Put this into practice with Resquared
Resquared is the AI sales platform built for selling to local businesses: the most complete local business database, verified contacts, and outreach written and followed up in your name.
- Verified emails and phone numbers, with owner and staff names on premium plans
- Filter by radius, category, business size, hours and recent reviews
- AI writes each email in your name from the business's own details
- Automated follow-ups that stop when someone replies; replies land in your inbox
Every digital footprint of every brick-and-mortar business, resolved into one record and checked source by source.
See how it worksTenant prospecting requires business-level data rather than property and ownership records. You need to search by use, location, radius, operator size, hours, and recent activity, then reach the business through public email and phone channels. Resquared's database lists 14,786,458 active local businesses in the US and Canada, and 87% of those listed businesses are independent.
For occasional prospecting, build lists manually from maps, review sites, local directories, licensing records, and business websites. This costs less in software but requires time to combine sources, remove closed businesses, find contact details, and track outreach.
For ongoing leasing, use a platform that combines search and outreach. Resquared lets you describe the space, suitable uses, exclusions, and geography in plain language; review the resulting filters and map; and run personalized email sequences with automated follow-ups. Emails send through managed addresses under your name, while replies reach your normal inbox.
Whichever method you choose, organize outreach by vacancy. Target one suitable business category in a practical radius, usually 10-15 miles for a single space, and favor independent or regional operators whose current size suggests they could use the location. Keep the first email short and ask whether they are considering expansion or relocation.
What to do
- Define the vacancy's suitable uses, build-out, location advantages, size fit, and exclusions.
- Create separate prospect lists for materially different categories, then inspect the map and remove obvious mismatches or competitors.
- Prioritize independent and regional operators, including businesses with a few locations that may be expanding.
- Send a short plain-text email without links or attachments, followed by two more emails spaced a few days apart.
- Call qualified businesses when they reply and ask about expansion, relocation, timing, and other nearby locations they would consider.
Related questions
Should I stop using property-data tools?
No. Keep them for ownership, parcel, and property research. Use a local-business source for identifying and contacting potential tenants.
Do I need an owner's personal email?
Usually not for an owner-run business. Its public general inbox is often read by the owner or another decision-maker, while general inboxes are much less useful for large chains.
What is the best low-cost alternative for a small assignment?
Manually assemble a focused list from maps, review sites, local directories, licensing records, and business websites. This is practical for a small list, but ongoing tenant recruitment usually benefits from combined data, contact details, and outreach workflows.