Where can I look up recently signed commercial leases (USA)? There are news sites that seem to have very early access to lease signings
TLDR; When commercial (mainly retail) leases are signed, is there a common place the details are sent to nationally that can be looked up?  Or a lease news service?

Full disclosure I write a hyperlocal new business blog. I do very well with it as a one man show.  

One competitor is growing across the country with a somewhat similar model and seems to have access to information very soon after lease signings, even before any press releases or the store owner themselves have made an announcement.

I am in the suburb of a major city they cover so the competitor will do many posts in the city and then just randomly put up a story in my suburb area, in random towns.  Its clear to me no one is pounding the pavement to uncover stories across a 50 mile area... they are getting a signed lease list from somewhere.

Two specific examples in my area where the other site had very early news posts up about new restaurants... I spoke to the business owners later and neither know how the other news site got the information so fast.  No press releases. No other info on the internet.  The one owner who is opening a franchise said he was curious even before I asked, and called his franchise company to ask if they had put out a press release (they hadn't).  He hadnt even told all of his family yet that he bought a franchise and the story was online! 

The competitor has stated in their own coverage "they scour sites to find lease signings fast"... but for the whole country, in random places?   **It just makes me think there is one common clearinghouse site of lease info that I dont know about**

I have a ton of things to write and as I said, the competitor swoop in to my area once every few months, but its clear they are writing off of some online list or new service... and I'd like to add those leads to my coverage also.

Sorry for the wall of text

Thanks!

