The commercial real estate industry is facing more pressure on all fronts — from unpredictable leasing demand to tighter capital markets.
And in this environment of compressed cap rates and prolonged sales cycles, intuition alone no longer cuts it.
Clients demand faster answers — they want data-driven commercial real estate insights to back up every decision.
That’s why more CRE brokers are now combining analytics with submarket expertise to understand the market and tailor strategies that reflect current risk and return profiles. Using data is one best ways to close deals and to become a successful commercial mortgage broker.
It certainly makes sense to take data seriously because its role in CRE is expanding rapidly.
In 2020, the industry was working with about 200 billion data points — and that number is expected to hit 1 trillion by the end of 2025.
That goldmine of insights includes everything from tenant behavior and lease rollovers to GPS-based foot traffic and building performance metrics — raw inputs that can identify timing mismatches, pricing inefficiencies, or areas where leasing velocity is picking up.
Also Read about the role of a Commercial Real Estate Broker in CRE Investing.
What is the best way to use all this information?
This blog is a practical guide for brokers and other CRE professionals who want to close more real estate deals with data.
Find out what CRE broker tools are available and how they can help you execute stronger deals.
The growing importance of data in CRE brokerage
CRE dealmaking used to rely heavily on relationships and gut instinct, but this approach often misses early signals that affect asset performance and deal timing, such as shifting tenant migration patterns or silent changes in credit risk.
Top-producing brokers recognized early on that they needed to back every pitch and proposal with hard numbers.
They now use data-driven commercial real estate tools to provide deeper context and stronger forecasts across multiple deal variables, such as:
- Demographic trends and income levels
- Foot traffic and mobility heatmaps
- Lease comps and cap rate benchmarks
- Investment sales data
- Tenant performance and credit risk profiles
Data-driven commercial real estate will become the new standard as markets become more competitive and clients demand greater transparency.
It’s important to learn how to use it to win better listings and justify pricing, concessions, or deal terms with concrete evidence.
Also Read About: How to find Trusted Commercial Mortgage Broker?
5 Key Ways CRE Brokers Can Use Data to Close More Deals
1. Use market intelligence to price and position listings competitively.
CRE broker tools like CoStar, Reonomy, LoopNet, and CompStak are very good at providing clear pictures of how similar properties are performing and where opportunities might exist.
They make it easier to identify pricing patterns and track absorption trends to uncover gaps in the market.
2. Leverage demographic and foot traffic data to target tenants or buyers.
Platforms like Placer.ai are especially helpful for retail brokers looking to analyze who visits a property and how often.
This information can uncover high-value locations with consistent foot traffic.
Paired with consumer behavior and income data, such insight can also assist brokers in narrowing their target audience and focusing on tenants or investors whose business models match a property’s natural draw.
3. Analyze tenant mix and surrounding businesses to improve leasing strategy.
Brokers who handle leasing and tenant placement can use psychographic segmentation CRE broker tools combined with competitor mapping to spot gaps in a retail lineup or office park and suggest tenants who fill those voids.
For example, does a retail center lack fitness/wellness or experiential anchors according to data?
You can focus outreach on those categories to boost both occupancy and foot traffic.
4. Predict market shifts to stay ahead of the curve.
Data-driven commercial real estate can give brokers a head start even when market trends keep moving.
Tracking population growth and pipeline construction will allow you to guide clients toward future high-demand areas before the rest of the market catches on.
Use CRE tools to find emerging submarkets with interesting new development activity or stay updated on zoning rules that will affect demand and property values.
5. Personalize client outreach with CRM and behavioral data.
Brokers who use CRM platforms and email analytics can tailor follow-ups based on lead behavior.
Think about it: If a potential buyer clicks on listings in a specific submarket or opens emails with a certain asset type, you can respond with a curated list of similar properties or highlight recent comps in that area.
Instead of sending generic updates, you can speak directly to the buyer’s interests — and that ultimately leads to higher engagement and better close rates.
Tools & Technologies That Empower Data-Driven CRE Brokers
Knowing what CRE broker tools to use — and when to use them — can help you accurately process complex datasets and execute deals across every phase of the brokerage cycle. Here are some of the best data-driven commercial real estate available today:
Top CRE data platforms
1. CoStar
CoStar tracks historical leasing activity, ownership records, and lease and sale comps across all major asset types.
