01 — Tenant Representation & Occupier Advisory
Real estate decisions that answer to the business plan.
End-to-end occupier representation, strategic and tactical — so the lease you sign reflects where the company is going, not just where it is today.
Align real estate with business objectives.
- A lease expiry inside 24 months — the point at which leverage is still available
- Headcount or production plans that the current footprint cannot absorb
- A funding round, acquisition or new program that changes the operating model
- A portfolio assembled deal by deal that has never been looked at as a whole
End-to-end real estate support, strategic and tactical — from consulting and site selection to due diligence, financial analysis, transaction management and ongoing portfolio analysis — so every decision maps to what your business actually needs.
Most companies transact real estate rarely and live with the result for a decade. The landlord does the opposite: they transact constantly, with a broker whose incentives point one way. Tenant advisory exists to correct that asymmetry — you get a team that only ever sits on the occupier side of the table.
That means no landlord listings, no dual agency and no quiet incentive to steer you toward a particular building. It also means the advice starts earlier than the search: what the business is trying to do over the next five years is the input, and the property is the output.
The work, itemized.
Occupancy strategy
Headcount, growth scenarios and operating model translated into a space requirement before any building is toured.
Market intelligence
Current availability, effective rents, concession trends and landlord positions — the numbers behind the asking rate.
Site search and tours
A qualified shortlist matched to the requirement, with the options that do not work eliminated on paper first.
Financial analysis
Side-by-side comparison of total occupancy cost across options, on a net-present-value basis rather than headline rent.
Due diligence
Building systems, capacity, landlord condition and any constraint that would surface after signature rather than before it.
Negotiation
Economics and the terms that matter later — expansion, contraction, assignment, renewal and termination rights.
Transaction management
Letters of intent through lease execution, coordinating counsel, project management and finance.
Ongoing portfolio review
Periodic reassessment against the business plan, so the next decision starts with a current picture.
Four stages, in order.
What clients ask first.
What does a tenant advisor do that a broker does not?
A tenant advisor represents only occupiers, never landlords, so there is no listing inventory to steer you toward and no dual agency. The work also starts earlier — with the business plan and the occupancy strategy — rather than at the point of touring buildings.
Who pays for tenant representation?
In most markets the landlord pays a commission that is already built into the deal economics whether or not you are represented. Not being represented rarely saves that cost; it usually means the full fee goes to the landlord's agent.
When should we start?
For straightforward space, 12 to 18 months before expiry. For lab, manufacturing or anything with power, cooling or clearance requirements, two to three years — the long-lead items are utility and permitting timelines, not the lease itself.
Can you help if we already have a building in mind?
Yes, and the leverage question is worth asking first. A single-option negotiation is a weak position; even a credible alternative changes what a landlord will agree to, and confirming that the preferred building actually meets the technical requirement often changes the shortlist.
Do you work outside Greater Boston?
Yes. Requirements frequently span multiple markets, and site selection is often a comparison between regions rather than between buildings in one.