March 2019

Prospecting, or lead generation, is key to success in many fields, but building a contact base is especially vital in commercial real estate. Whether an agent specializes in helping investors buy and sell commercial properties or in property management on behalf on an owner or investor, tenant prospecting is the key to ongoing effectiveness. It represents a way to build legitimacy and expertise, and is also a valuable means of gaining referrals that lead to future business. However, prospecting is not a part-time effort, and it requires diligence and consistency.

Basics of Prospecting Success

Prospecting techniques are not difficult to master, but they may sometimes seem redundant. It's important to be aware of market trends, but it's equally

Will the planned Minnesota commercial real estate projects breathe new life and energy into the creative zone, or do they spell a change of direction for local "makers" who might be priced out of the zone that was intended to encourage affordable live and work spaces?

Will High Prices Lead to Dying Creativity?

Rising prices, high demand and new development costs have all been cited as elements that contribute to the current high, and continually rising prices for housing in the Twin Cities and throughout the nation. The dilemma of shrinking opportunities for medium-to-lower-income renters is not limited to specific areas, however, and solutions are not easy.

Affordable housing initiatives that require a certain percentage of units in new

Ground has been broken on a 402-unit housing project at Bloomington Central Station, a 50-acre master-planned site that is expected to revitalize the city's South Loop District. The third multi-family project at the site, The Fenley is among the first ground-up projects to begin as part of the Minnesota Opportunity Zone endeavor authorized by federal legislation approved in 2017.

Planned to Encourage Economic Development

It is unique: The majority of the units are planned as high-end apartments, but 10 percent will be made available at 80 percent median income rents, in conformity with public subsidy requirements. The incentive program provides for investors to channel unrealized capital gains to projects specified locations throughout the