Prepare your commercial property for the next conversation.
Selling a building and leasing a space start with different questions. Use this preparation checklist for an owner inquiry in Chicago, Oak Forest, Orland Park, or the surrounding southwest suburbs.
Start here
- Choose a sale or a lease and explain your timing.
- Separate verified property facts from estimates.
- Gather occupancy, condition, and proposed-term information.
Define the outcome you want
Are you selling the entire property, leasing one unit, or exploring both options? Identify the decision-makers and your relationship to the property. Share any target date, an existing asking price or rent, and whether a current tenant affects timing. If you have not chosen terms yet, say so. The first conversation can focus on what needs to be reviewed.
Prepare a clear property snapshot
Start with the full address, including the unit or suite. Identify the property type, approximate building or space size, lot size when relevant, and current use. Note whether dimensions come from plans, a prior listing, measurements, or an estimate. Avoid presenting an unverified use or expansion possibility as an approved feature.
- Describe parking, loading access, storage, and separate entrances if applicable.
- Note known condition issues, recent work, and available maintenance records.
- Gather photographs and floor plans for the follow-up discussion; the inquiry form does not accept uploads.
Organize the occupancy and operating records
Identify which spaces are vacant, owner-occupied, or leased. For leased space, have current leases and amendments available for a private review. A dated occupancy summary can help organize unit sizes, rent, lease dates, deposits, and proposed availability. Keep actual collections and expenses distinct from asking terms or projections.
- For a sale discussion, gather the records supporting the income and expenses you intend to present.
- For a lease discussion, identify the available area and any existing occupancy commitments.
- Keep tenant personal information and confidential documents out of the initial website notes.
For a lease, outline the proposed terms
Give the proposed rent with its unit: monthly, annual, or per square foot per year. State the area used for that quote. List your proposed lease length, deposit, possession timing, and expense allocation. If equipment or a build-out is involved, identify what is included, what is excluded, and what still requires agreement.
- Separate proposed tenant work from proposed owner work.
- Flag use, signage, maintenance, and insurance questions for professional review.
- Mark unknown details clearly instead of filling them with estimates that look confirmed.
Your next step
Choose “Sell a commercial property” or “List space for lease” in the inquiry. Share the property details and schedule a call. Sending the form requests a conversation; it does not create a listing agreement, publish a property, or establish an asking price.