NovaLoca Blog

We have been speaking to a number of the commercial property agents who are already using NovaLoca to advertise commercial property. They have been telling us how much they appreciate the service NovaLoca offers; and not just the property details listing service but also all the extras on offer such as bird’s eye imagery and property mapping. The agents say they believe additions such as these on their property details pages are helping their properties stand out from the rest which inevitably attracts more occupiers to them.

Similarly, occupiers we have spoken to who have been using NovaLoca to find commercial property have said that all this information about the properties means that they can make a truly informed decision about their interest in a property before seeing it which saves time for everyone and makes the whole process much easier.

Our aim has always been to develop a ‘one stop shop’ so commercial property agents can advertise commercial property, and occupiers can find it, really easily. This is why we are so happy to receive such feedback. Below we have outlined what is currently available through NovaLoca, but if there is anything else that you would like to see there that will make NovaLoca even better then please do contact us.

Bird’s Eye Photography

We are resellers of Blom’s imagery meaning that we can offer great packages deals for high resolution bird’s eye photography (at a 45 degree angle from the north, south, east and west) which agents have found to be a great ‘add-on’ to bring their property details listings and document alive and show occupiers what a property looks like.

To see some examples of the imagery and to find out how you can order some for your property, please click here.

NovaLoca maps

Not only were we ahead of Google to release Street View imagery in our maps of London, we also offer registered agents the use of this latest mapping technology for free. Agents can add a link from their web site directly to a NovaLoca map which shows all the properties they are currently representing (and only their properties) meaning the agents own site can benefit from the same mapping which makes NovaLoca the amazing resource that it is and show occupiers the location of the property. To see an example of how this is already working in Jones Lang LaSalle’s web site click here.

To add a map link to your site:

1. Register as a commercial property agent (if you have not already done so)

2. Log in to your agent admin area and click on “link to my properties list” in the advertiser toolbar

3. Follow the instructions given.

To find out more about how you can benefit from NovaLoca mapping please click here.

NovaLoca 3D – Google Earth 3D Property Models

If you have a property that’s not been built yet, or even if it has been standing for 100 years, NovaLoca 3D will bring the property to life. The photo-realistic model of the property is embedded into Google Earth and information windows are added so you can draw viewer’s attention to the properties best features. For a truly interactive experience we create a video so you can fly around the site and show an occupier everything the buildings have to offer.

To find out more about NovaLoca’s 3D property model and how you can have one built for your property please click here.

In today’s complex property market and economic climate, choosing the right commercial property agent is a crucial decision. With so many agents out there looking for your business property owners are often at a loss about how to select the one that will meet their particular needs. So what needs to be considered?

Business Link is a nationwide organisation offering resources to businesses and they suggest the following points are key:

• Trading history – how successfully have they marketed property in the past?
• Knowledge – how well do they know the property market in your area?
• Financial security – will they still be there next week, next month?
• Reputation – do they come recommended?
• Portfolio – have they found occupiers for similar properties to yours in the past?
• Willingness – are they keen to market your property?

Read their full document here for more information.

Although this is a comprehensive list, one additional point could be added:

• Marketing strategy – how are agents planning to market your property?

Being a commercial property search engine, NovaLoca.com is in contact with many commercial property agents every day and can see the varied levels of effort agents put in to marketing properties for their clients. Therefore it is essential for the property owner to understand exactly what the agent plans to do to find an occupier for their property as quickly and as cost effectively as possible. Do not be afraid to ask them the plan and hold them accountable to it.

Some marketing methods agents may use include:

• Direct mailing/leaflet drops
• Emails
• Fax
• Printed press/ online press
• Agents’ web site
• Online property search engines

So you know what the options for marketing methods are, but how effective are they? Some useful questions to ask include:

• How many people will see the property details?
• How easy is it for an occupier to contact the agent about your property?
• What information is given to the occupier about the property?
• Can they see the property on a map, virtual tour or photograph?
• Which method generates the most leads and is most cost effective?

Our experience has shown that traditional methods of direct mailing property details, sending emails and printed press are becoming less effective when marketing commercial property as occupiers increasingly begin their property search online. Therefore make sure the agent you choose to market your property is using the latest available technology to find an occupier.

For more information about what NovaLoca can do to help market commercial property contact us.

It is probably more important now than it has ever been to make the most of any means of communication with clients whether it is over a quiet drink at a trade show, a telephone call whilst in the office or sending them a quick email.

