Finding the perfect location for your business is an important process that requires careful research. If you’re opening a retail store or food-based business, you need to find a location that puts you where your customers are. You may want to offer your employees a location that is close to great places to eat, a nice walking area to take a break from the office, and a good happy hour deal for after-hours team building. And, maybe you're a data junkie who wants to know all the finite details about a space, giving you the confidence that the space your considering is anything but empty once you open the doors. What if you could find your location, location, location with invaluable data, data, data?

Some folks may remember that we previously maintained a PDF Space Available listing, which was very helpful, but it also required a significant amount of time to monitor and update and wasn't as user friendly as it could be. Well, now we’re serving up a Space Available list, dubbed ZoomProspector, that is interactive, up-to-date, and customizable so you can zero in on a location that meets your needs. 

Want labor market information? Need to research your customer demographics and target market? How about visualizing your competition with heat maps to wow your business partners? Then print or download your custom reports as you make vital decisions for your business location. Much more than a list, you are armed with important data as you work with a broker and property owners in negotiation of a potential lease (We also have this handy guide to lease negotiations you should peruse before you make the jump on any property decisions).

So How Does it Work? 

When you visit the Space Available page, which you can access through this link or by clicking on the Resources tab in the main menu of ChooseSantaCruz.com and then scrolling down until you see a section titled “New Business,” click on that title and then click on Space Available and you’ll see a map and list of results like the one shown below:

Once you’ve accessed the tool, the best place to start is the search box on the left side of the map. You can search for buildings by square footage, for sale or for lease, and building use type. You can also search for "Sites" which are vacant land and you can search by business. When you are searching for a building you can click on any of the building icons that show up on the map for a quick view of the information or you can click on the address to view the full property profile. You will also be able to see a full list of properties that meet the criteria you selected below the map. From the list, you can save properties you’re interested in to “Your Folder,” print the list, and export a report.

Also, when you click to view a property’s full report you can access detailed economic data about the area the building is located in by clicking the tabs just to the right of the “Property Report” tab, as shown below:

How Do Brokers and Property Owners Add Properties?

This property database is at its best when brokers and property owners add their properties to the list. The process to add them is very simple and only takes a few steps to get started. First, click the “Add Properties” tab on the Space Available main menu above the map. You will then be taken to a screen that looks like this:

If you have not added properties before you will need to click the “Access Request” button and fill out the information form so we can create an account for you. After your account has been created you can follow the link in the email you will receive or go back to the Space Available page and click the “Add Properties” tab again and log-in. From there you can click the “Properties” tab at the top and click “Add Property.” You will then follow the prompts and fill out as much information as possible in the form and you can even upload images, marketing flyers, and any other key information you want to make available to interested tenants. The system will automatically remind you to update your property listing information after 30 days and if you lease or sell the property you can easily remove it or mark it as inactive. 

If you ever have trouble adding properties or accessing the tool, please contact Rebecca Unitt for assistance by email or phone: 831-420-5157