“Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” — Tess Flanders, newspaper editor

The notion that a picture is worth a thousand words is by now a cliche, sure — but that doesn’t mean that it’s not true. In fact, quite the opposite is actually true. When it comes to marketing any commercial property, one of the best and smartest investments that you can make is in professional photography of your space. But why?

The answer is simple. High-quality photography can be used across a number of different marketing touch points, including your website, print pieces, and other collateral. But one of the best ways to use your photos in listing portals. It’s no secret that the commercial real estate marketplace is becoming more competitive, so having compelling photos of your space can be a great way to set your property apart and capture interest more quickly.

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at 5 ways to help you prep you commercial real estate property for listing photos:

Declutter the space

It seems obvious, but you would be surprised at how many people simply don’t take the time to properly declutter a space before photographs. Marketing your CRE property is all about selling your space to potential tenants or buyers. This includes the location, physical space, the benefits of any amenities offered, and more – but it does not include the stuff (aka clutter) inside your space.

A good rule of thumb is to remove as many things as possible, without causing the space to feel stark or cold. Properly sized and staged things can give the space needed proportion — but too many will make your space look small.

Bump up the curb appeal

While curb appeal is undoubtedly talked about more in residential real estate, the truth is that first impressions matter everywhere. Have your landscape crew tidy up around the property just before the photos are taken, and add seasonal, colored plants into your landscape design ahead of time. Have the maintenance team or an outside cleaning crew wash all of the windows, replace any burned out light bulbs, pressure wash the exterior where needed, and tend to anything that may be broken.

Find the best light for your shoot

The most important listing photo for any commercial property is arguable the street view of the property. As such, you’ll want to pay attention to the natural lighting on your property. Take note of the direction of the sun, based on the street view. Keep in mind that most properties will look their best when the sun is low but shining on the building — and determine the best time of day for your photos, based on this information.

As any professional photographer will tell you, lighting is crucial. Try to avoid harsh, direct sunlight — but you’ll also want to avoid any dark shadows, as well. A soft and evenly balance of light makes for the best photos every time.

Avoid portraying a specific time of the year or season

Another pro tip to help avoid dating your photos is to make sure you aren’t depicting a particular time of the year or season. Believe it or not, many buyers tend to detach from images — and by extension, your property — when it’s the middle of winder and they see summer photos, and vice versa.

Keep things balanced

In order to keep your space looking balanced and straight, pay close attention to the lines in your photos. Anything vertical should appear vertical, anything horizontal should appear horizontal, and so on. It has been proven that buyers tend to shy away from images where the floors appear to slope or the walls appear to be crooked. While they can’t quite put their finger on what’s “off” with the photo, typically, they tend to view these images — and your property —less favorably.

Both virtual reality and augmented reality have been hot topics on the lips of many throughout various industries, but what exactly do these items mean and how do they impact the construction industry?

How do virtual reality and augmented reality differ?

You may have heard the terms VR and AR interchangeably, however they have distinct differences. According to The Franklin Institute, AR is exactly what it sounds like, it literally augments reality by adding digital images to real scenery, normally via a camera. A common example of this is the popular Pokemon Go game that swept the nation in 2016.

Virtual reality, on the other hand, creates a completely immersive experience. By blocking out reality it immerses the user in a totally different environment. Additionally, the two have now combined to create mixed reality, also known as MR. This allows AR and VR to combine and create the capability to blend the real world with virtual reality simultaneously.

Now that you understand what exactly these terms mean, how will they change the construction industry in particular?

1. Saving Money

One major benefit VR and AR can have on the construction industry is the ability to save companies a substantial amount of money. Designs can be laid out beforehand and literally walked through to increase accuracy and avoid having to rework or replace features during or after construction.

2. Efficiency

AR, and specifically VR, can be very helpful to ensure designs are efficient prior to building. This is especially helpful when collaborating with industries where layout and placement are pivotal in day-to-day functions.

One industry where VR can be used to make sure a building is constructed in the most efficient manner is hospitals. VR can be utilized to allow nurses and doctors walk through a proposed design and see if they can complete daily duties. This will help avoid problems in the future once the building is already constructed.

3. Safety Training

Both AR and VR are helpful when it comes to safety training for construction workers. It allows them to practice using heavy machinery without the risk of injury or costly damages. According to Tom Wilkerson, owner of Certifyme.net, more than 100,000 injuries are caused by forklifts each year. The majority of these injuries were due to improper training. With VR and AR, workers can be trained in full and remotely, without companies having to use funds for travel or equipment.

4. Customer Relations

Customers can experience improved customer relations when VR or AR is used to walk them through the construction process and proposed finished product. It allows the General Contractor to set realistic expectations and show what exactly can be created or done with a space. This leads to a better, more transparent experience for the client, and leads to fewer complaints and return business in the future.

Though VR and AR have some ways to go before they are fully integrated into day-to-day construction activities, there is brightness on the horizon for when that day occurs. AR and VR have the potential to improve and change the construction industry like never before, making it more profitable and more functional.

Manchester project adding office to the mix

Whether you are looking to sell your multifamily property or want to validate raised rates for the asset, you’ll want to increase the value of the property. Let’s take a look at six creative ways to increase the value of your multifamily property.

Perform Repairs and Make Improvements

If your multifamily property needs to be modernized or needs cosmetic work, by performing these tasks, you can significantly raise the rent. The rental income from outdated units will land somewhere in the middle of modern rent prices and those from its original era. An upgraded unit can fetch market rates. Consider painting the property’s exterior and upgrading the leasing center as well as the units. This is going to be the most effective way to increase the value of the property.

Increase the Rentable Square Footage

If there are common areas on the property, it can be tough to catch the true value of these in the rent. Increasing the area of rentable square footage can result in a higher total rental income. Many renters would prefer having larger units than extra common areas.

Subdivide or Combine Units

If the property is not the right size or configuration to adhere to the current demographics in the market is located in, you can add value to the property by subdividing or combining units. If you have two 1,500 square foot units and the demographics in your area call for more families with children, consider combining these units to create a 3,000 square foot unit that can tailor to a four-person family. This can help decrease vacancy as well.

Reduce Property Expenses

All of the expenses that come with owning a multifamily property add up, such as advertising, insurance, lawn maintenance, accounting, legal fees, property management, licenses, and repairs. Anything that can be done to decrease these expenses without sacrificing the quality and care of your property can put money back into your pocket and increase the value of the asset.

Meter Separately

Gas, water, and electricity are all consumable resources that will be variably used by tenants. In order to maximize the value of the property, pass off these expenses as much as the market will allow in your area. If the infrastructure of your multifamily property is not metered separately, consider making it so. This submetering can help allocate expenses to your tenants fairly and take this burden off of you.

Raise Rent

If your rates are significantly below market, you may be able to bump these up when the next opportunity arises. Even a 2% or 3% annual inflationary increase will add up over the years. You can definitely raise rents if you have performed upgrades both cosmetically and with technology both in units and in common areas.

The number one goal when investing in multifamily property is to increase the Net Operating Income. These tips are ways to create value-adds that will increase the property’s worth so you can either sell or raise the rent depending on your overall goal.