I stopped doing bandits as the response rate declined drastically.  

For example, if there's a plumbing leak and they say they can handle it, politely decline and send your professional plumber over instead (or do it yourself).Always keep the relationship business-like.

@Jonathan CopeI can relate to some of the things you said, only as a resident of NY as I have very little knowledge in RE.Commercial real estate is certainly in a decline, if not only because of the greed of commercial property owners,overall vacancy rates doubled from 2.1 percent to 4.2 percent between 2012 and 2017 in the borough.

A lot of times vacant properties are there for a reason - economic decline, shifting demographics and changing preferences.

Even if it is to decline a booking.- screen who books.

Declining inventories in both sales and rentals indicate that property prices and rents will continue to increase, at least in the remainder of 2018.

However, if it declines in the next couple of years, it will act as a headwind and slow you down. 

Someone could buy on contract and run down business, create further potential environmental liabilities, fail to make payments, and the market could decline.

I realise it’s conceivable this may vary based on local law - but is anyone familiar with a prospective tenant being held liable for any amount based on an email assurance that lease terms would be acceptable/signed, then declining to sign a lease?  

I declined to do that on multiple occasions due to security reasons and asked if I could send it through standard mail instead.