CRE Lenders - Where and how are you sourcing new borrowers?
I'm interested in getting feedback from commercial real estate lenders (banks, CMBS, debt funds, etc.) on where you are finding new clients.  How are you finding potential borrowers, how are you making the initial contact, how are you starting the conversation, etc.  What has worked for me well in the past is not working well now and I'm not sure why - yet.  

People seem far less likely to answer a phone call even compared to a couple of years ago.  Targeted, specific emails don't seem to be effective anymore.  A broker friend of mine told me recently the most effective form of communication for him was texting which really surprises me but maybe that is where the market is going.
[{"id": "hkudpsj", "text": "Following", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hkul904", "text": "Where are you located.  I have found that attending small business and investor meetups and networking events has yielded some success.", "replies": [{"id": "hkun4c1", "text": "Northern California but we lend nationally.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "hkv1una", "text": "I am in DFW", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hkuxyz7", "text": "We are a direct lender for commercial real estate, here are some of the ways we generate leads:\n\n&amp;#x200B;\n\n* Google Adwords\n* LinkedIn Ads\n* Facebook Ads\n* Email Marketing (to your subscribers &amp; using third party services like Property Send)\n* Sponsorships in Publications (i.e. Scotsman Guide)\n* Attend/Sponsor Conferences\n* Publish Educational Content &amp; Focus on SEO for Organic Traffic\n* Podcast Interviews\n* Mail Letters to Property Owners\n\nI would be happy to go into further details regarding any of the above if you are interested.", "replies": [{"id": "hkv4yqk", "text": "Thank you for the detail! Of these strategies are there any that seem to be the most effective or productive?", "replies": [{"id": "hkv7sbd", "text": "LinkedIn Ads has been one of the most effective methods we've used.\n\nIt is also one of the most expensive.\n\nHere are a few ways you can create a specific audience to advertise to:\n\n* Company Industry (i.e. Commercial Real Estate)\n* LinkedIn Groups\n* Company Employees (i.e. if you want to target employees of CBRE)\n* Company Connections (i.e. if you want to target the connections of CBRE employees)\n* Individuals Skills or Interests\n\nYou can also layer additional attributes on top of the above. For example, Job Seniorities is one we've found crucial. You may only want to be targeting senior employees and not administrative staff.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hky75wu", "text": "I mostly deal with debt and equity brokers with major CRE brokerage firms (JLL, CBRE, etc.). They send me deals and I review and respond if I like them. I never call for deals, they just come to me.", "replies": [{"id": "hl59384", "text": "That's a good position to be in.  I need to get on brokers' distribution lists but haven't had success there yet.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "hl03myj", "text": "Following", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]