Insights

How to Create a Drive-Time Analysis for Your Commercial Real Estate Clients

6/16/25

Why Drive-Time Analysis Matters in CRE Today

In today’s competitive commercial real estate (CRE) environment—especially for office tenant rep brokers—location isn’t just about ZIP codes. It’s about access. And nothing showcases access like a well-executed drive-time analysis.

Your clients—law firms, tech startups, healthcare groups—aren’t just choosing office space. They’re selecting a location that impacts their employees’ commutes, customer accessibility, and recruiting footprint. Presenting a drive-time report is no longer a "nice-to-have." It's a deal-clinching differentiator.

What is a Drive-Time Analysis Report?

A drive-time analysis shows how far a person can drive from (or to) a particular location in a specific amount of time. It’s often segmented into 5-, 10-, and 15-minute zones and visualized on a map.

For office tenant-rep brokers, this means instantly answering key client questions like:

“How many of our employees can reach this site in under 15 minutes?”
“What’s our customer base access from this potential location?”
“How does this compare to our current HQ?”

Step-by-Step: Building a Drive-Time Report

1. Identify Your Anchor Point

Start with your proposed office location or shortlist. This is your anchor for drive-time zones. If you're evaluating multiple properties, prepare to run comparisons across each one.

2. Select Your Tool

Tools like ESRI, Mapbox, or Google Maps API can perform drive-time analysis, but they’re often clunky or expensive for brokers. That’s where platforms like ScoutSpace simplify the process with integrated visualization tools designed for CRE pros.

3. Set Time Intervals

Use standard intervals: 5-, 10-, and 15-minute drive times from each building. These give clients a quick sense of short, moderate, and longer commutes.

4. Layer In Data

Powerful drive-time reports go beyond the visual map. Layer in:

Demographics (population, median income)
Employee density (for workforce-heavy clients)
Competitor proximity
Transit access points

5. Visualize for Storytelling

Your goal isn’t just data. It’s clarity. Clients should immediately see:

Who they can reach
Where key personnel live
How this location stacks against their goals

ScoutSpace allows you to embed this data directly in a shareable dashboard with branding, notes, and visuals that feel like Zillow, not a government PDF.

Use Case: Winning the Pitch With Drive-Time

Let’s say you’re chasing a 25,000 SF office requirement for a fintech firm with distributed staff. ScoutSpace lets you preload commute data, visualize where 80% of their current team lives, and overlay it against potential locations. In seconds, you can say:

“Of the five buildings we’re showing, only two allow 75% of your team to arrive in under 15 minutes. Let’s focus there.”

That’s the kind of clarity that wins exclusives and closes deals faster.

Why Brokers Love ScoutSpace for Drive-Time Insights

Most CRE tools weren’t built for how brokers sell. ScoutSpace is different.

15-second property uploads
Interactive, branded surveys
One-click drive-time visualizations
Sharable dashboards that impress clients

Whether you're a solo rep or part of a national team, ScoutSpace levels the playing field by giving you access to enterprise-level analytics without enterprise-level hassle.