Where can I find a list of commercial properties in an area?
I'm not talking about the properties for sale. I mean all the actual properties that are considered commercial in a given area. Is it usual that we are supposed to pay for this kind of information? Like, I can look up any house, even houses not for sale, on Zillow. Can I do the same for CRE? 

Forgive me for being naive lol, I'm new to this arena of RE.
[{"id": "g89fmub", "text": "CoStar", "replies": [{"id": "g89fy7p", "text": "Well, that seems like case closed. Is that a yes to us having to always pay for this kind of information? Seems like such a ripoff.", "replies": [{"id": "g89g24u", "text": "It\u2019s best to contact a local commercial agent and have them provide you with what is available", "replies": [{"id": "g89g92i", "text": "But if I'm a newbie, they're not going to take me seriously. If I just ask them for a list of all the commercial real estate in the area without any intention of buying them, will they still provide?", "replies": [{"id": "g89gemd", "text": "Yes - absolutely - have them put you in a \u201cauto-email list\u201d of all properties that are available in the area and new ones that pop up. It takes them 10 seconds of work and it would be automated from there.\n\nI\u2019m actually on a list right now receiving these emails", "replies": [{"id": "g89gqri", "text": "That's great! thank you!! That would still leave out the properties that have owners not willing to sell though right? I want to go after those owners too.", "replies": [{"id": "g89gv8d", "text": "These properties would be ones that are listed for sale. If they are not listed for sale, I don\u2019t believe they would be searchable on this list for you to receive!", "replies": [{"id": "g89h1nz", "text": "Yea, my main motive in finding the list is to find the owners that don't want to sell their properties. Oh well, this is better than nothing. Thanks again.", "replies": [{"id": "g89h5fx", "text": "What are you trying to accomplish with a list of commercial properties that aren\u2019t trying to sell?", "replies": [{"id": "g89h9cm", "text": "Cold call them? Find off market deals really is my goal here. Just don't want to pay to find the properties in the first place :/", "replies": [], "depth": 10}], "depth": 9}], "depth": 8}], "depth": 7}], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}, {"id": "g89ggv9", "text": "P.s - I wouldn\u2019t mention that your a newbie. I don\u2019t think it matters and any legit agent should have no problem doing this for you whether you are a cold or warm lead", "replies": [], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g89gcpd", "text": "Look up local zoning maps.  \nThen look up each property in zones for the relevant class of CRE.", "replies": [{"id": "g89gxcc", "text": "Ooh, I like this idea. Looking up the zoning map in a local county of mine, I found the following zones:\nPreliminary Plans,\n Site Plans, \nParking Districts, \nCentral Business Districts, \nSpecial Protection Areas, \nHistoric Resources - Master Plan, \nHistoric Resources - Locational Atlas, \nUrban Districts, \nEnterprise Zones, \nArts &amp; Entertainment Districts, \nBicycle-Pedestrian Priority Areas, \nUrban Renewal Areas, \nSpecial Tax Districts, \nMetro Station Policy Areas, \nState Priority Funding Areas, \nSeptic Tier\n\nAlmost all of these I feel like could have commercial properties. Is there a specific one from above that specifically means apartments?\n\nEdit: Those aren't zones smh.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "g89i6id", "text": "I'm very embarrassed lol. Excuse my other comment. I get what you mean now. This is very very helpful!! Thank you for your answer.", "replies": [{"id": "g89p3bx", "text": "Make sure the zoning matches the use you're looking for. No point in getting a light commercial to run an auto shop. Not all \"commercial\" is the same.", "replies": [{"id": "g8a3h28", "text": "I would also recommend physically visiting the areas that match the criteria that you're looking for quite a bit with a zoning map, a notepad and take pictures. You can cheat using google maps but sometimes physically being there makes a huge difference.", "replies": [{"id": "g8ay6i0", "text": "Will do.", "replies": [], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}, {"id": "g8ay7en", "text": "Good thing there's different zones within the subset of commercial zones. :)", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g89k1ay", "text": "Costar, you have to pay.  A broker won\u2019t share that data for what you\u2019re looking for.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g89o1c1", "text": "Loopnet.com", "replies": [{"id": "g8aygmi", "text": "LoopNet only has properties that are available for Lease and for Sale and for auction. I want to know what all the properties are in the area.", "replies": [{"id": "g8btsrv", "text": "Costar", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g89p7yk", "text": "Title company. This is a monumental task. The cost of ordering the them is stellar.", "replies": [{"id": "g8ayewq", "text": "So, I won't use a title company. I don't think it's worth it to pay. I'll use the zoning method.