Despite the economy, there are retailers out there looking for space. However, today’s stiff competition requires that you be more diligent than ever in developing a credible, get-to-the-point leasing package to enable retailers to make informed decisions.

Don’t know exactly what to put in a leasing brochure? Think of the 7 notes in the musical scale A through G:

A is for Aerials

Aerial photos speak a thousand words. So do cars in the parking lot. If you’re scheduling a shoot, do so on a big sale day or sunny Saturday when crowds of shoppers are at the center. Add supportive call-outs to your aerial shot on your leasing package: label area roadways and benchmarks. If your center was having a bad day, get your photos retouched: if the weather wasn’t compliant, put in a blue sky; if the cleaning crew missed a spot, remove unsightly debris; and if shopping was atypically light, it’s less expensive (and ethical) to add some cars in the parking lot than to re-shoot. Of course, ground shots could be used as well. Just make sure they are presentable, indicative of the center, and hopefully include shoppers.

B is for Benchmarks

Trade area benchmarks add validity to the project and represent vital data on the area’s economic base. Indicate major employers, universities, hospitals, retailing, convention centers, etc. within the trade area. Also include other important area data like impressive employment rates or nearby developments.

C is for Contact Information

Make it easy for the prospective tenant to reach you by providing every possible form of contact possible. Be sure to include: leasing person’s name, company, address, general phone number, direct phone number, cell phone number, website address, email address, and fax number.

D is for Demographics

Current demographic facts, statistics and traffic counts are essential to make your property information credible. Include population and household income figures based on the three rings that define the property location. For instance, urban centers should have shorter rings; rural or regional centers should have farther rings. Indicate spiraling growth patterns if applicable. Also include traffic counts for the surrounding streets and nearby highways.

E is for Easy-to-Understand

Your property site plan needs to be current and comprehensible from the retailer’s perspective. It should not include extraneous, cumbersome architectural information that has no relevance to the prospective tenant. Existing major national and regional tenants, parking, surrounding streets and traffic lights should be indicated. You may want to highlight the availabilities and square footages, and indicate shadow anchors and adjacent retail projects. Colorizing the plan enhances readability. Also keep in mind that legends are more difficult to read than labeled spaces, and retail logos are easier to interpret than typed names.

F is for Facts

Include all the property’s factual and descriptive information: name, location (address, city, county, suburb, state, and MSA if applicable), GLA, number of parking spots, and any other highlights and details about the property that are pertinent and beneficial information for the retailer to be aware of (ie: recent renovations, expansions, exceptional area sales figures, visibility, accessibility, neighboring projects, etc). And keep in mind that bulleted items are easier to read than verbiage in paragraph form.

G is for Geography

This is the location, location, location section. You need to include a detailed map, or several maps showing the location on a street, regional and state level. You may be tempted to pop in a map you pulled off Google, but keep in mind that it cannot be manipulated to highlight certain attributes. If it’s within your budget, consider a custom illustrated map so that you can simplify the diagram by removing irrelevant roads and information while highlighting important specifics and benchmarks (ie: the corporate park across the street) making the map easier to read and understand.

Last “Note”

Retailers are looking for information they can rely on, so be accurate and don’t inflate the data or you run the risk of discrediting all your information. You need to present the data that will help the retailer make a sound, profitable decision. A profitable, satisfied retailer is a reliable, profitable tenant.

This entry was filed under Tutorials