Beth’s Blog

After you’ve driven the market and scoped out the regional mall and surrounding centers, it’s time to connect with the people who know the dirt—literally. The Neighborhood Leasing Agents. Think finding 6-8 agents is tough? Nope! Just start with the three centers next to yours. That’s three agents right there. Add in the agent for the mall and a few more from nearby properties and BOOM—you’ve got your list. Now here’s the goal: meet with at least six of them in the next 30 days.Buy them coffee. Tour each other’s properties. Swap intel. Build relationships. And if one-on-ones feel like too much? Host a casual group meetup. Pick a local tenant (support your centers!) and invite the crew. Sharing deals, market shifts, and prospect leads over lunch is not only productive—it’s fun. The best leasing agents don’t just know their market. They know the people working in it. So make the calls. Build your squad. And remember, in this business, relationships are EVERYTHING.

New property? First step—get in your car and hit the streets. I ask all my rookies to do this, and you should too. Why? Because no market study is complete without YOUR eyes on the ground. Here’s how to map your market like a pro: ✅ Start with your property’s flyer. Good ones have a Google map built in.✅ No flyer? No problem. Google the address. Boom—a map pops up with nearby shopping centers, regional malls, and big box power players. Make a note of them. Then drive. Safely, of course! And as you do, observe: You’re not just collecting data. You’re creating a full picture of the health, vibrancy, and opportunities in your market. Pro tip: Cast a wide net. You can always narrow it down later. But knowledge of the entire trade area will make you sharper—and more valuable—than the agent who only knows what’s happening on their site. So what are you waiting for? Go map your market. Your deals depend on it!

New property to lease? Before you call a prospect or design a flyer, there’s one thing you MUST do first: go to the mall. Yes, seriously. Even if you’re not a shopper (raises hand), the regional mall is the heart of the market and your best source of live intel. Why? Because the mall is the Main & Main of any trade area. It’s where you’ll quickly see:✅ Which brands are thriving✅ What people are buying✅ Who’s shopping and when✅ What’s hot—and what’s not Before I even get on a plane to visit a new market, I’m Googling the malls. I want to know the anchors, the top restaurants, the buzzworthy local spots, and even the sales per square foot (pro tip: that helps you evaluate achievable rents). But don’t stop at Google. Once you’re in the market, walk the mall. Look at the bags people are carrying. Where are the moms hanging out? Where are the teens? What’s happening on the perimeter—those pads and outparcels are part of your story, too. When you know what’s working at the mall, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to make smarter leasing decisions. Bottom line: Before you lease, take a lap. The

I get it. You can’t exactly swing by your Kansas City shopping center every Tuesday if you’re based in Ft. Myers. But let me be crystal clear: you cannot lease what you don’t understand. If you’re repping a property outside your local market, here’s your non-negotiable game plan: ✅ Spend at least one full week “living” in the market.Drive every center. Walk your property morning, noon, and night. Notice who’s shopping on Tuesday at lunch versus who’s there Saturday afternoon. Those are your future tenants’ customers—know them. ✅ Meet the locals.Introduce yourself to neighboring leasing agents. Tour competitor centers. Shake hands with the city’s economic development director. Show up to a chamber breakfast. Become part of the community, even if just for that week. ✅ Make regular return trips.Quarterly visits are a must. Monthly if your center’s hurting. You can’t stay on top of the market from behind a desk. And if your boss doesn’t believe in investing in market knowledge? Hand them this tip—or better yet, have them call me. I’ll set them straight. Bottom line: Out-of-market is not an excuse for out-of-touch. Market knowledge is what makes you a leasing rockstar, no matter your zip code!

Want to know the very first step to being a successful leasing agent? Get in your car and hit the streets. I drive by my properties every single day. Why? Because I want to see what’s happening with my own eyes. Lines out the door? Closing sales? New “For Lease” signs? These are the clues that tell you where the opportunities—and the challenges—are hiding. Before you make a call. Before you send an email. Before you pitch a prospect. You better know your market inside and out. That means:✅ Drive every center.✅ Walk every competitor’s property.✅ Call the brokers on the signs.✅ Pay attention to what’s working—and what’s not. This is not a copy-and-paste-from-Google exercise. A proper market study is boots on the ground, real-world research. Because when that prospect starts negotiating with you on rent and says, “But the center down the street is charging less,” you don’t need chutzpah—you need FACTS. The only way to negotiate from a place of power is to know more than your prospect. More than your tenant. More than your own owner. So, Leasing Rockstars, if you haven’t done a deep dive into your market lately, stop everything and START HERE. Then watch

Chutzpah can be great—it can help you pick up the phone, walk into a store, and make that bold ask. But without knowledge to back it up, it can cost you BIG. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. Remember my “HA!” moment? When I arrogantly dismissed a caller asking about space for a video store—only to later find out he was Wayne Huizenga, founder of Blockbuster? Yeah… that mistake cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chutzpah alone isn’t enough. Preparation + Knowledge = Real Confidence. Here’s why knowledge wins: So, before you pitch, before you call, before you canvas—prepare. Because confidence built on knowledge wins over chutzpah every time.

If you were a stock, would you invest in yourself? Be honest. Here’s the deal: People who invest just 3% of their income in personal development are more likely to hit the top 1% of their field. That’s a 28% return on investment—way better than the stock market! I personally spend over $35,000 a year on self-improvement. Books, courses, coaching—it’s all worth it. Why? Because the best investment you’ll ever make is in YOU. And it doesn’t stop with you—what about your team? Are you hiring rock stars? Giving them the right tools? Are they growing or just coasting? Remember, when people coast, they go downhill. Quick action step: Pick ONE thing you’ve learned that can improve your business. Write it down. Schedule it. Actually do it. And if you need a fast, inexpensive way to start investing in yourself? Try 5 minutes a day on Blinkist. In a year, you’ll have read 8 books—and 8 books smarter than your competition. Success isn’t luck—it’s learning, applying, and growing. So, what’s your next move?

Every leasing agent hits a wall at some point. You’re making the calls, pounding the pavement, following up like a pro… and still, nothing. I’ve been there. I once spent six months making 100 prospecting touches a day—50 cold calls, 50 canvasses. You know how much space I leased? Zero. I was ready to quit. But my boss told me, “Sometimes it’s just timing. Stay the course.” And he was right. The next six months? I signed 50,000 square feet and had my first six-figure year. Here’s what to do when your hustle isn’t paying off (yet): The leasing game is won by those who outlast the slump. Stay in the fight, and the deals will come!