EDITS: grammar
[{"id": "ibcw7ha", "text": "They most likely just ask brokerage houses what deals they signed recently. The brokers tell them in order to increase their reputation.", "replies": [{"id": "ibd0z72", "text": "its my first thought too.. but one of the examples of something getting online very early, I've dealt with the leasing agent before and they are very protective of info.  He even recently asked me I would take down a story of a different signing when it was clearly listed on his website (\"the deal isn's 100% signed and I dont want to damage it\"... well dont put on your website!!)\n\nAnyway thank you for the suggestion.  I think there is more to it.", "replies": [{"id": "ibd3eey", "text": "There's no national registry or recording process for retail lease signings. Sometimes you can get info from the city when a tenant goes in for site plan approval,s signage, etc. Usually that's after the lease is signed or when it's close to being signed.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}, {"id": "ibd9p4g", "text": "As a developer I personally never want articles written about projects or tenants unless the client specifically reached out the the media. We have a strict no media rule. I\u2019ll have articles pulled.", "replies": [{"id": "ibddo10", "text": "&gt; We have a strict no media rule. I\u2019ll have articles pulled.\n\nin 99% of the cases there is nothing that can be done to force a writer to take it down, unless the article uses imagery from the developer or the client.\n\nI only edited that one post I mentioned, as i am a nice guy. That sales agent prepares the Shopping center's marketing pdf and puts on the internet, adds the proposed retail company's name and logo on the public PDF, pointing to the store unit.. lists it as proposed.  My wording in the article was using his exact \"proposed\".\n\nBut then he didnt have a signed deal.  honestly its a bit odd to put online for people to see.. and then have a problem when someone writes about it.  Zero legal ground to have the writer take down.\n\nYou mention you are a developer.  In New Jersey, new development has to be done via Planning/Zoning review. its a public meeting so its advertised in legal sections of newspapers. Towns have to make agendas, meeting minutes and all materials are available to review.  Those living within a certain area must be notified in writing. The public has an opportunity to sit in and speak.\n\n100% those new development projects are fair game to be written about.\n\nEvery major city paper and dozens of real estate sites post at this stage. check out bisnow.com who makes significant $$ with this.\n\nI get at times it feels a bit gossipy.. but it is valuable information. When a 400,000 sq ft warehouse is planned for the edge of a residential area (which is happening all over new jersey) the residents have a right to know.\n\nThanks for responding!\n\nMy site is [42Freeway.com](https://42freeway.com/) if you are curious\n\n\nEDIT: trying to fix grammar but reddit isnt taking the save", "replies": [{"id": "ibe3m0i", "text": "Yeah anything that is made public is fair game. That company shouldn\u2019t have posted that info online if they didn\u2019t want it written about. If something is made public of mine and I get calls from reporters I don\u2019t respond they can write all they want from the public available information. And certainly the public should know if a massive facility is being built and they are given notice through the municipality witch is publicly available info so it certainly can be written about. I work with neighbors so they are onboard already if zoning changes need to occur. \n\nReporters are important to keep responsible development in check. But In my opinion it rarely works in ownership\u2019s favor to comment on a project in the media. If the project fails the developer looks dumb if it is a great project competitors move in to the area, clients included in articles are most likely to be annoyed. It\u2019s just a higher risk then a reward to developers to comment to media especially when there is public info. \n\nNow brokers talk all the time they are sources of good info.", "replies": [{"id": "ibh6r7z", "text": "&gt; But In my opinion it rarely works in ownership\u2019s favor to comment on a project in the media\n\nI agree... but there are multiple facets.\n\n1) Yes the greenfields project there is no benefit to developer if news is out there early before town meetings, and if anything its a negative... public finds out about planning meeting and shows up to protested about new traffic.\n\n2) After a center is developed, having word of new signings definitely does help as, at least in my area it seems more than 50% of the new businesses opening are locally owned. They are not going to a broker first to research the area.. they know where they want to be.  \n\n3) Individual businesses LOVE my posts when they are ready to open.  I have 100s of comments/messages to me about the impact my coverage has had. But... owners do want it done when they are ready... I almost always can respect that.", "replies": [{"id": "ibh74fa", "text": "1. Yes \n2. Most of my retail business are local. They use LoopNet of as you said \u201cknow where they want to be\u201d CRE is location based and my most successful market source for local business is a space available sign. But mom and pops are driving around looking for space. \n3. Individual business sure but the developer has no need to comment in those articles go ahead and interview the new shops.", "replies": [{"id": "ibh7hfi", "text": "thanks!  Seems we are in agreement.  Good luck to you!\n\nyes.. loopnet is a big source of locations for the regular folks", "replies": [{"id": "ibh7mer", "text": "Thanks you too! I checked out your site last night you are for sure and asset to your community. If you need more stories just take a retail broker to lunch or golf they will chat your ear off.", "replies": [], "depth": 9}], "depth": 8}], "depth": 7}], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}, {"id": "ibe7zoj", "text": "I get having the tenant sign off, but are you talking post construction/lease up too?  I want every story about my projects printed I can on those.  I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't", "replies": [{"id": "ibfc6nv", "text": "If you are chasing equity and investors then sure it might help you out a bit but it\u2019s better to go under the radar IMO. Why do people need to know what your doing? If you marketing to brokers and on other precise channels then articles won\u2019t help you lease your product.\n\nYour reputation isn\u2019t earned in the press it\u2019s earned by making deals, making money for yourself and others, and paying your commissions.", "replies": [{"id": "ibg4wsm", "text": "If you have a credit deal on a solid asset, it\u2019s ok to have a release on it. It doesn\u2019t hurt and can drive some positive attention. \n\nOther than maybe SF, no other deal terms are going to be released in it. So all anyone is going to know is 123 Main St owned by numnumfeatus leases 1mm sf to Fortune 1 company. They picked 123 Main to attract talent and the great amenities. Hope to be a positive addition to city CBD. Owner represented by x, Seller represented by Y.", "replies": [], "depth": 6}, {"id": "ibh6acw", "text": "In my area of South Jersey the mom and pop locally owned stores opening up are outpacing the national ones.