who visits your site.
Most people search for the information long before they are ready to buy. As you
archive your e-Newsletter articles, you're creating a valuable resource, not
just for your own clients to be able to look up older articles of interest, but for
prospective clients too. A prospect who bookmarks your website will likely
also refer others to your website, and chances are, many of these people will
sign up to receive your free e-Newsletter, and when they do, as was shown
above, you've captured them and got them in your marketing funnel.
As a recap, the whole point is to use your e-Newsletter to attract new prospects
and build a relationship with them so that in the long run, you convert them
into loyal clients who will use your service. Your e-Newsletter is a promotional
tool, part of your marketing strategy.
NOW, MOVING ALONG…
Be aware and plan around the bumps in the road
Above I covered my top nine reasons that publishing your own e-Newsletter
benefits you and your business. However, before you embark on this exciting
new adventure, as with any journey it helps to be aware of any bumps in the
road beforehand so you can avoid them. I often refer to this as removing the
obstacles.
Oftentimes, I have a client who has the best intentions and starts an e-
Newsletter. But too soon runs into potholes and gets stalled by the side of the
road because they didn’t see certain big issues coming. Poor planning can throw
a monkey wrench into the mix and prevent you from continuous execution.
Therefore, be a smart commercial real estate professional, and be enlightened
so you can plan your route around any foreseeable issues.
Here are the main bumps you need to be aware of:
1. Content. You’ll need to stay on top of having enough content to maintain
your e-Newsletter. If you plan to write your own content, you’ll need to
store up a backlog content and ideas, and schedule time every week or
month to write and prepare your content. Or better yet, use the done for
you newsletter that I give you each month and add to that.

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2. Putting it together. Depending on the length of your e-Newsletter you’ll
need to schedule about 1 to 2 hours per issue to prep your eNewsletter for
publishing. Or better yet, outsource it.
3. Managing your e-mail list. We’ll cover this more later. But you’ll need a
way to add and delete subscribers from your e-mail list.
4. Growing your subscriber base. You’ll need to continually come up with
new ways to grow your list. This is a big chunk of marketing focus that
contributes towards any commercial real estate professional’s success.
5. Advertising. This is optional for your e-Newsletter, but as your e-mail list
grows, you might want to consider selling ad space in your e-Newsletter.
Before you set out to publish an E-news letter, ask yourself how you will manage
the following…
• Maintain a regular publication schedule
• Provide original content within the timeframe of your publishing schedule
• Provide content that speaks to and addresses the needs of your particular
prospects
If it seems like a lot, don’t worry. Publishing your own e-Newsletter is actually
simple. You just need to know the formula. As we continue, we will address the
bumps listed above, but these are challenges to be aware of in terms of time and
resources to be investing in to get your e-Newsletter off the ground.
I’ve been publishing my newsletter for a long time now. I’ve been through this
process and I figured out all the secrets to navigate around the bumps, potholes,
and turns and I’ll share all of them with you.
If you truly want success then let’s get started planning your e-Newsletter now…
This is where the real planning begins.
Define Your Goals
In general terms, what are you selling?
________________________________________________________________
What are your reasons for wanting to publish an e-Newsletter? List 3 or 4 goals
here:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
From the goals you listed about, choose your MAIN OBJECTIVE: __________

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Describe your ideal reader:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Describe the top 3 emotional benefits you want your target audience to feel when
they read your e-Newsletter:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Differentiate Your e-Newsletter from the Competition
Study your competitors’ e-Newsletters. Sign up for 3 e-Newsletters of competitor
companies and study them for two or three months – what do you like, what don’t
you like, and why/why not would you forward it to your friends and colleagues?
Study at least 3 others that are not competitive (any businesses different from
yours) and determine what features you like and dislike about them.
How can you make your e-Newsletter stand out from your competitions?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Aim for Success!
Determine your e-Newsletter’s point of view (Who will it be written and sent from?
You or a spokesperson from your company?)
Title your e-Newsletter (convey what it’s about or what benefit the reader will
receive)
Apply for an ISSN (Google – getting an ISSN #)
List your e-Newsletter with e-zine directories: (Google e-zine directories)
Start a website or blog (if you don’t have one already – and make sure you’ve got
an opt- in form on every page!)
e-Newsletter Content Checklist
Create your “Content Outline Template” (in a Word document)—Use it for
planning and creating your content for each issue. Write your content and drop it
into, or list it in, your issue outline. (Content that does not change, or seldom

