Real estate sales agents, whether in residential or commercial, are often plagued by the question of when to cold call prospects. The answer might be simpler than most think.

According to Nicole Attias, a sales agent and coach with Prospects 2 Win, there isn’t necessarily a best time of day to cold call people, but consistency is a necessity.

“If I’m going to make 100 calls a week—20 a day—I’ll stick to that number to see what the results are, and adjust where necessary,” Attias told REP. “Do I need to make more? Is the number sufficient? How many meetings am I getting? You need to see what works for you and what doesn’t, because every industry is different.”

Attias says Toronto’s commercial real estate sector is reeling because of the government-imposed state of emergency. Consequently, meetings are harder to come by, but that doesn’t preclude the possibility of having them at all.

“Companies still pick up the phone and they refer you to decision-makers directly on their cell phones, so that’s how people do it now, but it still takes a long time to get into the door because of that.”

Persistence and relationship building are key, added Attias. Although you may not have met the prospect, Attias says relationships can nevertheless blossom by maintaining communication and requesting Zoom meetings, or exchanging information via email.

“People need time—the sales cycle is very, very long, therefore, people need to feel you’re consistent and touching base with them every couple of months sometimes. If their lease isn’t up for five more years, you can still stay in touch. Commercial real estate is long-term and things move slowly.

“Leave progressive voice messages: you leave a message on Monday and maybe follow up on Wednesday. Always leave a date and time because it shows executives that you regard time seriously.”