How Well Do You Know Your Market?

I’m sure you already understand that knowing your market is crucial to your success as a CRE Broker.

But more often than not, the brokers who get the idea are still executing it poorly.

If your idea of market research is pulling up a CoStar report, you’re already behind. A fifth grader can download that. Your clients expect you to know more than what just anyone with a login can access.

That’s where proprietary market research comes in.

Commodity Brokers vs. Authority Brokers

Here’s the difference:

• Commodity brokers walk into pitches with the same third-party reports as everyone else. They know comps at a surface level, but not the story behind the sale and all of the important (but forgotten) hidden details.
• Authority brokers know how many properties are in their territory, who owns them, how many units they hold, what’s traded in the last three years, and the details behind every single deal that they specialize in.

What Proprietary Data Actually Looks Like

Nobody embodies the power of proprietary market data better than Bob Knakal, so I’ll use one of his many real-world examples.

When Bob and I spoke recently, he told me a story that perfectly illustrates why brokers need to dig deeper than surface-level comps.

He had sold a development site on the Upper East Side for $77 million. On paper, if you divided the sale price by buildable square feet, the deal worked out to $350 per buildable foot. That’s what every other broker in the market was saying.

But Bob had done the work and he knew the true story.

– $3.5 million of that deal went toward a light and air easement.

– $1.5 million was for a first right of refusal.

– $10 million went to buying out rent-stabilized tenants.

In other words, it wasn’t a $77M deal — it was really a $92M deal. The true comp wasn’t $350/foot. It was $428/foot.

So while other brokers walked into pitches parroting $350, Bob walked in with the full breakdown. His credibility skyrocketed. Their credibility evaporated.

That’s what proprietary research gives you: authority, accuracy, and the edge to win listings against anyone.

Research Habits

The good news is, proprietary research isn’t complicated. But it does take discipline.

Here’s how you can get a hold of information that 99% of your peers will never bother with: 

• Walk the properties in your territory. Count them. Photograph them. Know them. This isn’t the same as viewing them on Google Maps.
• Call landlords, tenants, buyers and sellers after every transaction. Ask about rental rates, rent concessions,easements, tenant buyouts, financing details.
• Track leasing activity: who’s expanding, who’s downsizing, what terms landlords are offering.
• Study the capital markets: debt ratios, interest rates, equity requirements.

The more granular you get, the better.

If you’re relatively new to the game, this is your competitive advantage.  You can outwork veterans by building knowledge they’ve overlooked.

And if you’ve been in the game 30+ years and don’t know these numbers, this is your sign. Start today.

One of my mentors, the late, great Ralph Spencer was a pioneer in training commercial real estate agents. He’d always remind me of this “STP” concept:

“See The People. See The Properties.”

That principle will never go out of style.

This Will Only Become More Important…

Particularly as we move into Q4 and 2026.

The brokers who are winning prioritize real, genuine market knowledge that goes beyond third-party data anyone can pull in seconds.

They’re tapping into insights that aren’t widely available. The kind of proprietary knowledge that gives them an undeniable edge in competitive markets.

Speaking of gaining an edge, that’s exactly the kind of advantage we’ve built into the Global CRE Broker Virtual Summit.

Myself and 10 other CRE Professionals (with $50+ billion in total transaction volume) will be sharing the exact strategies that separate the top 1% of brokers from the rest.

This 7-hour one-day event is 100% online. No travel. No hotels. No hidden costs.

If you want to make 2026 your best year yet in Commercial Real Estate, click here to secure your seat.