How to Make a Commercial Property Marketing Site Plan

Last updated: September 27, 2026

A marketing site plan explains how a property is arranged. It can help a reader connect buildings, suites, access and parking with the listing narrative. Preparing that illustration is a different task from establishing boundaries or producing a construction or permit submission.

1. Define the purpose and audience

Decide what the graphic needs to communicate. A leasing plan may emphasize available suites and access. An investment presentation may emphasize building relationships and tenant locations. Keep the proposed output in view: an OM page, a brochure and a small website image have different space constraints.

List the essential questions the reader should be able to answer. Which building is being marketed? Where is the advertised suite? Which entrances serve it? Avoid including labels that add clutter without answering those questions.

2. Assemble and identify the source material

• Collect the current survey, site drawing or other suitable source plan available for the property.
• Record each source's date, author or provider, stated scale and known limitations.
• Check your permission to reproduce or adapt the drawings, aerial imagery and other material.
• Gather the current suite schedule, relevant photographs and verified labels.

Resolve conflicts between sources before turning them into polished artwork. An aerial image can help orient a reader, but tracing its visible features does not establish a surveyed boundary. If the underlying information is uncertain, ask the appropriate property or design professional to resolve it.

3. Select the features to show

Typical marketing features include the buildings, suite identifiers, access points, parking areas, loading areas, adjoining streets and orientation. Show only features supported by the source information. If parking counts, dimensions or area figures matter to the transaction, verify them rather than estimating from the artwork.

Use consistent units and definitions. A footprint, gross floor area, gross leasable area and rentable area can describe different measurements. Read our floor-area comparison before labeling a plan with an area figure. Our FAR calculator and explanation address a separate zoning ratio; FAR does not by itself establish an allowable layout.

4. Make the drawing readable

Use a restrained set of colors, legible type and a simple legend. Keep labels clear of important features, and pair color coding with text or symbols so readers do not have to rely on color alone. Include a north arrow only when orientation is verified. Use a scale only when the source and the final reproduction support it; otherwise make the illustrative nature clear.

Distinguish existing conditions from proposed concepts. Label any proposal explicitly and state the relevant source and date. A reader should not have to guess whether a graphic represents an existing layout or an idea for future work.

5. Review the plan alongside the listing

Compare the graphic with the rent roll, property description and other marketing pages. Suite names, occupancies and area figures should agree or have their differences explained. Check the result at its actual printed size and on a small screen; zooming in while editing can hide a readability problem.

• Is the subject property clearly identified?
• Are labels, dates, sources and any qualifications readable?
• Are all stated measurements and counts supported?
• Are existing and proposed features clearly distinguished?
• Does the graphic remain understandable without color?
• Has the relevant person reviewed the final version?

Use the plan in a complete marketing presentation

CREOP supports uploads of your own site plans and maps, and offers graphics-team assistance at an additional cost. See our commercial real estate site-plan service and examples, then contact the team to discuss source materials, scope, deliverables, timing and price.

Pair the graphic with reviewed property facts and financial information in your offering memorandum. Use the printable OM checklist to prepare the rest of the presentation.