The Best Places to List Small Bay Industrial Property

TL;DR: Don't sleep on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist—they often outperform the "professional" platforms for small bay industrial.

Why Multi-Platform Listing Matters

Small bay tenants aren't all searching the same place. A plumbing contractor scrolling Facebook at night is a different lead source than a logistics company with a CoStar subscription. Cast a wide net.

The math is simple:

• More platforms = more visibility
• More visibility = more inquiries
• More inquiries = faster lease-up and better tenant selection

Listing on multiple platforms takes a few hours upfront. Vacancy costs you every single day.

The Platforms

LoopNet

The 800-pound gorilla of commercial real estate listings. Most brokers and serious commercial tenants start here.

Best for: Reaching brokers, institutional tenants, and buyers Cost: Free basic listings; paid tiers for enhanced visibility Tip: Include all unit sizes available—small bay tenants often search by square footage range

Crexi

Growing fast as a LoopNet alternative with a cleaner interface and better search experience.

Best for: Tech-savvy tenants, investors, deal-focused searches Cost: Free listings with paid promotion options Tip: Their auction platform is worth watching for acquisitions

CoStar

The data backbone of commercial real estate. If you're not in CoStar, you're invisible to a lot of institutional players.

Best for: Brokers, institutional tenants, market research Cost: Subscription-based (expensive); listings require broker access Tip: Make sure your property data is accurate—brokers pull comps from here

CommercialCafe

Owned by Yardi, so it integrates well if you're using their property management software. Good organic search presence.

Best for: Direct tenant inquiries, SEO-driven leads Cost: Free basic listings Tip: Their content marketing drives decent Google traffic for commercial searches

CityFeet

Part of the CoStar family, focused on smaller commercial properties and local markets.

Best for: Local tenant searches, smaller deals Cost: Free with CoStar access Tip: Good for markets where LoopNet feels too big-box focused

Facebook Marketplace

Here's where it gets interesting. Facebook Marketplace consistently produces leads for contractor garages and small flex units. Your target tenant—the HVAC contractor, the small e-commerce operator, the auto detailer—is already on Facebook.

Best for: Local contractors, trades, small businesses Cost: Free Tip: Post in local buy/sell groups too. "Commercial space for rent" posts in contractor and small business groups get engagement.

Don't underestimate this channel. We've seen operators report more leads from Facebook than from LoopNet for small bay space.

Craigslist

Old school? Yes. Still effective? Absolutely.

Craigslist reaches people who aren't plugged into the commercial real estate world. The electrician looking for his first shop space isn't browsing CoStar. He's on Craigslist.

Best for: First-time commercial tenants, trades, budget-conscious operators Cost: Free (small fee in some markets) Tip: Repost regularly. Craigslist results are chronological—fresh posts win.

Like Facebook, Craigslist often outperforms the "professional" platforms for small bay industrial. The tenant pool is different, and that's exactly the point.

Platform Comparison

Listing Tips for Small Bay

1. Use all the names: Small bay goes by 17+ different names. Include terms like "flex space," "contractor garage," "warehouse office," and "shop space" in your listing copy.

2. Lead with unit size: Small bay tenants search by square footage. Put the range in your headline: "1,500–5,000 SF Flex Units Available."

3. Highlight the roll-up door: For contractor and trades tenants, drive-in access is often the #1 requirement. Feature it prominently.

4. Include all-in pricing: Many small bay tenants aren't familiar with NNN lease structures. Show estimated total occupancy cost, not just base rent.

5. Photos matter: Clean, well-lit photos of empty units outperform cluttered shots. Show the roll-up door open.

The Bottom Line

There's no single best platform for small bay industrial. The best strategy is to be everywhere your tenants might be looking.

The "professional" platforms like LoopNet and CoStar reach brokers and sophisticated tenants. But don't overlook Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist—they consistently deliver for flex industrial and contractor space.