In the most basic sense of the term, commercial property refers to any sort of real estate that a person does not live in (think office buildings). This can and does include many different types of property such as office buildings, shopping centers, strip malls, shopping malls, retail properties, warehouses, industrial facilities, research parks and other more specialized facilities like medical buildings or college campuses.

Due to the extreme diversity of properties covered, the duties connected to the commercial property management of any given facility may be radically different than others.

Managing shopping centers, strip malls or indoor shopping malls can be an extremely complex endeavor since the property manager plays an active role in promoting the commercial interests of the enterprise. The commercial property management of such facilities is usually considered a key element of the project’s success and is expected to work with both owners and tenants to successfully promote everyone’s business interests in the property.

Further, the manager of such multi-tenant centers has to ensure that the available space is properly utilized to encourage the active growth and promotion of the complex. Generally speaking, most owners expect very professional and experienced managers to oversee such complex properties since the manager plays such an important role.

Office buildings also present a series of unique challenges in respect to commercial property management, since most such facilities tend to be urban, subject to very strict safety guidelines, and the tenants tend to be well heeled professionals with very high expectations of the property management.

Managing an office building frequently has more in common with residential property management than many other forms of commercial property management since there is almost always pressure from the tenants to enhance or improve the facilities and every small problem is frequently blown all out of proportion to its actual importance. Further, since most such buildings are based in urban or suburban areas and many of the tenant businesses have a lot of valuable equipment on the premises, security is a much larger issue than it is for many other types property and one that the tenants take very seriously.

Warehouse and industrial properties all differ in many different respects and may represent either some of the easiest or some of the most difficult commercial properties to manage. Obviously if the warehouse or industrial building (or complex of buildings) is not in use or is only used by one primary customer it is much easier on the manager. Conversely, if the property is, for example, an old factory that has been converted into an incubator building hosting a myriad of small start-up businesses, management can be a nightmare as many of the tenants have unrealistic expectations and little experience.

With such a diversity of different property types and such a diversity of specialized knowledge and experience connected to commercial property, it is literally impossible to say whether or not any particular person is qualified for general commercial property management. Typically the property owner will lay the basic requirements down at the beginning of the commission and after that potential manager should have a good idea of whether or not they are able to meet the owner’s requirements.