Brokers use it to benchmark rents, calculate absorption rates, and spot pricing trends within target submarkets.
If you are marketing an office property, for example, CoStar data can help you quantify how similar buildings have performed over the last year so you can offer clients credible pricing strategies or rent projections.
2. Reonomy
Reonomy focuses on property-level detail and ownership transparency.
It compiles mortgage records, tax assessments, and transaction histories, so you can use it to find off-market properties and trace hard-to-locate owners.
This can be especially useful in fragmented markets where ownership structures can make it difficult to reach decision-makers behind LLCs or layered entities directly.
Brokers who specialize in acquisition pipelines also use Reonomy to build prospect lists and initiate first contact without relying on outdated municipal databases.
3. AI
AI generates location performance insights based on anonymized mobile device data.
It maps foot traffic, peak hours, and visit frequency — information that’s crucial for brokers who are trying to evaluate retail assets.
For example, a leasing agent pitching a street-level space can use Placer.ai to show potential tenants how the site performs against competitors, when traffic peaks, and how long people stay on average.
4. LightBox
LightBox combines parcel-level mapping with layers like flood risk, zoning codes, environmental records, and transportation overlays. Developers and land brokers use it to screen buildable sites and assess physical constraints.
You can also use it to understand a property’s proximity to key infrastructure.
For example, if you’re sourcing land for a distribution center, you can use LightBox to quickly scan an area for industrial-zoned parcels and eliminate sites that sit in flood zones or carry environmental restrictions.
Trepp is a core resource for analyzing commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). It tracks loan performance, delinquency trends, and maturity schedules.
Brokers working on distressed deals use it to find properties with at-risk loans or upcoming balloon payments, so they can connect buyers to motivated sellers before properties hit the market.
Capital markets teams also reference Trepp data when evaluating debt exposure or analyzing risk tied to specific sponsors or geographies.
Leading CRM tools for CRE professionals
1. Salesforce
Salesforce gives CRE teams a centralized system for managing relationships and organizing deal activity.
You can customize it to group prospects by asset type and automate follow-ups based on client behavior, among other things.
It has built-in tools to keep touchpoints organized from first contact to close, so you no longer have to juggle spreadsheets and inboxes.
2. Apto
Apto combines contact records, property details, comp data, and pipeline tracking into one interface, allowing brokers to move from prospecting to marketing and deal execution without switching systems.
You can use it to quickly identify active buyers from previous deals, send targeted emails, and track responses — all in one dashboard.
3. ClientLook
ClientLook combines CRM features with built-in project tracking and marketing support.
Its virtual assistant service handles scheduling, updates, and task follow-through to remove the administrative load from small teams.
You can use the shared notes and deal timeline features to keep everyone on the same page —perfect for a smaller firm managing multiple listings and prospects without dedicated back-office support.
Overcoming common barriers to adopting data
If you work in CRE, you’ve probably heard plenty about the value of data-driven commercial real estate — but putting it into practice isn’t always straightforward.
Maybe the tools feel overwhelming, or perhaps it’s not clear which metrics actually matter.
Or maybe your team still leans heavily on intuition and relationships, making it tough to introduce a more analytical approach without disrupting how things get done.
Whatever the case, here’s how you can cut start using data in a way that actually fits your workflow:
- Start with one platform rather than juggling multiple tools. The goal is to build confidence through regular use instead of trying to master everything overnight.
- Focus on one data point that directly supports your workflow. Look for a data point that solves a problem you’re dealing with right now. Do you need lease comps to fine-tune pricing? Do you want to back up a retail pitch with foot traffic numbers? Start with something practical and directly useful to keep the learning process relevant.
- Use internal support teams. Most flourishing CRE brokerages have someone on the marketing or research side who knows these platforms inside out. Ask them to help set up your dashboard or walk through a few reports. This can flatten the learning curve and save you hours of trial and error.
- Build incrementally. Integrate data gradually and apply insights where they make the biggest impact. Over time, data naturally will become part of how you work.
Conclusion
Aside from using CRE broker tools to close more real estate deals with data, it’s also important to equip your CRE team with up-to-date insights on financing tools that can help your clients address capital constraints and shorten closing timelines.
Reach out to our expert team of commercial real estate hard money lenders to discuss funding strategies that match your client’s development goals. Call 972-865-6206 at Private Capital Investors to schedule a meeting.
