The BEST Way to Sell a Commercial Property
Discover the #1 provision you must eliminate from your buyer’s offer — and how continuous marketing can significantly increase your net proceeds.
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Sell with Confidence, Not Concessions
When selling industrial and office properties in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, momentum is everything.
Many owners make the mistake of taking their property off the market the moment they receive a signed offer. But what happens if the buyer’s financing falls through? What if they demand an extension during due diligence, or try to renegotiate the price based on an inspection?
If you have stopped marketing the property, you lose your leverage.
The absolute best way to sell a commercial property is through continuous marketing. By maintaining backup interest throughout the entire sales process, you keep the power in your hands — and ensure you secure the right buyer at the right price.
How Continuous Marketing Delivered a 10X Equity Multiple in Lowell, MA
To understand why this matters, consider a 40,359 SF industrial building we recently represented in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Within four weeks of hitting the market, we secured a buyer. However, the buyer required a zoning change — which meant approaching an abutter and navigating city approvals. After two months of negotiations, the buyer failed to complete their due diligence on time and asked for an extension.
Because we had been continuously marketing the property, the seller had leverage. He was not obligated to grant the extension. Instead, he pivoted immediately to a second buyer — a business partner who wanted to acquire both the company and the real estate.
When that second buyer later needed an extension on their mortgage contingency, a third buyer stepped up with an exceptional offer. That buyer — a regional food bank — ultimately closed the deal after we successfully coordinated tenant relocation with the city.
“Had we not been continuously marketing the property throughout that entire time period, the seller would not have achieved the sale price that he got — which resulted in a 10X multiple on his equity investment over the course of seven years.”
The final buyer used the new facility to double its food distribution capacity — from an estimated 5 million to 10 million tons of food per year for the community.
Three buyers. Six months. One exceptional outcome — made possible entirely by continuous marketing.
The 3 Rules for Selling Commercial Property
To protect your leverage and achieve the best possible outcome, every commercial property seller should follow these three rules before and during the sales process.
Rule #1: Remove the “Cease Solicitation” Provision
In many purchase agreements and Letters of Intent (LOIs), buyers will attempt to insert a provision requiring the seller to cease soliciting offers from other buyers once the property is under agreement. Do not agree to this.
Retaining the right to solicit backup interest is your single most powerful negotiating tool. If your buyer requests an extension, encounters financing issues, or tries to renegotiate, having a pipeline of interested parties gives you the ability to walk away from a bad situation — and the confidence to negotiate from a position of strength.
Rule #2: Never Stop Marketing During Due Diligence
Do not agree to withhold your property from the market while the buyer conducts their due diligence. Buyers can take weeks or months to satisfy their conditions. During that time, the market does not pause — and neither should you.
Continuously marketing your property while under contract keeps your options open and signals to your current buyer that you are serious about closing on your terms.
Rule #3: Be Transparent, But Relentless
You can — and should — be honest with prospective buyers that the property is currently under contract. But let them know you are actively soliciting backup interest. This transparency creates urgency for your current buyer to perform and provides you with a genuine safety net if the deal falls apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a commercial property broker? Can’t I sell it myself?
While it is possible to sell without representation, unrepresented sellers frequently leave significant money on the table. A broker creates a competitive bidding environment, manages the continuous marketing process to build leverage, and shields you from the day-to-day friction of buyer negotiations, due diligence, and municipal approvals. The Lowell case study above required coordinating six investors, two attorneys, a city government, and a tenant relocation — all simultaneously.
How do you find the right buyer?
We do not wait for buyers to find us. We actively target qualified local, regional, and national investors using proprietary databases, direct outreach, and digital marketing to ensure your property is seen by the people most capable of paying a premium. The right buyer is not always the first buyer — which is exactly why continuous marketing matters.
How are you determining the sale price for my property?
We conduct a Strategic Asset Evaluation. This goes far beyond a simple comparable sales analysis. We examine current market conditions, your property’s income potential, zoning opportunities, and buyer demand to develop a realistic, aggressive pricing strategy that maximizes your outcome.
What do you need from me to get started?
To move quickly, we typically need clean financials (profit and loss statements, rent rolls), copies of all active leases, recent property tax bills, any available environmental reports, and a clear understanding of your timeline and post-sale capital goals.
Do I need to hire an attorney when selling my property?
Yes. While we handle the marketing, strategy, and business negotiations, you need a qualified commercial real estate attorney to draft the Purchase and Sale Agreement and manage the legal closing process. We are happy to refer you to attorneys we trust if you do not already have one.
What are your qualifications?
Jeremy Cyrier, CCIM, CRE is a Certified Commercial Investment Member — a designation recognized as the gold standard of expertise in commercial and investment real estate. With over 19 years of experience and more than 1,000 brokered transactions, MANSARD brings institutional-grade strategy to every sale.
How long does it take to sell my property?
Every property and market is different. The timeline depends on pricing, property type, current buyer demand, and deal complexity. What we can control is the quality of the marketing process and the strength of the buyer pool we build — both of which directly affect how quickly and profitably a deal closes.
Ready to Get Started?
Ready to Get Started?Your sale’s outcome is determined before the property ever goes live. Start with a clear understanding of your property’s value, the buyer pool, and the strategic factors that will maximize your net proceeds.
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Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Results described in case studies reflect specific transactions and are not a guarantee of future performance. Please consult qualified legal and tax advisors before making decisions related to the sale of commercial real estate.