Contact DiBe Real Estate

Intake guide: what to tell us for your type of need

The form above works for any inquiry. If you want the first call to go further, find your situation below and include what you can. Nothing here is required, and a rough answer is better than none.

You need space to lease

Tell us the type of space (office, retail, restaurant, medical, flex, warehouse), roughly how big, and the area you prefer. Mention your current lease expiration, how many people will work there, parking needs, and anything special like heavy power, plumbing, loading docks or a kitchen. A budget range for monthly rent helps, even if it is a guess. See tenant representation.

Have ready if you can: your current lease, a floor plan of your current space, and a list of locations you have already seen or ruled out.

You want to sell a property

Give us the address, property type, and whether it is occupied, vacant or partly leased. Tell us why you are selling and whether timing matters, for example a loan maturity, a partnership change or a planned exchange. See investment sales.

Have ready if you can: rent roll, copies of leases, operating statements for the last two or three years, the most recent tax bill, insurance declarations page, any survey, and a list of capital work with rough dates.

You want to buy an investment property

Tell us what you want to own (multifamily, mixed-use, retail, industrial, land), which markets, a price range, and how you plan to pay for it: cash, a loan, or exchange proceeds. Let us know how hands-on you want to be with management.

Have ready if you can: a lender pre-approval or proof of funds summary, a description of properties you have liked or passed on, and any partners who need to be part of the conversation.

You are in or planning a 1031 exchange

Time matters most here. Tell us the expected or actual closing date of the property you are selling, the approximate sale price and debt being paid off, and the name of your qualified intermediary if you have one. See 1031 exchange advisory.

Have ready if you can: the sale contract or closing statement, your intermediary’s contact, and a note from your CPA on what you need to reinvest. We are not tax advisors, so that part comes from your CPA.

You own land or a redevelopment site

Send the address or parcel number and tell us what you think the site could be. Mention any conversations you have had with the city or county, an architect or a builder. See development sites.

Have ready if you can: deed or parcel record, survey, any site plan or zoning study, environmental reports, and photos.

You have vacancy to lease

Tell us the building, the space available, its condition, and what kind of tenant you want or want to avoid. Mention any lease restrictions such as exclusive use clauses held by other tenants. See landlord representation.

Have ready if you can: floor plans, current rent roll, a summary of exclusives and restrictions, and photos of the space.

You are starting a build-out or construction project

Describe the project, where it stands (idea, design, permitting, under construction), the budget and the target finish date. If something has already gone wrong, say so. See owner’s representation and project management.

Have ready if you can: drawings, contracts, the current budget and schedule, permit numbers, and any open change orders or pay applications.

You need advice before deciding anything

Tell us the decision you are facing, such as renew or move, hold or sell, renovate or rebuild, and the date by which you need an answer. See consulting and advisory.

What happens after you reach out, step by step

The short version is above. Here is the longer one, so you know exactly what to expect and when.

1. Same business day: a reply. Sal reads every inquiry personally and replies by phone, text or email, whichever you asked for. If you reached out after hours or on a weekend, expect a reply the next business day unless you mentioned an urgent deadline.
2. First call: about 20 to 30 minutes. We listen more than we talk. The goal is to understand what you need, what dates are fixed, who else is involved in the decision, and whether we are the right fit. If we are not, we tell you on that call.
3. Within a few days: a written summary. After the call you get a short email that restates the goal, the timeline and the next step we recommend. If anything in it is wrong, correct us. That email becomes the reference point for the work.
4. If we move forward: an agreement. Scope, term, who we represent and how we are paid are put in writing. You can have your attorney review it. No work that needs an agreement begins until it is signed.
5. First deliverable. Depending on the need, that is a market survey of available spaces, a broker opinion of value, a buyer criteria sheet and initial list, a zoning and site summary, or a project budget review.
6. Regular updates until done. Active assignments get written status updates at a set rhythm, with a phone call for anything that needs a decision.

Documents to have ready, by need

You do not need everything below for the first call. Gather what is easy to find now, and we will help track down the rest.

For New York properties, also have the block and lot number if you know it. For Florida properties, the parcel or folio number from the county property appraiser site is the fastest way for us to pull records.

When the clock is already running

Some inquiries cannot wait for the normal process. If any of these apply, call or text 239-256-5005 instead of only filling out the form, and say what the deadline is in the first sentence.

• A 1031 identification deadline is within the next few weeks. The 45-day window does not stretch, and replacement candidates take time to vet.
• A lease expires soon and you have not secured a renewal or a new space. Holdover terms can be expensive, and a short runway limits leverage.
• A contract is signed and the diligence period is open. Inspections, zoning checks and estimates need to happen before the deposit goes hard.
• A construction project has stalled or a contractor dispute is building. The sooner the contract and schedule are reviewed, the more options you have. Legal claims go to a construction attorney.
• Storm damage has affected a Florida property you are buying, selling or leasing. Repair scope, permits and insurance claims change the deal.

