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    Owner services · Commercial leasing

    Commercial leasing services for property owners in Metro Vancouver

    Listing it yourself keeps you off the MLS: owners cannot post to the MLS or realtor.ca, and most property managers cannot either. David has his own MLS access, so your space goes up right away, and we price, market, screen and negotiate on the owner's side, then run the building, with 37 years of combined commercial experience between David and John Moody. Well-priced small-bay industrial, office and retail in Metro Vancouver typically leases in 90–180 days; David's leasing fee is typically the first and last months' rent on the lease, against a market norm of 4–6% of total lease value.

    Get a rate and timeline See the six steps

    90–180

    days to lease, typical

    well-priced small-bay, office, retail

    MLS

    listed by David, right away

    his own MLS access; owners cannot list there

    2 months

    David's leasing fee: first and last months' rent

    market is 4–6% of lease value, about 3 months on a 5-year term

    701

    priced live listings behind our pricing

    updated 2026-09-17

    37 years

    combined commercial experience

    David Siccia and John Moody

    01

    Who is this for?

    Private owners: an individual, a family holding company or a small partnership that owns one to fifteen commercial properties in Metro Vancouver or the Fraser Valley. Office suites in a Class B building, a street-front retail unit under condos, a small-bay industrial strata unit, a live/work building, a corner mixed-use with three tenants. The buildings the large brokerages treat as too small to staff properly.

    It is not for tenants looking for space. If you are a tenant, the listing pages are in our commercial portfolio. Everything on this page is written for the person who owns the building and needs it to produce rent.

    OfficeClass B/C suites, strata office, medical and professionalRetailStreet-front, strip plaza, ground floor of mixed-useIndustrialSmall-bay, flex, warehouse, yard and outdoor storageLive/workCD-zoned and I-1/IC parcels in Vancouver and North Vancouver

    02

    What do we actually do to lease your space?

    Six steps, in order. Each one produces something you can read and approve before the next starts. The durations are typical for small and mid-sized space in Metro Vancouver; specialised uses run longer at every step.

    1. 01Price the space against live asking rates

      1–2 weeks

      We pull current asking rents for comparable space in your submarket, then adjust for condition, ceiling height, loading, parking, frontage and the additional rent your building carries. You get a base rent range and a recommended asking figure, with the comparables attached, before anything goes to market.

    2. 02Market it everywhere the right tenant is looking

      4–16 weeks

      Small and mid-sized tenants in Metro Vancouver find space on Craigslist, Kijiji, LoopNet and SpaceList as often as on the MLS. An owner cannot post to the MLS or realtor.ca, and most property managers cannot either. David has his own MLS access, so your space goes on the MLS and realtor.ca right away, in front of every tenant representative. We also list on the other sites, put signage on the building, and email a short brochure directly to businesses that are expanding in your area.

    3. 03Run the showings and screen the prospects

      ongoing

      We answer every inquiry the same day, qualify the use against zoning before we show, and walk the space with the prospect. Serious candidates provide a business summary, two years of financials or a business plan for a start-up, bank and trade references, and personal covenants where the tenant is a new corporation.

    4. 04Negotiate the offer to lease and the lease

      3–7 weeks

      We prepare or respond to the letter of intent, negotiate rent, term, free rent, tenant improvement allowance, deposit, renewal options and personal guarantees, then coordinate the lease document with your lawyer. You approve every term. Nothing is signed on your behalf.

    5. 05Coordinate fixturing and tenant improvements

      0–12 weeks

      We manage the fixturing period: permits, contractor access, landlord's work versus tenant's work, and the handover inspection with photos. If a TI allowance is in the deal, we release it against invoices and lien holdbacks, not on request.

    6. 06Hand off into management

      commencement

      On commencement we set up rent collection, the additional-rent estimate, insurance certificates and the tenant file. If we manage the building, the same person who leased the space runs it. If you self-manage, you get a complete package and a 30-day check-in.

    If you want to see the marketing side in more detail before you call, read how to find a tenant for your commercial property in Vancouver. It is the same playbook we run, written out so you can judge whether your current listing is doing it.

    03

    How long does it take to lease commercial space in Metro Vancouver?

    90–180 days is typical for well-priced small-bay industrial, office and retail in Metro Vancouver; longer for specialised space. That figure comes from brokerage market reports and from our own portfolio. It runs from the day the listing goes live to lease commencement, and it assumes the asking rent is inside the market band on day one. Space that starts 15% above market usually spends its first 90 days teaching the owner what the market is, then the next 120 leasing.

    Key takeaway

    $1

    per sq ft too high on the ask

    On a 2,500 sq ft unit, asking one dollar a foot above the market band saves $208 a month if a tenant pays it, and costs the whole month's rent every month nobody does. Run the lease rate estimator for a first read, then the vacancy cost calculator to see what each empty month costs.
    Vacancy cost calculator

    04

    What does commercial leasing cost an owner?

    In Metro Vancouver, leasing commissions are commonly 4–6% of the total lease value, or roughly one month's rent per year of term, and commercial property management fees typically run 3–8% of gross collected rent (published rate cards from Metro Vancouver managers, 2025–26). Where a cooperating broker brings the tenant, the leasing commission is normally split, not stacked.

