At New South Commercial, we’re always thinking about how to make the commercial real estate experience better for our clients. While there are clear differences between commercial and residential brokerage, there are a few habits from the residential side that might sharpen our approach.
Here are four lessons worth considering:
1. Showing Space With Intention
Residential agents excel at making homes easy to visualize. They bring in stagers, clear the clutter, and make sure the power is on so buyers can imagine themselves living there. Commercial brokers, by contrast, often lean on bullet points like square footage and parking ratios. But sometimes, simple improvements—like clearing out old equipment, ensuring lights are working, and presenting a clean, functional space—can do more to create an impression than any marketing flyer.
2. Embracing a Clearer Process
Residential deals typically follow a well-known rhythm: contracts, disclosures, and timelines. Everyone knows what to expect. In commercial real estate, “everything is negotiable”—which often means letters of intent get redlined ten times before a lease is drafted, or legal isn’t looped in until late in the process. It’s part of the game, but creating repeatable systems and templates could help streamline transactions without losing the flexibility that makes commercial real estate unique.
3. Using Scheduling as a Lever
Residential agents understand the psychology of urgency—stacking showings, letting buyers know that others are touring the property, and creating subtle competition. Commercial brokers can borrow a page here. No one’s suggesting cookies, balloons, or Sunday open houses, but stacking tours back-to-back can create natural leverage and push prospects to move more decisively.
4. Being More Available
One of the biggest knocks on commercial brokers is a lack of responsiveness. Residential agents hustle at nights, weekends, and whenever clients call. In commercial, it’s easy to push everything to “normal business hours.” A simple shift—like acknowledging a message with “Got it, I’ll circle back tomorrow”—can build client confidence and strengthen relationships, even outside of the 9-to-5.
The Bottom Line
Residential and commercial real estate will never operate in exactly the same way—but there’s value in looking across the aisle. Residential agents have mastered client service and presentation, while commercial brokers bring the creativity of open negotiation and deal structuring. Somewhere in between lies a best-of-both-worlds approach.
Residential friends, what else are we missing? We’d love your perspective.