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changes—such as “Unsubscribe” info —can be placed in the template so you
don’t have to re-create it for every issue. Once you’ve completed your content
outline, you’ll be all set to drop your content into your template and publish your
e-Newsletter
Your outline may contain the following elements:
Masthead. Make it crystal clear to your reader who you are and what it is they
are looking at when they open your email. Your masthead should include your...
• e-Newsletter title (even if it’s already in the subject line of the email)
• Name (yours or that of whoever you've chosen for content point of view) •
Email address (from which the e-Newsletter is sent)
• Web URL (your home page)
• Publication date
• Volume number and issue number (optional)—The issue number will
change with each issue, and the volume number will change annually
• Publishing schedule (how often you publish, e.g., “every other Tuesday”)
• ISSN number (if you have one)
Subscription reminder statement—reminds the reader why they've received
your e-Newsletter.
Issue Title or Headline—(If you include more than one article, consider using a
Table of Contents instead—see next component).
Table of Contents (TOC)—If you offer multiple articles or items, list the title of
each in a mini table of contents (TOC) at the top.
Note from the Editor/Publisher—an introduction and overview of each issue.
Main content (tips, articles, etc.)—Limit your content to three articles at most.
Subscribe/unsubscribe info—Provide very clear "Unsubscribe" instructions
near the bottom of your e-Newsletter for those who want to be removed from
your list. You may also want to include "Subscribe" instructions (maybe near the
top) in case your e-Newsletter was forwarded to someone who wants to
subscribe!
Your contact info (usually at the bottom of your e-Newsletter, but you can
strategically place some of these items throughout your e-Newsletter, such as in
a company promo section)—your e-Newsletter should always include:
Your name, Your title, The name of your business, Your phone
Your physical mailing address (a MUST per the CAN-SPAM law – always put
this at the bottom of, even if you’ve placed this elsewhere)

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• Your email address
• Your website URL
Copyright notice—optional, but it's advisable to protect your work
Other optional e-Newsletter components you might want to consider
including are:
Personalized greeting—it’s recommended to greet your reader by his or her
first name using your email publishing service’s first-name field
Subject header line (of the email in which your e-Newsletter will be sent)—Your
subject header line should...
• Include your e-Newsletter title [ideally in brackets] • Relate to your issue's topic
or main article
Add-to-whitelist request—ask your reader to add your email address (from
which the e-Newsletter is sent) to their whitelist (“safe sender” list) or address
book so your e-Newsletter won't end up as spam.
Conditional permission to forward your e-Newsletter—Encourage people to
"pass on" to interested friends, colleagues, and clients/customers, but with clear
instructions that they must keep the entire issue intact and not change it.
Audio/video links—insert a link in your publisher's note or content for your
readers to hear/see a message from you. A great sales tool!
Sample Newsletter follows…

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SAMPLE NEWSLETTER
Subject Line: The Secret to Getting Things Done
DONE 4 YOU NEWSLETTER – April 2013
Welcome to Commercial Real Estate GEMS. You are receiving this edition of my
eNewsletter because you are involved with commercial real estate as an owner,
user, or investor. I trust you will enjoy this issue and get a “gem” or two out of it.
Thank you for taking the time to spend a few minutes with me.
Feature Article: The Secret to Getting Things Done
Resource: Basecamp.com
Commercial Real Estate Update: Real Estate Business Prospects for 2013
Personal Note: Insert a Note
Announcements: Insert One or Two
“Hell, there are no rules here - we're
trying to accomplish something.”
-Thomas A. Edison -
The Secret To Getting Things Done
One of the greatest satisfactions in life comes from getting things done and
knowing you have done them to the best of your ability. If you are having trouble
getting yourself organized, if you want to increase your ability to think, and do
things in order of their importance, remember there is only one way: TAKE
MORE TIME TO THINK AND DO THINGS IN ORDER OF THEIR
IMPORTANCE.
Set aside a big chuck of time each week as self-organization time and carefully
identify what is important and what needs to get done each week in order to earn
commissions. If you can’t identify it, you certainly can’t do it!
Then, each morning expand on the day ahead of you by detailing (preferably with
pen and paper) exactly what you need to accomplish from the handful of emails,
to the calls and even the meeting you have planned for the day. DO NOT SCIMP
HERE.

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“Failing to plan is planning to fail”
The secret of staying out of overwhelm and not having enough time lies not in
working more hours, but in proper planning the hours you have.
The secret to getting things done is so simple that I’m sure you’ve heard it before
– break it down into very small easy-to-handle steps, then do one thing at a time.
Small tasks can be tackled all at once, one at a time. Big tasks (or tasks that
seem big) need to be deconstructed into smaller, achievable steps.
Set a timer for 30 or so minutes Do just one thing. Focus. Do it until it is finished.
Keep doing this everyday slowly increasing the timer to 60-minutes. Before you
know it you’ll be getting more done than you can possibly imagine.
Make it a habit and…watch out world…
Resource: Basecamp.com
Do you find yourself wishing there were one spot where you could keep track of
not only your tasks and projects but those of your team members as well? How
about keeping track of project discussions, files, and status updates from
beginning to end—all in one place. Do you wish you knew exactly what has been
done and what remains? Well, now you can.
Try www.Basecamp.com – the worlds #1 project management app…
Sign up today and get a 60-day free trial!
Commercial Real Estate Update:
The following article is an excerpt from the newly published report, “Emerging
Trends in Real Estate 2103” published by The Urban Land Institute and PWC:
Real Estate Business Prospects for 2013
Real estate continues to meander along a slower-than- normal recovery track,
behind a recuperating U.S. economy, dogged by ongoing world economic
distress. But for the third-consecutive year, Emerging Trends surveys indicate
that U.S. property sectors and markets will register noticeably improved
prospects compared with the previous year, and the advances now gather some
measure of momentum across virtually the entire country and in all property
types. “Decent” though “relatively disappointing” job creation should be enough to
coax absorption higher and nudge down vacancy rates in the office, industrial,
and retail sectors, helped by “next to no” new supply in commercial markets.
Robust demand for apartments holds up despite ramped-up new construction,
and even the decimated housing sector “turns the corner” in most regions.

