Close-Up on Industrial Listings: Key Factors & Marketing Strategies to Consider 

Amid extremely high demand and tight supply, the industrial real estate market is slated for another banner year in 2022. And, while the sector was already strong prior to the pandemic, the e-commerce boom fast-tracked its growth, making industrial one of the most preferred asset classes for investment.  

Plus, according to a recent CommercialEdge report, e-commerce continues to drive demand for industrial space. In fact, during the last two years, the industrial sector has seen record transaction volumes, low vacancies, robust construction activity — coupled with a scarcity of developable land — and elevated rental rates, which have all led to increased competition for availability in well-positioned markets.  

Accordingly, as intense occupier demand continues to exceed inventory, industrial space for sale and for lease will continue to be highly sought-after. As such, promotions of an industrial property should involve a clear marketing strategy and unique selling points that deliver comprehensive information to a clearly defined target audience.  

Relevant Content to Include 

Location is among the first aspects to highlight on a listing. Essential information like this helps prospects determine if the property can support their operational requirements. In particular, interactive location maps play a key role in showcasing the property’s proximity to: 

• Major thoroughfares 
• Transportation nodes 
• Business corridors 
• Distribution centers 
• Airport, rail and port access 
• Residential hubs where workers live 
• Mass transit 
• Local amenities 

Likewise, zoning status should also be specified because, depending on the sub-type of the property, certain industrial assets may not be zoned to support every industrial operation. 

Additionally, building specifications provide prospects with a clear image of main characteristics and are therefore critical for filtering prospects based on their search criteria. These details are also cited throughout the lease or sale process. Starting with the overall building and lot size, specs should include: 

• Property type (single- or multi-tenant) 
• Total square footage and available space 
• Floorplans and possible configurations 
• Year built/renovated 
• Clear height and column spacing 
• Grade-level doors and loading docks 
• Electric, lighting and sprinkler/fire suppression systems 
• HVAC systems (which may be an essential amenity to have, depending on the operator’s needs) 

Along with the standard lease type and rate, other important considerations for industrial occupiers include: 

• Loading capacity, which should meet the receiving and distribution needs of the operator 
• Floor load requirements, which should support any excessive weight from the operator’s equipment 
• Parking lot capacity, which should accommodate operational requirements (trucking needs), as well as employee and visitor needs 
• Building certifications, which underscore the property’s energy efficiency and the owner’s/ landlord’s sustainability efforts 
• Site plans and current tenants if the property is part of an industrial park 

Visual & Interactive Elements 

Creative visuals ensure an immersive experience and allow users to better assess the property, its surroundings, community amenities and demographic information. 

• High-quality images or renderings play a vital role in emphasizing the building’s best attributes. Specifically, these should be professional photographs that capture and convey the character of the property.  
• Well-crafted video content is a powerful storytelling tool that should include exterior and interior footage to focus attention on configuration and possible space uses. Additionally, aerial drone footage can be used to accentuate location and site layout. 
• Self-guided virtual tours with interactive floorplans enable prospects to explore and engage with the property without having to be physically on-site.  
• Integrated inquiry forms enable prospects to easily reach out for additional information such as current availability, rental rates and so on. 

How Marketing Solutions Come Into Play 

With strong industrial fundamentals anticipated to maintain momentum, availabilities continue to be in high demand. Consequently, tools that enhance listing exposure should be at the forefront of an efficient marketing strategy. 

To that end, dynamic marketing plays a key role in maximizing the outreach process, and that’s where the value of solutions such as Edge Marketing — part of Yardi Elevate Revenue — becomes evident. This full-service marketing platform incorporates tools that enable industry professionals to effortlessly market and manage listings and generate qualified leads. 

More precisely, listings published through Edge Marketing are distributed on the rapidly expanding CommercialEdge Listing Network, which incorporates five marketplaces and attracts more than 2 million visits combined each month. The ILS (Internet Listing Service) network — formed of PropertyShark, CommercialCafe, Point2, CommercialSearch and 42Floors — generates more than 300,000 verified leads yearly. For even more visibility, listings can also be promoted on the network with featured ads.  

Furthermore, Edge Marketing offers the opportunity to syndicate listings to top third-party marketplaces, as well as the company’s own website. Through the marketing tool, users may also utilize a custom-made property website populated with information already provided in Edge Marketing.  

Meanwhile, listings can be managed with ease from one place and users retain full ownership of their marketing data. Industrial operators that use the platform include Rexford, PS Business Parks and Link, among others. And, as far as promotional material is concerned, Edge Marketing also enables users to leverage a full-service marketing team to capture photos, create virtual tours and generate tailor-made brochures, for example. 

For added efficiency, the marketing solution is fully integrated with Yardi Voyager, an end-to-end portfolio management and accounting platform. This integration translates into dynamic marketing, thereby enabling Voyager users to synchronize their properties, spaces and availabilities across their assets. Listings are then automatically published based on lease expiration dates, and spaces are automatically unpublished once a tenant is activated in Voyager. 

Putting together a comprehensive industrial listing, selecting the right marketing platform and reaching the target audience is a thorough process. Fortunately, there are solutions that help streamline these operations. And with the industrial real estate market expected to remain robust going forward, easy-to-use marketing tools that enhance listing visibility are worth exploring.