There are a wide range of opportunities out there in commercial properties. Commercial properties provide space for businesses, and the kinds of properties are as diverse as the businesses.
Following are the major categories of commercial properties:
Retail
In this category are properties that are rented to tenants who sell goods directly to the public. Under this main classification are the following:
Strip Center. A retail center with a straight line of stores.
Neighborhood Center. A small shopping center with a supermarket or drug store, typically having up to 50,000 square feet of rental space.
Community Center. A medium-size center, with about 50 stores and up to 150,000 square feet of rental space.
Regional Center. A large center, usually enclosed, with two to five department stores and from 400,000 to 1 million square feet of rental space with food courts, and recreation centers.
Super Regional Center. A large regional center, with 750,000 to 2 million square feet of rental space with much more than the average center with high-end restaurants & movie theaters.
Theme Center
A retail center designed around a common theme. Under this group are the following:
Off-Price Center: A retail center that caters to tenants offering merchandise at discount prices.
Factory Outlet. A retail center that caters to manufacturers who sell their goods directly to the public.
Fashion Center. A retail center that deals in high-priced, high fashion merchandise.
Car-Care Center. A retail center that caters to tenants who deal in automobiles and the automobile aftermarket business.
Office Buildings
Office Buildings that are rented to non-retail commercial users. These buildings are designed as garden, mid-rise, or high-rise structures.
Business Park
A group of rental buildings designed for office, manufacturing and warehouse users.
Warehouses
Buildings that provide rental space to users of bulk storage. There are two types:
Light Industrial. Buildings that cater to storage users.
Heavy Industrial. Buildings that cater to manufacturers.
Self Storage Units
Buildings designed to rent space to small storage users. Usually 25 square feet to 500 square feet.
Lodging
Properties that lease living space to individuals on a daily basis or longer. These properties can have price ranges from budget to mid-range to luxury. They may be marketed toward the transient, resort, convention, or commercial user. Under this category are the following:
Motel. A property in which a renter can park his automobile adjacent to his rental unit. This type of property is usually a garden type building with few amenities.
Hotel. A higher quality property, with more amenities than a motel. These properties can be garden-style, mid-rise, or high-rise in design. They usually contain such amenities as food and beverage services, conference areas, or health facilities.
Suites. A lodging property that offers a living and bedroom area.
Multi-Use
Properties that combine two or more of the following uses: residential, commercial (retail or office), or lodging.
Condominium
Commercial properties that are either converted or developed to be sold to the individual users. These can be either retail, office or industrial properties.
Single Purpose Buildings
Properties designed for a specific purpose, for example, a theater or a bowling alley.
Your Investment
Successful commercial properties give their users what they want and what they need. Some properties can be upgraded by renovation and a change to a different use. For example, an old industrial building can be converted to a retail or office property.