Landlord representation
Lease retail space to tenants who strengthen the property
For owners of street-front buildings, plazas, shopping centre units and ground-floor retail in mixed-use developments across Toronto and the GTA.
Tenant mix is the asset
In retail, each tenant affects the others. A strong food anchor can lift a plaza's daytime traffic; a poorly chosen use can collide with an exclusive already granted, overload parking or limit future leasing. Good landlord representation fills vacancies with that in mind, not just as quickly as possible.
Every lease you sign also shapes the property's future: the exclusives you grant, the operating cost recovery you secure and the assignment rights you allow all carry forward.
The process
- 01
Unit & property review
We walk the unit and property: frontage, visibility, servicing, existing exclusives and restrictive covenants, signage capacity, parking and the current tenant mix. This defines which uses are realistic, and which are not permitted.
- 02
Positioning & tenant mix
Rather than marketing to everyone, we identify the categories that complement existing tenants and draw traffic, and those that would conflict with exclusives or strain parking and shared services.
- 03
Marketing
Clear unit information, floor plans and photography are prepared, then the space is marketed to targeted retail, food and service operators and to cooperating brokerages representing tenants.
- 04
Tenant screening
Prospective tenants are assessed on business experience, financial covenant, concept fit, build-out requirements and how their use interacts with zoning, licensing and neighbouring tenants.
- 05
Offer negotiation
Terms are negotiated with your long-term interests in mind: rent structure and additional rent recovery, landlord's work, inducements, security and guarantees, use and exclusivity grants, and assignment controls.
- 06
Lease-up & handover
We coordinate with your lawyer on the formal lease and track conditions, possession and the fixturing period through to the tenant opening.
Common landlord considerations
- Exclusives already granted: review existing leases before marketing so you never offer a use you have contractually restricted.
- Restaurant conversions: food users can be valuable, but venting, grease interceptors, odour and garbage handling affect neighbours and the building.
- Operating cost recovery: how taxes, insurance and common-area costs are recovered should be clear and consistent across tenants.
- Assignment & change of use: retail businesses are often sold; reasonable controls protect the property without making the space unleasable.
Looking to sell rather than lease a retail property? This site focuses on leasing only. See the FAQ or get in touch to discuss your goals.
Have a retail vacancy to fill?
A no-obligation conversation about your space, timing and priorities, whether you're opening a location or filling a vacancy. Text or call anytime, or send a request.
Meshesha Robel, REALTOR® · Sutton Group Admiral Realty, Brokerage