Finding the perfect office for rent nearby can be tricky, especially if you’re on a tight budget.
In some areas, locating a good office is hard for any amount of money. If you’ve been searching and searching, but are struggling to find the right office space, try these four methods of locating the perfect building:
Call a Realtor. Realtors who specialize in commercial real estate can be your best friends in the hunt for a suitable office. They know the properties in your area and may even be familiar with their owners. If there’s a particular building you’d love to occupy, your Realtor can make contact on your behalf to inquire about availability. They’ll save you a lot of time searching on your own.
Many people shy away from hiring a Realtor because they’re worried about having to pay them. The good news is that as the renter or buyer, it’s unlikely you’ll have to pay your agent — most of the time the owner of the property you’re interested in will agree to cover those fees in exchange for the Realtor’s help in finding a renter or buyer.
Take to the streets. If you’re not ready for a Realtor or your local agents don’t have any properties that you’re interested in occupying, you can always take matters into your own hands. Instead of casually waiting for the right property to appear in the newspaper, take a drive around the areas where you’d like your office space to be located. Often, building owners will post “For Rent” signs in vacant offices or on buildings with vacancies – take notes on the ones you think might work and give the owners a call for a showing.
Check online. There are a number of websites that specialize in office spaces for rent. They’ll contain lots of information about potential offices, including plenty of photos so you can be pretty certain the space will work for you before you ever step foot inside. Many services are location-specific, but a quick search can turn one up that’s applicable for any location. Although Craigslist may have offices for rent in your area, approach with caution. Deals that sound too good to be true usually are.
Ask business contacts. One of the best places to go for ideas for office space is to people in your field who are already renting. Ask them who they worked with and what offices they liked – or if they saw any similar to what your business will need. Your network is a valuable source of information about office space, especially if some of your cohort are currently looking at office spaces themselves.
Finding office space can be tough, but there are plenty of ways to find a good spot nearby if you enlist your business network, check out spaces online, pound the pavement or call a Realtor to help you. Plan ahead when searching for office space, since it may take months for the right space to open up. You don’t want to settle for an acceptable space when a phenomenal one is just around the corner.