\n\nDollar Tree, Dollar General. Autozone and Mattress firm are using brokers as they look to blanket an area with new stores.\n\nBut most of the new retail and restaurants I see are significantly leaning towards local families taking their big shot, and absolutely the media coverage of knowing about new signings and new centers helps deals get signed directly with the center.   \"I live in the area, I know this new center went in with good residential base, I want to be in there\"\n\nBut I'm not the one making the big bucks developing.. so I could be wrong.  Despite 600+ articles on the business community in my area.", "replies": [], "depth": 6}], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ibcx23q", "text": "Most people list their property for lease on Crexi and CoStar.  When the listing is removed then they ask the listing agent who it was leased to and when.\n\nLikewise brokerage houses often share this material.\n\nI can tell you from an owners perspective: not a lot of actual journalists are actually doing this type of research so you would be one of a very select few.  Also often times it's not all that timely, it doesn't get published until someone drives by and notices a building under construction.\n\nI would try to link up.with local.brokers in the market where you want to write, they want people to write stories about the deals they are doing because it promotes their business.", "replies": [{"id": "ibd1yly", "text": "I am familiar with both those sites but hadnt considered them a source.. or noticing changes in leases.  Maybe they are web-scraping the sites and then picking up changes. hmmm\n\n&gt; I can tell you from an owners perspective: not a lot of actual journalists are actually doing this type of research so you would be one of a very select few\n\nI'm with you on that.  \nMy site has grown because I am very good about finding things early.  \n\n* New construction can be easier as it has to go to published planning board meetings.\n* I  spend a lot of time in my car noticing things\n* In my little region I have 27,000 fanatical Facebook followers who send me tips all the time (\"Someone is working inside that closed Babies are US...\")\n* With my reputation business owners will reach out directly.\n* I'll check the leasing sites for larger centers and many times the sales team has updated the site plan with the new business and that is the only public info.\n\nBut leases have always been tough to get ahead of early... usually its known only if a press release is done, or things start happening at the site (or I see theyve updated the center's leasing marketing site with the new business name)\n\nBut the traditional leasing scenarios I am talking about where things are figured out early.. its clear there is some lease/broker/website info driving it.\n\nI am looking further into Costar and Crexi", "replies": [{"id": "ibd2kh0", "text": "ha why the downvotes random redditors?  Upset that people put new business news out?\n\nWhile I cant quantify it I believe I've put 100s of thousands if dollars into new business' cash registers.  A recent post on a new Ice Cream shop had my fans waiting around the building to try.  New restaurants are greeted with every seat filled on opening weekend, because I told my readers about it.\n\nA recent post on a new Chipotle in a new building with additional store space.. a smoothie chain operator messaged me to thank me for the info.. that deal is getting signed for a new tenant because of my coverage", "replies": [{"id": "ibdiil5", "text": "&gt; considered them a source.. or noticing changes in leases.  Maybe they are web-scraping the sites and then picking up changes. hmmm\n\nI upvoted your freedom of speech comment. Didn't down vote you. But you deserve the down votes for this comment -- ignorant journalism.", "replies": [{"id": "ibh70yo", "text": "web scraping is bad?  Checking the site?\n\nHonestly the few stories I've missed because of other sites getting early info is not too high.  So its not worth my effort to set up something like a web-scraper.\n\nBut honestly the residential markets are basically this for the last 18-24 months.  House go up for sale and have offers in minutes... people are actively gaming the system to get in first.", "replies": [], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ibd2q7v", "text": "It\u2019s a news site like biznow or globestreet? If they don\u2019t have deal points, they just have brokers for sources. If it is a major shop doing the deals, there is probably a pr form on their deal sheet, where they list the tenant, the sf, and maybe something to make it interesting and that gets processed in order for the broker to get paid. \n\nIf it is a bunch of different shops doing it, I dunno. \n\nYou can get lease info from a companies 10-k form but that is quarterly and you would have to do a bunch of work and likely wouldn\u2019t include small retail deals in the suburbs. \n\nYou can do it the old fashioned way and just have someone else call and see what the deal is. Most of the time people are pretty friendly and chatty about how they do work. \n\nGood luck!", "replies": [{"id": "ibd3uoo", "text": "These stories are across a handful of larger regional commercial sales groups.\nI have just emailed two of them (who I have contacted before) and asked if they could give some insight to me\n\nso I guess no harm in me saying the main site I am most speaking about.  *site redacted*  It is a small company out of Atlanta I think, and they are expanding into dozens of metro areas.   I am in Southern New Jersey outside of Philadelphia\n\nOne example of an article is *article redacted*\n\nNow I get its not a monster 40,000 sq ft signing... but thats exactly why its interesting.\n\nThey had this story back in September.  Construction just started on the property.  6 months later.\n\nits not a chain.  There are no press releases. Its a local resident who has an idea for a breakfast/brunch place.\n\nyet this retail news site out of *redacted* figures out that a mom at her kitchen table in New jersey came up with a new business idea... and gets the story soon after leasing?  And with very specific sq ft numbers?!!\n\nThey also will find large lease singings..   really just that they seem to be with larger centers.\n\n\nThank you for the \"Good Luck\"\n\nEDIT: On the 10k I've gotten several stories there.. Brixmor is a good example!", "replies": [{"id": "ibkxmlq", "text": "That is interesting. My first thought is that it is a bot that is scrubbing building permit sites, which may list the entity pulling the permit and the size of the unit and then linking a generic google pic of the building based on address. So that may explain why these random small units get posted.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "ibhotas", "text": "There isn't a national database, but I sure wish there was. CoStar has pretty decent data for any one of their big national partners, but as far as small stuff, the best place to start would be a title company, and even then, not all leases are recorded (hardly any where I live and work)", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]