What is occupier intelligence in commercial real estate?
Occupier intelligence is knowledge about the businesses that occupy commercial space, rather than the buildings or their owners: who they are, where they operate, what kind and size of space they use, who decides on that space, and whether they are likely to need more, less or different space soon. Property data answers what a building is and who owns it; occupier intelligence answers who would take it. Scayled is an occupier intelligence platform: it finds the businesses around a property and across the market that fit, names who decides at each, and tracks every one for signs it will need space.
- What does occupier intelligence include?
- How is occupier intelligence different from property data?
- Where does occupier intelligence come from?
- Who uses occupier intelligence?
- Which tools provide occupier intelligence?
- How do you start using occupier intelligence?
What does occupier intelligence include?
It includes five things about each business: identity, footprint, fit, decision maker and movement. Identity is the company and its locations. Footprint is the type and rough size of space it uses. Fit is which properties suit its operations, by size, use and property type. The decision maker is the person who decides on space, with a way to reach them.
Movement, the subject of tenant movement tracking, is dated, sourced evidence that its needs are changing: hiring for site roles, contract wins, new sites, funding, acquisitions, layoffs and lease events. The first four describe a business. The fifth tells you when to talk to it.
How is occupier intelligence different from property data?
Property data starts from the building, and occupier intelligence starts from the business. Take a vacant 60,000 square foot warehouse near the Port of Savannah. Property data gives its clear height, doors, owner, last lease and asking rent. Occupier intelligence gives the importers and distributors nearby that are short of space, the businesses elsewhere whose operations fit the building and are expanding into the region, and who decides at each.
Both are needed. Property data prices the space and defends the rent. Occupier intelligence finds the business that will sign the lease. Most CRE software has been built for the first job, which is why the second is usually done by hand.
Where does occupier intelligence come from?
It is assembled from many public and commercial sources. Tenant databases such as CoStar record who occupies which building and, where reported, when leases end. Business registries, maps and company websites show who operates where. Job postings, news, press releases and public filings show what is changing. Contact databases and professional profiles identify the people.
Field knowledge fills the rest: what a broker sees driving a park, hears from a tenant or learns on a tour. The value of software is joining these sources around a property and keeping them current, which is slow by hand.
Who uses occupier intelligence?
Landlord rep brokers, tenant rep brokers, owners and investors all use it for different ends. Landlord rep brokers use it to find the businesses most likely to take a listing before they search. Tenant rep brokers use it to spot companies that will need space before they appoint an advisor. Owners and landlords use it to fill vacancies and to understand the businesses around their buildings.
Investors and lenders use it to judge tenant strength and renewal risk, the same question tenant retention software answers for landlords. Developers use it to test demand and approach likely occupiers before construction finishes.
Which tools provide occupier intelligence?
Several tools provide parts of it, each from a different angle. CoStar's tenant data covers who occupies US buildings, lease expirations where reported and some contacts. Crexi added tenant data to Crexi Intelligence in June 2026. Placer.ai measures foot traffic, used mostly for retail site selection. BrokerHQ sends tenant rep brokers a daily brief built from public records and job postings, starting in Seattle.
Scayled starts from a property and covers the whole workflow: a Listing Scan finds every business around the address with the person who decides and a drafted email, a Target Scan finds businesses anywhere in the country whose operations fit, every occupier is re-checked every two weeks for signs it will need space, and everything stays in your Occupier Database. It does not provide comps, ownership or valuations.
How do you start using occupier intelligence?
Start with one property and ask who would take it. List the businesses around it and the ones elsewhere that fit, find the person who decides at each, and note any recent sign that they will need space. Contact the strongest ten with a short email that names the property and the reason.
Scayled offers 3 days free at scayled.com/start with 4 scans, which is enough to try occupier intelligence in practice on two properties. Owners or brokers with a single vacancy can use The Campaign at scayled.com/campaign instead, which does the work for one payment, from US$449.
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