At Resquared, we are now lucky enough to call former Weingarten Realty (now Kimco Realty) Leasing Agent, Kaylynn Kissenberth, one of our own! We sat down with her to learn about her time in the field and the impact Resquared’s prospecting platform had on her workflow.
Read the interview below to get her full story (and the scoop on how she was able to close a deal!):
Can you tell us about your experience prospecting local tenants pre-Resquared?
My first step was to complete a tenant mix analysis to better understand the uses we currently have and to determine the uses I should target. From there, I studied my shopping center's exclusives and restrictions to know what uses are permitted. Next, I created a list of targeted uses and began prospecting!
I would spend hours online searching on google, Google maps, Facebook, Yelp, etc. to find the best prospective tenants. When I came across a business that sparked my interest, I would search for contact information, how many locations they have, how close/far they are from my center, look at their reviews, etc.
From there, I started cold calling and sending out emails. This process took quite some time, after about two hours of prospecting I would only reach 20 or so businesses. Another method was door-to-door canvassing. I want to reiterate that I am a big advocate for door-to-door canvassing! It is fun, allows you to learn the market, and be out and about!
However, it can take a lot of time if you don’t have particular businesses in mind. I would drive around and “get lost” for two hours and only pass out a few flyers. Not to mention the gruesome Florida heat!
All in all, my process for prospecting local tenants took a lot of time. We have all heard the saying “time kills all deals.” It was important for me to use my time prospecting efficiently and effectively.
What was your first experience with Resquared like?
Fun fact, I was actually the first person Co-Founder Tyler Carlson has ever onboarded! He walked me through the platform and showed me how easy it was to use. At the time, I was having a hard time filling a 2nd generation hair salon and Tyler showed me how to search for local hair salons in my market. I was amazed when I saw over 1,400 results. Tyler showed me how to filter down my results based on the number of locations and customer reviews.
I was blown away by the fact he was able to pull over a thousand hair salons in my market within minutes. I must add, the platform contains all the information landlords and brokers seek: business owners contact information, business website and social media pages. This would have taken me forever to do with my old prospecting method.
While on the call, I sent out 50+ personalized emails within 5 minutes. The best part was, I received leads while on the call with Tyler! I knew then that Resquared was going to be a game changer for the CRE industry. While there are numerous platforms I previously used to reach national tenants, nothing allowed me to reach hundreds of local tenants quickly, efficiently, and effectively like Resquared did.
Can you tell us more about how Resquared changed your workflow once you were onboarded?
I quickly became a Resquared pro! Not only did Resquared allow me to fill vacancies, but it also allowed me to be proactive and not reactive. Since a deal is not complete until the lease is signed and executed, I used Resquared to prospect more leads to send out more LOI’s. It is always great to have multiple tenants interested in your space in case something falls through. In addition, if I had a renewal coming up and the tenant was unsure on how to move forward, I would use Resquared to find leads as a backup plan.
A great example of this is when I used Resquared to schedule showings for a 2nd generation restaurant that I was seeking a sushi concept for in Tampa. I used Resquared to source sushi restaurants in the area that may be interested in expanding and I created a list and reached out to 50+ locations with an email. I mentioned I would be in town next week and would be at the property from 1:00-3:00pm and would love to give them a tour.
I was thrilled when 3 different business owners showed up! I felt like a residential realtor hosting an open house. This led to 3 LOI’s!!
How did Resquared impact door to door canvassing?
As we all know, door-to-door canvassing can take up a huge amount of time. I quickly learned how to help this problem by using Resquared. I would do one of the two following options:
I would send out a targeted email and drop off flyers to the businesses that opened my email. Yes, Resquared shows you if they opened the email and how many times they opened the email! FYI, all emails are sent from your work email and all lead responses are sent to your work email. A business will have no idea you are using Resquared to do your outreach.
I would move the pin to a particular city and shorten the radius to 5 miles. I would then search the targeted uses I was going after and select my top 15-20 businesses. I then used this list as a guide for door-to-door canvassing so I had a plan of action! Because of a few minutes researching on Resquared, I was able to efficiently pass out flyers quickly and knew my time spent in the field would be worthwhile as I had a targeted list to go after.
One more really helpful point is that Resquared tracked all my work. This allowed me to know the businesses I have contacted already and the businesses I have yet to contact. The tracking feature was also a great way to monitor my progress. I could see how many businesses I reached out to and what my email open rate was.
Any other thoughts you can share with someone who’s thinking of giving Resquared a try?
Finally, the most important question: “Can Resquared help me close deals?” The answer is yes! Absolutely! Resquared allows you to reach numerous businesses and in return obtain more leads. I used the platform for a total of four months and gained countless leads, several LOI’s, and closed a deal with a local florist.
As you can see, I am very passionate about the platform. I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to join the team. Although I miss the leasing world, I am so eager to spread the word about Resquared and allow my peers in the industry to close more deals!!