Property tours are too often treated as a formality — unlock the door, walk the prospect through, follow up later. That’s a losing mindset.
A tour is the single best opportunity, and often the only opportunity, to sell a prospect on the building, the space, and the ownership.
Conduct it well and you move closer to a deal. Conduct it poorly (or don’t even show up), and they move on.
Here’s how to show space like a pro:
Show Up Early
Be there at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time, in case the prospect runs early. You never want them arriving before you do.
Use those minutes to prepare the space. Turn on all the lights. Clear out any trash or clutter. Make sure it looks clean and presentable.
You only get one chance at a first impression, and a dim, messy space gives a bad impression before you say a word.
Come Prepared With Materials
Always have the property flyer on you — and bring extras, even if the prospect has a broker who may bring their own. It gives them something to take with them, with the property details, and something to take notes on during the walk-through.
Know the Property Cold
Every prospect arrives with different questions and different hot buttons, so come ready for all of them. Before the tour, know:
- The building’s history, the owner, and who the prior tenant was
- Total square footage — and, for flex or warehouse space, the split between office and warehouse
- Ceiling and clear heights, number of restrooms, and parking count
- The lease structure — triple net, or gross with a base year
- The term the landlord is looking for
- Age of building systems (HVAC, roof, etc.)
If you can’t answer basic questions about your listing, you lose credibility and create doubt in the prospect’s mind.
Ask the Right Questions — Conversationally
A tour isn’t only about showing the space. It’s your best opportunity to learn about the prospect.
You want to understand what they need. What’s their motivation? What’s important to them? What key factors that will influence their decision? Work in questions like:
- What does their business do, and what matters most to them in a space?
- How much space do they need, and what’s their ideal layout?
- How many employees, and are they on-site all day or in and out?
- What are their parking needs? Do they keep trucks or equipment on site — or store anything overnight?
- What’s their timing, where are they coming from, and why are they leaving — bigger space, smaller, nicer, a different part of town, or a startup with no current location?
Just as important is how you ask. Keep it conversational — you’re getting to know them, not running them through a quiz.
Genuine curiosity does most of the work, and it’s one of the best parts of this business: you get to learn about all kinds of different companies and the people running them.
You’ll ask most of these answers naturally by having genuine curiosity and a desire to learn.
Never Skip the Use Question
Of everything you ask, the prospect’s intended use may be the most important. Never get a space leased without fully understanding what they’ll actually do in it.
If the prospect gives vague answers and you don’t keep asking questions, you risk leasing to a tenant who disturbs the neighbors, performs unapproved work, or runs an operation that simply doesn’t fit the property — problems that don’t surface until after they’ve moved in.
Then weigh use against term. If a tenant needs to gut and rebuild the space but will only commit to a three-year lease, it’s probably not a fit unless the tenant is prepared to fund all or most of the buildout.
Show Up
Never let a commercial prospect tour a space without you. You are doing yourself and the property a disservice if you have the prospect tour unattended. Your competition showed up, looked them in the eye, shook their hand, and answered their questions in real time.
That live, in-person exchange is the whole point. It’s the one chance you get to make the case. Don’t take it for granted.
The Bottom Line
A tour is a sales meeting. Treat it as such.
Show up early, bring your materials, know the property better than anyone.
Be curious and ask the right questions.
