With interest rates beginning to come down, something interesting is happening across the country: commercial brokers are getting more calls from people asking how to get started in commercial real estate investing. If you’re one of those people, you’re not alone—and hopefully you’re asking the right questions.

If you’ve been in real estate for more than five minutes, you’ve heard the phrase “your network is your net worth.” It sounds good. It looks great on Instagram. And yet, if we’re being honest, most agents don’t actually know how to network in a way that produces real results.

Notes from 20+ years in the trenches

The brokers that will win listings in 2026 aren’t relying on just the old-school cold calls alone—they’re combining data, positioning, and personalized outreach to earn trust faster and demonstrate value earlier. I put together the seven prospecting tactics that are consistently generating new listings in today’s market across all asset classes.

Do you want to build a brokerage from scratch, or buy one that’s already up and running?

Neither choice is “right” or “wrong.” They each come with very different realities, and your decision will depend on your goals, your resources, and your appetite for risk and growth.