According to one article by NM Hancock over 66 trillion emails were sent in 2006 to over (an estimated) 1.2 billion email users indicating that for businesses this could be a very cost effective marketing tool. However, as the article goes on to state, making the most of this can be difficult. With so many emails being sent how do you make sure yours is the one that is read? The potential of email marketing may have been under-valued in the past due to the quality of the leads they generate. However in today’s credit crunching market using email as a marketing tool is a no-brainer! If you get it right, make it interesting and get your message across, you could be on to a winner. The article gives some useful tips about how this can be done including personalising the email, keeping it simple and promoting your main messages in the most viewed places. We have also discussed how emails can be used when marketing commercial property on this blog.

In our email communications with clients we have found it useful to include links to pages on the site which demonstrate what the email is about, e.g. their property listings or NovaLoca’s interactive maps. As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words: Compelling, visual content will engage a recipient increasing the chance that they will read your email and therefore, making it possible and more likely that they will follow your call to action.

One of the aims of commercial property search engine, NovaLoca, is to make marketing commercial property easy for agents. One way we have done this is by allowing interested occupiers to contact the agent via telephone and email directly from the site and it is working. To date NovaLoca has generated over 15,000 telephone and email leads for commercial property agents who list their property on the site. To find out how you can benefit from marketing your commercial property on NovaLoca and start receiving some of these telephone and email leads give us a call on 0844 3575 260 or email christin@novaloca.com

One of the many tools available on Commercial Property Finder, NovaLoca to help occupiers find their ideal office space, industrial unit or retail premises easily is being able to contact the agent by phone or email directly from the site. This not only allows you to make an enquiry about a property without needing to open your email service it also allows us to monitor how and when you make your enquiries, which we can then feed back to the agent so they can ensure they are available when you need them to be.

Just as property agents should be aware of how they respond to email enquiries, occupiers should also be careful. Here are some exerts of property enquiry emails which have been sent:

Creating an Effective Property Enquiry

Commercial property agents, like all of us, are busy people. Therefore, the more information you can give then in your initial enquiry the better. Here are a few tips:

· Be specific - What are you looking for? Tell the agent exactly what you are looking for including, preferred location of the property, size (a floor size in metres is much better than stating ‘for two people’!), a guide price of what you are willing to pay for the property, do you want to buy commercial property or let commercial property?

· Give instructions for the agent – What do you want the agent to do? Do you want to arrange a viewing of the property you have found on NovaLoca (give some idea of your availability to view the property) or do you want the agent to send you more information about the property (specify exactly what you want to know).

· Give your contact details - What is the best means of getting in touch with you? If possible, give them two options, e.g. by phone (give numbers and times you will be available on it) or by email (make sure you give the right address and you check your inbox regularly).

· Write something! – Very few agents will return your enquiries if you do not give them some indication of what you are enquiring about.

· Be concise – It is a well known fact that people read the first couple of lines of an email and then decide whether or not to keep reading. The same is true for property agents, so be direct and clear in your enquiry.

· Check your spelling – Run your spell check or re-read your message before your press send. If you cannot be bothered to do this, the agent may not be bothered to reply.

In addition to contacting the agent for details of other properties they are marketing, occupiers can also use NovaLoca’s Property Portfolio tool. This allows you to register your property requirements and receive an email giving full details of all commercial properties fitting your property criteria which are added to the site keeping you up to date with what is available.

For more information about how NovaLoca makes finding commercial property easy, contact the customer service team on 08443575260 or begin your search at NovaLoca.com.

Open any newspaper and you will find articles about the ‘credit crunch’ and the impact it is having, especially on the property market. Take for example Tony McDonough’s article in the Liverpool Daily Post,”Property Sales Set to Fall By a Third” which claims that, “Property experts are predicting that the total volume of property traded globally this year will fall by at least a third because of the credit crunch”.

Having read such articles, the online commercial property search engine NovaLoca, spoke to the agents listing on the website and found that many have recently decided to stop all their marketing in order to save on expenses as they ride out the financial difficulties. However, the continued growth NovaLoca has seen over the past year is due to commercial property agents choosing to market their vacant properties, whether that be offices, industrial units, retail spaces or even land, on this property search tool. This increase in properties being advertised on NovaLoca implies that marketing using the internet continues to be a cost effective way of finding occupiers for properties and increasing property turnover as commercial agents continue to invest in online marketing even during these times when finances are a bit stretched.

Read Tony McDonough’s full article and why not contact the NovaLoca customer services team on 0844 3575 260 to find out how marketing properties online with them can help to generate more leads for your commercial properties.