How to Get Investors for Real Estate — Telling a Compelling Story
Entrepreneurs often spend years developing a project that fulfills the needs of their target market.
But things work a bit differently in commercial real estate, where success depends largely on attracting the right investors and addressing their needs upfront.
Convincing real estate investors to give your venture a ‘go’ is essential for building a brand.
An elevator pitch can help you get a foot in the door, but a compelling brand story is what you need to seal the deal.
Here’s how to create a story to help you secure investors for your commercial real estate projects.
Establishing legitimacy
Taking time out of their busy schedule to listen to your pitch is low on an investor’s list of priorities.
To catch investors’ ears (and eyes), make it clear that considering your project is in their best interests from the moment you introduce yourself.
The initial step in making a solid first impression is identifying and studying your target market, so you start with a keen understanding of your prospect’s goals.
Start with these four essential questions:
- What type of investors do you want to attract?
- How do their interests align with yours?
- What are their priorities?
- What are their concerns (fears/pain points)?
To encourage investors to consider your proposal, assert your legitimacy from the get-go:
- Introduce yourself in a personable way that showcases your values — investors put relationships and trust first since you’ll be managing their assets.
- Highlight your first-hand experience and share proof that you have a track record in commercial real estate.
While sharing your values and vision are essentials, your brand story needs to be backed by concrete evidence — data that investors can only acquire through you and your underlying data management systems.
Once your legitimacy as an entrepreneur is established, show your target market that you are the best candidate to fulfill their needs.
Fulfilling your target market’s needs
Why should real estate investors participate in your venture?
To tell a compelling story that provides context, you must identify your target market’s desires and the obstacles they face.
Most investors will raise some concerns when hearing your proposal.
Be proactive with your message and speak clearly to your investors’ objectives and needs. They’ll feel confident you understand their struggles and priorities.
You’ll convince them not only of the viability of your venture but that it will provide the outcome they’re seeking.
A compelling brand story also underscores why investing in your project is compatible with their values and priorities as individuals and organizations.
Besides establishing a connection with your target market and interesting them in your project, your brand story can also help you stand out from the competition.
Differentiating yourself from the competition
You are likely one of many entrepreneurs competing for an investor’s attention and funds.
Despite being one business among many, your brand story can help you distinguish yourself and convince investors that you are the right bet.
To tell your story, consider what your brand offers that is unique and then include any non-commercial facts or anecdotes that can speak to investors.
Business plans and other economic reports and projections can indicate that your commercial real estate project is viable; however, formal reports are limited by formats that offer little creativity.
But with your brand story, you have infinite flexibility in the way you appeal to investors.
Though the services and the projects you offer may be similar to others in many respects, brand storytelling gives you the freedom to express yourself and make a lasting impression.
Why a compelling brand story can help you attract investors
An effective brand story plays an essential role in getting investors. It resonates and connects them with you and your project.
For the highest chances of success, your brand’s narrative should relate to your target market’s concerns and priorities, and demonstrate why you — out of many — are best positioned to help them flourish.
More than a marketing gimmick, your brand story allows you to catch the attention of backers that your commercial real estate project needs to take flight.