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For some individuals and companies, using Craigslist to find office space can be very effective. Especially if you are looking for small, short term (e.g. month to month) office & commercial space for lease. On the other hand searching Craigslist for the right space can be a daunting task.
Over the last few years the office & commercial postings on Craigslist have become quite spammy as some people tend to post multiple advertisements, duplicate listings, and office and real estate related “services” every day. In addition, the postings appear in no particular order and /or category. For example if you are looking for office space you have to sift through every listing whether it’s warehouse space, executive suites, land for sale, mortgage company offerings, spam, etc.
All that being said, if you need small, short term space and intend on using Craigslist to search for office & commercial space below are a few tips to help you:
- Use the search box – Because all of the available space postings are mixed (e.g. office, warehouse, retail, etc.) you will save time by entering your specific space type in the search box. It would also behoove you to enter your minimum and maximum square footage needs.
- Ask for photos before setting a time to see the space – $200 per month for an office is a great deal however if it is a dumpy space you may not want it. Save your time and ask to see photos before wasting time looking at it.
- Email before calling – Make sure it’s a real listing and not someone trying to sell you services. Send them an email first to ask for more info about the space (lease rate, size, location, photos, etc.). If you like what you see then consider calling them to discuss further.
- Ask the person listing the space what kind of business they have – You probably don’t want to lease an office from “that weird guy”. You also want to make sure you don’t waste your time leasing their space only to find out they are going out of business in two weeks.
- Use Google Maps – If an address is listed at the bottom of the post consider using Google to map the location first. It might be a nice space but possibly located in a sketchy area. If address is not listed ask for the address via email before making a call.
Unfortunately, scams on Craiglist are quite common these days. If you see a great deal on an office space that’s too good to be true, it probably is. You never know however, if you do your homework and follow the tips provided above there is a good chance you will find just what you are looking for. If you don’t contact me at www.austintenantadvisors.com ….shameless plug 