Questions we will probably ask on the first call

Knowing these ahead of time helps you think through answers, or bring the right person onto the call.

There are no wrong answers. “I don’t know yet” is a perfectly good one, and figuring it out is part of the work.

Contacting us about a specific market

We cover five markets, and the details we need vary a little in each one. Mentioning the market and neighborhood in your message helps us come to the first call with relevant comparables in hand.

• Southwest Florida: tell us the city or unincorporated area, since Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres and the rest each have their own rules. For land, mention whether the lot has water and sewer.
• Miami: name the municipality as well as the neighborhood. A Coral Gables or Miami Beach address works very differently from one in the City of Miami.
• Fort Lauderdale: mention whether you need access to the port, the airport, I-95 or the Brightline station, since that often narrows the search quickly.
• Manhattan: tell us the floor size range, any building class preference, and whether you need a pre-built space or plan to do your own build-out.
• Brooklyn: for owners, mention whether the building has rent-regulated units or open violations. For developers, the block and lot number is the fastest way for us to check zoning.

What you do not need for the first call

People sometimes delay reaching out because they think they need to be fully prepared. You do not need:

• A final budget or exact square footage. Ranges are fine.
• Financing approval. We can talk through options and point you toward lenders.
• A decision about whether to lease or buy. Sorting that out is a common first conversation.
• An attorney already hired. You will want one before signing anything, and we can explain when to bring them in.
• Every document in the tables above. We will ask for what matters as the work moves forward.

How we use what you send us

Anything you share through the form, by email or by phone is used only to respond to your inquiry and, if we work together, to carry out the assignment. Financial details, leases, rent rolls and plans stay within the people working on your deal and the professionals you approve, such as your attorney or lender.

When we market a property for sale, we decide with the owner what goes public and what is released only to qualified buyers who sign a confidentiality agreement. Tenants searching for space can stay anonymous to landlords until they choose to reveal their name.

Hours and the best way to reach us

All five of our markets are in the Eastern time zone, so one schedule covers Florida and New York. Phone and text at 239-256-5005 are the fastest route during business hours. Email at info@diberealestate.com is best for sending documents. The form at the top of this page is a good option when you want to lay everything out in one place and get a call back.

If you are comparing brokers, that is fine. Ask us the same questions you ask others: who will actually do the work, how fees are structured, and how we would approach your specific property. You can read more on the about page or browse our services first.

Sample messages that make the first call useful

These are made-up examples, not real inquiries. They show how a few sentences can give us enough to prepare.

Tenant example: “We are a six-person engineering firm in a Fort Myers office with a lease ending next summer. We want 2,000 to 3,000 square feet near I-75 with good parking, and we would consider buying a small building if it makes sense. Rent budget is similar to what we pay now.”

Seller example: “I own a three-story mixed-use building in Brooklyn with a store and four apartments. Two apartments may be rent stabilized. I am thinking about selling in the next year and possibly doing a 1031 into Florida. I have leases and tax bills but no recent appraisal.”

Developer example: “I am under contract on two adjacent lots in Cape Coral zoned commercial. Diligence ends in 30 days. I want to know what can be built, whether utilities are in, and a rough cost to build a small retail strip.”

Each of these tells us the goal, the property, the timing and the open questions. That is all we need to show up prepared.

If you have worked with us before

Past clients can skip the form and call or text directly. Mention the property we worked on together, and we will pull up the closing summary or lease abstract from that deal. If your inquiry is about a renewal date, an option deadline or the next property in an exchange chain, tell us the date first so we can plan backward from it.

Referrals from past clients, attorneys, CPAs and lenders are welcome too. Ask the person referring you to make an introduction by email, or simply mention their name when you reach out.

What the first written next step looks like

After the first call, the next step we send depends on the need. Here is what each usually includes, so you can judge whether it is useful before committing to anything bigger.

• Market survey for tenants: a list of spaces that fit the requirement, with size, asking terms where known, photos or plans, and our notes on condition and build-out needs.
• Broker opinion of value for owners: a pricing range with the comparable sales or leases behind it, plus the issues a buyer will likely raise.
• Site summary for land: the zoning that appears to apply, utility status, flood zone, access, and the questions an architect or engineer should answer next.
• Budget review for construction: a look at the existing budget or bids, with items that appear missing or out of line and suggested next steps.

Each one is short and plain. If it helps you make a decision, the call was worth it, whether or not we end up working together.

Reaching out on behalf of someone else

Attorneys, CPAs, lenders, property managers and family members often contact us for a client or relative. That works well. Tell us who you are, who the decision maker is, and how they want to be involved. We will copy you on communications as the client directs, and the engagement agreement itself is signed by the owner, tenant or buyer we represent.

A note on unsolicited offers

Owners sometimes contact us after receiving an unsolicited offer on their property and want to know if it is fair. Send us the offer letter and the basics on the property. We will tell you how it compares with the market and what a broader process might produce, without pressure to list.