How to Create an Offering Memorandum that Wins Over Investors

In the fast-paced world of commercial real estate investment sales, an Offering Memorandum (OM) serves as a powerful tool to attract serious investors, instill confidence in the opportunity, and ultimately facilitate successful transactions.

In today’s fiercely competitive CRE landscape, the value of a polished offering memorandum cannot be overstated; it’s the catalyst that ignites productive discussions with potential buyers and serves as a direct reflection of your team’s professionalism

Here are 6 indispensable strategies for crafting a winning OM that captivates attention and positions you for success.

1. Hire a professional to design it

Investing in a professional graphic designer to craft your Offering Memorandum is indispensable. There is no substitute. Period. 

Whether you choose to have a designer in-house or outsource the task, prioritizing this aspect is crucial for the success of your investment sales team. A skilled graphic designer can elevate your OM with attention-grabbing visuals, clear layouts, and cohesive branding, thereby enhancing its impact on potential investors. 

By recognizing the value of professional design, you’re making a strategic investment that can significantly contribute to the overall effectiveness and professionalism of your marketing efforts and help speed up your marketing operations.

Where to find high-quality OM designers:

Option 1 – Get your own outsourced graphic designer

• Upwork
• Fiverr

Option 2 – Hire a specialized CRE design agency

• inMotion
• BTS
• CREOP

Option 3 – Work with an on-demand design platform

• Design Pickle
• Flocksy

2. Invest in photography

The photos used to showcase your commercial properties wield significant influence, serving as the initial point of contact that can profoundly affect potential tenants, brokers, or investors. By employing photography best practices, even the most unattractive properties can captivate a broader audience and ignite curiosity. This, in turn, has the potential to elevate engagement levels and drive greater interest in your offerings.

In today’s visually-oriented world, investing in high-quality photography is not just advisable—it’s essential for making a memorable and positive impression in the competitive real estate market.

Buying good photography can actually give you a substantial return on your investment. You may be inclined to go with a less expensive photographer, but consider that the images you show can make a big difference in how long it takes to sell your property and the price that you may get for it.

Ed Wolkis Photography

3. Be clear and concise

Your OM must be meticulously structured to facilitate clear and concise understanding for all readers. Utilizing elements such as bullet points, headings, and subheadings aids in organizing information logically and enhancing readability. 

It’s crucial to steer clear of jargon or overly technical language that could potentially deter or confuse potential investors. Instead, strive for simplicity and clarity in conveying complex information. By presenting the content in a user-friendly format, you can ensure that investors can easily navigate through the document, grasp key points, and make informed decisions. 

Here are some tips to consider:

• Remove unnecessary words like “very” and “really”
• Strengthen adjectives for clarity and impact
• Keep paragraphs concise and focused
• Utilize clear headings and subheadings
• Ensure flawless grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting
• Consider hiring a professional copywriter or editor for review
• Edit ruthlessly to eliminate clumsy errors and maintain professionalism

4. Accentuate area amenities

Consider incorporating a custom illustrated map into your offering memorandum to enhance its visual appeal and convey professionalism. By opting for a custom design, you can ensure that the map seamlessly integrates with the overall aesthetic of your document, reinforcing your brand identity. 

Additionally, overlaying labels or call-outs on the map allows you to spotlight key features such as nearby amenities, transportation hubs, and corporate neighbors. This contextual information provides valuable insights for potential stakeholders, helping them better understand the surrounding environment and the strategic positioning of the property. 

A well-crafted illustrated map not only enhances the presentation of your offering memorandum but also adds depth and clarity to your property’s value proposition.

5. Optimize PDF file size

In today’s fast-paced digital CRE world, optimizing file size of your offering memorandum is essential to reduce friction for your buyers. By optimizing settings, you can facilitate fast download speeds, delivering a seamless user experience for investors accessing the document online.

Prioritizing file size optimization not only minimizes barriers for your buyers but also fosters positive impressions and engagement for your investment opportunity.

Here are some tips to remember:

• Compress the PDF file to reduce its size for faster downloading and sharing
• Aim for the file size of your OM to be between 2MB to 10MB
• Test the PDF on various devices and platforms to ensure compatibility

6. Include a clear call-to-action

Guide potential investors towards the next steps with a clear call-to-action at the end of the document. Whether it’s scheduling a viewing or submitting an offer, a well-defined call-to-action encourages forward momentum in the sales cycle.

Here are some tips to remember:

• Include multiple contact options to accommodate different preferences and streamline communication
• Make the call-to-actions (CTAs) prominent and visually appealing to draw attention
• Use persuasive language that conveys a sense of urgency and importance
• Personalize the CTA whenever possible by addressing the specific needs or interests of the target audience