Shopping centers in the US are bustling places where commercial activity takes place. They house a diverse range of businesses and serve many customers on a daily basis. As a prospective investor or real estate agent, identifying the owners of shopping centers can be a lucrative opportunity. In this guide, we’ll go through methods you can utilize to uncover the ownership of any shopping center in the USA.
Why Is It Necessary To Obtain Ownership Information?
Finding information about property owners of shopping centers can have various advantages for you as investors or real estate agents:
- Identifying New Opportunities – Through direct contact with the property owners, you can gain valuable insights into any potential investments or partnership prospects with the shopping center.
- Assistance for Existing Clients – As real estate agents, you may have clients who want to set up at the shopping center. You can serve clients better by providing essential information such as ownership details and aiding in lease negotiations or business ventures.
- Analyzing the Local Market – Knowing the property owners of different projects in the local area will help you with analyzing the market for any future ventures. Therefore, obtaining ownership data is valuable for market analyzers.
Methods To Identify Shopping Center Property Owners
1. Checking Local County Property Records
The easiest place to begin with is through county property records. You can simply visit the website of the county assessor’s office which is in charge of the area where the shopping center is located. Most often, you can find the ownership information including contact details in these records.
2. Searching Through Online Property Databases
There are a number of online property databases that collect information about local businesses and other commercial properties. Websites such as Zillow or Realtor.com have a section dedicated to providing ownership details for commercial properties where available.
3. Browsing Commercial Real Estate Databases
Aside from property databases, there are also dedicated commercial real estate databases with information about all registered properties in a specific area. Examples include CoStar and PropertyShark, which are platforms that are tailored to provide detailed information about properties, including ownership information.
4. Reaching Out To Title Companies
A title company is similar to a detective agency in the real estate world. They investigate everything about a property, so they will have in-depth information about any property. Since shopping centers are large commercial spaces, it is very likely that they would have basic information such as the information of the property owner. There are even some title companies that offer online search capabilities so you don’t have to reach out directly.
5. Visiting Local Business Directories
Local business directories can be found both online and offline. They are simply large databases that often list important information about registered businesses. Finding the names and contact information of shopping center owners or management companies is a simple matter through these directories. Ideally, you should look for directories that are specifically tailored to commercial real estate.
6. Checking The Secretary of State Records
This method becomes necessary when the shopping center ownership is held by a business entity. The names and contact details of the property owners may not be listed publicly, so you will need to contact the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the property is located. This way, you will be able to uncover business registration information as well as identify any corporate entities that are associated with the property.
7. Requesting Information From Property Management Companies
This method is needed when the shopping center is externally managed by property management companies. These companies essentially act as the intermediary between tenants and the property owners. As such, the property owners’ information may not be associated with the property itself. As such, you would be better off contacting the property management company directly to obtain this information.
8. Tapping Into Local Government Resources
There are local government offices that maintain property records of all registered businesses in the local area. These records will include the ownership details of each property. You can reach out to the city or county government office in that local area and request the ownership information.
9. Checking SEC Records
This method only applies to larger shopping centers that are typically managed by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). In order to obtain ownership information, you will have to put in a request with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC has public filings that will provide a detailed overview of the ownership structure of the large commercial center. You can then decide on who to contact to create a valuable partnership with.
10. Making Use Of Real Estate Contacts
Information is publicly traded among like-minded individuals. There may be someone out there with the information you require, so you need to keep your ear out in the relevant circles. You should engage with local real estate professionals, take part in local business association activities, and generally create a network of information. Through these avenues, you can ask around and gain valuable insights about any kind of property including ownership information, or even a direct referral.
Conclusion
Shopping centers are large commercial spaces and so can be a lucrative opportunity for the avid investor. It’s crucial to always gather as much information as possible before making any kind of investment, and collecting proprietary information is necessary for this purpose. Finding this information is not always difficult but can be tricky at times. You can utilize any of the methods mentioned above to help you stay informed and make correct decisions.
