Commercial Property Investigation
Deep-dive research for commercial real estate transactions and analysis.
Commercial property transactions in NYC involve higher stakes and more complex due diligence than residential purchases. Whether evaluating an office building, retail space, industrial property, or mixed-use development, investors and tenants need comprehensive data on violations, permits, zoning, tax assessments, and building systems to accurately assess value and risk.
The Challenge
Commercial property investigation requires analyzing data across multiple agency databases: DOB for violations and permits, DOF for tax assessments and sales comparables, City Planning for zoning and land use applications, ECB for penalties, DEP for environmental compliance, and more. The complexity multiplies for portfolio acquisitions or multi-building deals. Missed violations or pending agency actions can result in millions in unexpected costs.
How RegWatch Helps
RegWatch provides commercial-grade property intelligence by consolidating data from all relevant NYC agencies. The platform enables quick screening of potential acquisitions, detailed due diligence for properties under contract, and ongoing monitoring of portfolio properties. Commercial users can research multiple properties at once by saving them to a portfolio and comparing them across multiple metrics.
Step-by-Step Workflow
Screen the property
Run a quick search to get an overview of the property's violation history, tax status, and zoning compliance.
Deep-dive violations
Review all open and historical DOB and ECB/OATH violations; FDNY and DEP compliance issues appear via monitored sources. Calculate potential penalty exposure from open ECB cases.
Analyze tax position
Review Tax Class 4 assessment, income/expense filings, and compare to market norms. Identify over- or under-assessment for tax appeal potential.
Verify zoning and use
Confirm the current commercial use complies with zoning. Check for any pending zoning actions, variances, or special permits.
Review building systems
Check elevator, boiler, sprinkler, and facade inspection records. Outstanding violations indicate deferred maintenance costs.
Generate reports
Export comprehensive reports for internal analysis, partner presentations, or lender submissions.
Key Benefits
- Comprehensive commercial property data from 11+ agencies
- ECB penalty exposure analysis for open violations
- Tax assessment analysis with appeal potential identification
- Zoning compliance verification for commercial uses
- Building systems inspection history review
- Portfolio-level monitoring via saved buildings
Related Tools
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Complete property intelligence from 250+ sources. Violations, permits, tax records, zoning, title data, and more.