Office:
Office tenants are now asking to look at owners' books before signing leases.

Retail:
Increased tourism and lower asking retail rents are enticing tenants to sign leases.

Sales:
The sharp rise in interest rates has slowed transaction activity in markets across the nation and in New York. Investment sales in New York City dropped at least 36% year-over-year in the first half of 2023. Industrial sales down 63%, Special purpose down 52%,Office down 48%, multifamily down 41% and retail/hotels down 36%.

New York Market Overview

Office:

Landlords usually ask tenants to show proof that they are in good financial standing and can be expected to pay rent every month.

Tenants are now asking landlords to open up their books and provide protection in case they go under. Tenants are taking a closer look at the capital stack of buildings and considering the exact implications of a landlord defaulting on their obligations.

Distress in U.S. office real estate jumped to $24.8B at the end of the second quarter, up $6.7B from the previous three-month period. Office is now the most distressed commercial real estate asset type for the first time since 2018, surpassing retail and hotels. Brookfield, Blackstone and Related Cos. have all handed back properties to lenders, and defaults have been shooting up across the country.

Canaccord Genuity Group signed a lease for 75K SF at Penn for 1, 370 SF.

Goulston & Storrs is renting 30,000 sf for a single floor in a relocation to 730 Third Avenue for a 10-year lease.

GTS is renewing its lease at 545 Madison Avenue. GTS signed a two-year lease extension for its 30,000 SF office across four floors.

Puig, the home of Love Brands, is moving into 25,0000 SF, for the entire 32nd floor at 45 Rockefeller Plaza.

Transel Elevator & Electric, or TEI Group signed a 23,000 SF lease renewal for the sixth floor with another 10 years at 30-30 47th Avenue.

Retail:

New York City retail might be rebounding, but the damage done by the "retail apocalypse" and then the pandemic is far from over.

The Manhattan retail market is getting better as a result of an increase in tourism and lower asking rents enticing tenants to sign deals. In 10 of the 17 retail corridors examined, lower asking rent was driving a return of retailers with streamlined business models, such as Century 21’s reopening at 22 Cortlandt Street with 100,000 square feet or Barnes & Noble’s renew lease on Upper East Side with 16,744 square feet at 1556 Third Avenue. From January to June of this year, asking retail rents were 30% below their 2016 peak in 13 of the 17 corridors. Landlords are having to give away fewer concessions and asking rents are on the rise as major retailers sign leases for spaces that are smaller than pre-covid.

A Brooklyn retail property, new appraisal found its value had dropped by 88% after two major departures left it vacant. The value of the 102K SF retail building at 94-110 Court Street in Brooklyn Heights has dropped from $48.7M in 2013 to just $5.7M in a recent appraisal.

🤝
Tenant Representation: Optimal Spaces acts exclusively as a "Tenant Broker," only representing tenants, never landlords.
⚖️
Unbiased Service: Avoiding conflicts of interest, they provide impartial service, showing a wider range of properties and negotiating the best price.
🗂️
Comprehensive Process: Agents guide clients end-to-end, offering market surveys, floor plans, pricing expectations, and industry contacts.
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Cost Savings: They negotiate rental price and identify/abate "hidden costs."

Why Optimal Spaces –
Tenant Broker

  • No fee for clients renting space.
  • We work for YOU, not the landlord.
  • Save 15–20% on your business costs.
  • Save 100–200 hours of research.
  • Access to all available spaces.
  • Specialized real estate expertise.

Alone or with other broker

  • Miss deals and hard-to-find spaces.
  • Potential conflict of interest (often represent landlords).
  • Only 10% of available spaces are online.
  • Lack of specialized expertise.
  • May not get the best terms or uncover hidden costs.
Why Use a Tenant Broker: Your Advocate in Commercial Real Estate
1. The Crucial Distinction: Whose Side Are They On?
Landlord Rep (Listing Agent) — Fiduciary Duty: Landlord. Highest rent, best terms for landlord.
Tenant Rep (Tenant Broker) — Fiduciary Duty: Tenant Only. Lowest rent, best terms for tenant. Levels the playing field.
2. It Almost Always Costs You Nothing
3. Access to “Hidden” Inventory
4. Negotiating Beyond Base Rent
Landlord pays the broker fee — free expert representation for the tenant.
Access to hidden inventory: off-market listings, subleases, and future availabilities via broker databases and networks.
Negotiating beyond base rent: free rent, TI allowance, OPEX caps, and lease flexibility for renewal or expansion.
5. Time Savings & Process Management
6. Mitigating Risk (the “Gotchas”)
Tenant broker handles searching, scheduling, and RFPs — your outsourced real estate department with curated options and timeline management.
Mitigating risk: spotting pitfalls in LOI and lease such as restoration clauses and holdover penalties.
Summary: Don’t rely on the landlord’s agent. A tenant broker is your advocate, provides better data, negotiates a complete package, and typically costs you nothing.
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