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Improving fundamentals eventually should prod rents and net operating incomes
onto firmer upward trajectories, building confidence about sustained—albeit
tame—growth and buttressing recent appreciation.
Although these gains seem modest and out of step with recent boom/bust cycles,
restrained progress ultimately fits real estate’s income-oriented profile. Even
though “it’s easy to be cynical: everybody seems to want what they can’t have”
(“rent spikes,” “high yields with safety,” and “fully leased buildings”), interviewees
seem to come to terms with the market’s “muddling-along pace,” expressing
“cautious optimism” while abandoning hopes for “a big bounce.” Real estate’s
“make-things-happen” entrepreneurs will stay “frustrated” and hamstrung in
creating value—“the IRR [internal rate of return] model isn’t what it used to be”—
but buying, holding, managing, and bumping up property revenues usually wins
the real estate game. What’s that story about tortoises and hares? “We’re the dull
sister of the investment world; earning a 5 percent to 7 per- cent return is what
we do best.”
Lingering doubters need to ease up just a bit: the world’s problems “actually
benefit [U.S.] real estate, even though we don’t deserve it.” Low interest rates
give the real estate industry breathing space, and money “pours in from
overseas” seeking refuge. Real estate assets, meanwhile, continue to command
attractive spreads over fixed-income investments and offer considerably more
stability than stocks.
Still, caution reasonably should rule decision making, given significantly greater
potential for economic skids than any chance for an accelerating property market
rebound. And chastened credit markets, still grappling with bloated portfolios of
legacy problems, wisely and necessarily stick to reinstituted, rigorous
underwriting standards. Although anxious investors feel more compelled “to
chase yield” as core properties in the gateway markets reach for gulp-hard price
points, “there’s no premium for taking risk” when Europe bounces from crisis to
crisis, China ebbs into an export slowdown, and the United States delays in
dealing with its own debt conundrum. In con- sidering solutions, worrying about
what will happen “is perfectly appropriate.” The “uncertainty” about global
economics and government policy is “the industry’s biggest issue, because
weare so capital intensive, and it’s totally out of anyone’s control.” All the
improving signs can appear “offset by the unknown,” weighing down sentiment.
This uncertainty may inhibit “exciting big-ticket projects” and constrict enthusiasm
over scaled-down profitability compared with the pre-crash days, but the industry
still can find plenty of roll-up-your-sleeves enterprises to bolster recently capital-
starved properties and ensure enhanced future performance, including
renovation, rehabilitation, repositioning, releasing, and refinancing. Successful
players “continue to adapt”: what worked last year may not work next year.
Tenants continue to shrink space requirements to improve efficiency, relying on
technology rather than extra square feet. Office landlords should consider
embracing flexible design features, green technologies, and Leadership in

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Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) systems or face the consequences.
Obsolescent suburban office space now follows nearby left-for-dead regional
malls into value-loss oblivion: many of these properties will be converted into
something else over coming decades. Surviving shopping centers appear ripe for
reinvention to integrate better with e-commerce and logistics supply chains,
which continue their headlong transformation to accommodate less storage and
more direct shipping to end users.
Promising signs of green shoots in desiccated and oversupplied housing markets
should not tempt homebuilders into new projects too soon. But the potential for
some measure of new housing construction over the next two to three years is
real and would be a welcome boost for the economy and other real estate
sectors.
Indeed, industry players must not lose sight of recent progress while steeling
themselves for an ambiguous future, requiring new visions and tamped-down
expectations. “We need patience.” Liquidity returns, but deleveraging takes much
longer than expected, and weighty global problems will be a persistent drag. The
world debt crisis took decades to create, the housing bubble followed 15 years of
unimpeded growth, and the commercial real estate collapse derived from years
of easy credit.
“It’s only reasonable [a full-blown] recovery will take more time”—a process less
than firmly anchored in all that confounding uncertainty.
PERSONAL NOTE:
Please insert a note from you. Be sure to make it personal - about you, your
business, or your personal life. For example, if you just finished an unusual deal
or took a great vacation, if you have a funny story about one of your children, a
hobby or even about a particular struggle you are currently experiencing (people
really like this one) – write about it.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Insert an announcement or two this month – have fun with it. How about a great
listing you have or a request for a referral. PUT A STRONG CALL OF ACTION.

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