Brokerages Embracing PropTech to Bridge the Digital Divide
Most brokers still prospect the same way everyone else does. A 5-question self-audit to find out where your digital identity actually stands.
Consumer expectations have shifted toward instant access and digital-first research across nearly every industry — and commercial real estate has been slower than most to adapt. Most brokers still rely on the same interpersonal prospecting methods: calling known contacts, working existing relationships, showing up in the room when a requirement surfaces. That works well for tenants who already know a broker. It does nothing for the ones who don't.
A new company opening its first office, a first-time founder, or a business with a bad past experience looking for someone new — none of these tenants have a broker relationship to fall back on. They start their search online. If your digital presence doesn't exist or hasn't been touched in years, you're invisible to exactly the tenants who need a broker most.
Why This Gap Matters Even If Your Book of Business Is Full
It's easy to argue that the tenants you represent aren't the type to pick a broker based on an online profile. You know the right contacts, and when a requirement surfaces, you find a way into the room. But that logic only covers tenants who already have a way to find you. Consider what happens when:
- A new company is considering opening an office or warehouse in your market and doesn't know any local brokers
- A new founder is leading their first real estate search with no prior relationships to lean on
- An established business had a less-than-stellar experience with their last broker and is actively looking for someone new
In every one of these scenarios, the tenant starts their search online. A personal brand built over years or decades of relationships doesn't transfer automatically into a digital one — that takes its own deliberate effort, and the longer it's delayed, the longer it takes to start producing results.
The 5-Question Self-Audit
Before investing time into building a digital identity, get an honest read on where you actually stand today. These five questions are the starting point.
Do you have an up-to-date bio on your company's website? A complete LinkedIn profile? An active presence anywhere else? Search your own name right now — what comes up is exactly what a prospective tenant sees first.
Trying to maintain a strong presence everywhere at once usually means doing none of them well. Pick one or two channels — LinkedIn is generally the strongest starting point for commercial brokers — and commit to them before spreading further.
Original commentary on your market builds authority faster, but takes more time and effort. Sharing and commenting on relevant content is lower-lift and still keeps you visible. Either approach works — the mistake is not deciding and doing neither.
A single well-written post won't move the needle. A modest, consistent cadence — even something as simple as posting weekly — compounds in a way a single burst of effort never does.
Reviews are one of the strongest trust signals a prospective tenant can find. Having no process to request them from satisfied clients means leaving a genuinely persuasive asset unused.
For a full strategy on this specific question, see How Online Reviews Will Boost Your Brand and Increase Sales.
The Faster Path: Partnering Instead of Building Alone
Working through the self-audit above and building each piece independently takes real time — often months before it starts producing results. TenantBase built a digital business-development platform specifically to shortcut this process: it identifies qualified, active tenants and connects them directly with local partner brokers, rather than requiring every broker to build that pipeline from scratch.
For a broader look at how brokers can move quickly on the technology side of this equation, see How Brokers Can Get Digital in a Hurry and How to Maximize Your Online Presence.
Skip the Build — Get Matched Directly
Join TenantBase's broker network and start connecting with tenants who are already actively searching — no digital-brand build-out required first.
Join Our Broker NetworkFrequently Asked Questions
Get matched with tenants actively searching in your market — no separate software fee.