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g89ttti", "text": "Use LoopNet", "replies": [{"id": "g8aydqd", "text": "LoopNet only has properties that are available for Lease and for Sale and for auction. I want to know what all the properties are in the area.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g89wct7", "text": "Give Reonomy a try!", "replies": [{"id": "g8l3ksc", "text": "Reonomy is good - I don't know why this got downvoted - it shows all commercial properties in an area", "replies": [{"id": "g8l4fbj", "text": "Yes, not only does it show the properties, it shows it\u2019s current debt positions, contact information, etc. Contact info isn\u2019t necessarily correct always, but good enough to compile a targeted list of assets. \n\nAlso it offers a 1 week free trial, so if it doesn\u2019t fit your needs, your not obligated.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g8a0pur", "text": "Ok. You're trying to find off market deals,and you're new. Safe to assume you have no mentor?\n\nCoStar will help you whittle the list down to something more reasonable. Ask the local sales rep to demo the system with prospecting in mind. THEY prospect in CoStar. so if they waffle find a different rep.\n\nYou can use the assessors office, but a few caviots - 1) zoneing is not same as property use. Zoning says what theyd like the property to do, not what it is. This can be a way to prospect for redev, but often it's also a way to make a cold call and look silly. Do your research. :)\n\n2) brokers often buy and sell properties for themselves either singularly or as a group. When you start looking up contacts for LLCs, look for related LLCs and their contacts.\n\n\n\nTitle companies can provide lists. this might be a first way to try your skills. But you'll want to create some parameters and promise to use that title company.no sense in burning a bridge.\n\nAmy reason why you've chosen to not get a mentor or get in with a commercial shop? Just curious. :)", "replies": [{"id": "g8a0qh1", "text": "**I found links in your comment that were not hyperlinked:**\n\n* [company.no](https://company.no)\n\n*I did the honors for you.*\n\n***\n\n^[delete](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fu%2FLinkifyBot&amp;subject=delete%20g8a0pur&amp;message=Click%20the%20send%20button%20to%20delete%20the%20false%20positive.) ^| ^[information](https://np.reddit.com/u/LinkifyBot/comments/gkkf7p) ^| ^&lt;3", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "g8axuxk", "text": "Why I've chosen to not get a mentor? Well it wasn't really a choice. My interest in CRE developed a lot more during quarantine, and so I can't go to meet anyone in person and develop a relationship with them to get a mentor. I do have one guy that sent me a bunch of books on CRE after I cold messaged him on Linkedin about my interest, but other than that I'm figuring this out myself and when it's safe to do so, then I'll seek guidance if I need it and they're not overcharging(or charging at all).", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g8acv52", "text": "I pull all the data from my county's tax assessor's office for certain property types from time to time.  Some counties are easy, some not (or so difficult/expensive that something like CoStar is the way to go).", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g8bwt6o", "text": "Just pm'd you", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g8m1ypx", "text": "Facebook is a great resource, there are a ton of commercial real estate groups on there where people make listings! Hope this helps", "replies": [{"id": "g8qkkru", "text": "I feel like all the properties posted there aren't that great or are mostly just scams. Too good to be true.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "g8nyoy1", "text": "Your local city or county may have a website that lists this information. Los Angeles has a site called [Zimas](http://zimas.lacity.org) where you can scrub... it sounds like you should make some other moves first. What\u2019s the plan when you get these owners on the phone?", "replies": [{"id": "g8qkeg5", "text": "Dang. They have no such site in my state. As for my plan... Well, for now I'm just refining my skills for property search. Once I either have enough cash or have links with trustworthy partners, I plan on just hitting the owners of hairy properties up and being like \"What's good? You seem to be up to your knees with your property. Any chance you would want to sell.\" I'd see where we go from there. Open to advice if you have any tho.", "replies": [{"id": "g8qwomr", "text": "Got it - find a Title rep. I use Ticor Title. You\u2019ll still have to look up the entities, but you can use people finder or Spokeo, maybe some other resources I\u2019m not aware of. I use CoStar and LexisNexis, but I\u2019m at one of the \u2018big 4\u2019 brokerage shops", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "gaeh4ky", "text": "Check out RealMassive. They have a ton of data on off-market properties.\n\n[https://realmassive.com/dataqu/](https://realmassive.com/dataqu/)", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]