    David's leasing fee is typically the first and last months' rent on the lease, and it covers the MLS listing, marketing, showings, tenant screening, negotiating the terms and managing the lease through to move-in. On a five-year lease the market's 4–6% works out to about 2.4 to 3.6 months of rent, and the one-month-per-year convention to five, so two months is at or below the usual cost.

    The bigger number is the vacancy. At the live median (1,400 sq ft at $28/sq ft) an empty unit loses about $3,300 of base rent every month, before tax, insurance and strata. A self-listed space commonly takes 90 to 180 days to lease. If MLS exposure and a properly run process take two months off that, the fee has paid for itself, and every month after that is money you would not have had. Ongoing management is quoted per property. For a worked breakdown of what management includes, what is extra and what a net lease lets you recover from the tenant, read commercial property management fees in Vancouver.

    ItemCostWhen it is paid
    David's leasing feeFirst and last months' rent on the lease (two months' rent)When the lease is signed
    Leasing commission, market norm4–6% of total lease value, or ~1 month's rent per year of termHalf at execution, half at commencement is common
    Renewal with a sitting tenantCommonly half the new-lease rateAt renewal execution
    Ongoing management3–8% of gross collected rentMonthly, from collections
    Marketing hard costsPhotos, signage, brochure: hundreds to low thousandsAs incurred, pre-approved
    Your lawyerLease drafting or review, quoted by your lawyerOn completion

    David's fee as typically charged; confirmed in writing for each property. Other rows are market ranges (published rate cards from Metro Vancouver managers, 2025–26; brokerage practice). Under a net lease, management fees are commonly recoverable from the tenant as additional rent.

    05

    Landlord representation: how is an owner-side specialist different from a listing brokerage?

    A listing brokerage represents the transaction. It is paid when a lease is signed, and the relationship ends at commencement. That is a legitimate model for a large building with a leasing team behind it. For a private owner with one building, it produces a predictable problem: the brokerage's incentive is a signature, yours is five years of rent from a tenant who pays and does not trash the space.

    We represent the owner, and then we run the asset. The person who priced the space and screened the tenant is the person collecting the rent in year three. That changes the advice at the negotiating table: we will tell you to take a slightly lower rent from a stronger covenant, or to hold out for a use that will not conflict with your other tenants, because we carry the consequence.

    Model A

    Listing brokerage

    • Paid when the lease is signed
    • Relationship ends at commencement
    • Incentive on tenant quality is indirect
    • Usually one answer on sell versus lease
    • Best fit: large assets with in-house asset management

    Model B

    Owner-side leasing, then management

    • Paid when the lease is signed, then monthly as rent is collected
    • Relationship continues while we manage the building
    • Direct incentive on tenant quality: we deal with the tenant for the term
    • Both paths modelled; sale advisory executed by Lawrence Siccia (Engel & Völkers)
    • Best fit: private owners of 1–15 buildings

    David Siccia is a property manager and leasing specialist. Property sales are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR®, Engel & Völkers Vancouver.

    If you are weighing both paths, start at sell or lease your commercial property.

    06

    What do you need to provide?

    • Title and plan. Title search or strata plan, a floor plan or survey with rentable area. We measure if there is none.
    • Operating numbers. Two years of property tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance so the additional-rent estimate is defensible. City of Vancouver Class 6 business property tax was roughly 1.05% of assessed value in 2025 at the general rate; check the current mill rate for your municipality.
    • Existing leases and rent roll if the building is multi-tenant, plus any rights of first refusal or exclusivity clauses that limit who you can lease to.
    • Reports. Phase I environmental for industrial, building condition report if you have one, the zoning letter or a recent permit.
    • Decisions. Your floor on rent, the term you want, whether you will fund tenant improvements, and who your lawyer is.

    Rules that apply

    • Commercial Tenancy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 57) governs commercial tenancies in BC; the Residential Tenancy Branch has no jurisdiction.
    • GST applies to commercial rent; PST does not.
    • Lease terms in Vancouver commonly run 3–5 years with 5-year renewal options.
    • Zoning decides the tenant pool; we check the use against the bylaw before every showing.

    07

    What are commercial spaces asking in Metro Vancouver right now?

    Asking base rents from 701 priced listings out of 1,216 live commercial-for-lease listings on Craigslist and Kijiji, updated 2026-09-17 (Prospect OS). Asking is not achieved: deals close below ask with free rent and allowances, and additional rent (property tax, insurance, common area maintenance) is on top of every number here.

    Note how tight the industrial band is against office and retail. Industrial is priced on function, not finish, so a small over-ask is a large one in percentage terms.

    Asking base rent by asset type, Metro Vancouver + Fraser Valley

    $/sq ft/yr

    Office (median size 887 sq ft)

    $35 median

    25th–75th: $22–$49 · n=292

    Retail (median size 1,234 sq ft)

    $39 median

    25th–75th: $28–$55 · n=166

    Industrial (median size 2,528 sq ft)

    $21 median

    25th–75th: $18–$25 · n=243

    $0$40$80

    Asking base rent, CAD/sq ft/yr, from 701 priced listings out of 1,216 live commercial-for-lease listings on Craigslist and Kijiji (Prospect OS), updated 2026-09-17. Asking ≠ achieved; additional rent (property tax, insurance, CAM) is on top.

    City × typeMedian asking25th–75thPriced listings
    Vancouver office$33.59$20.75–$45.00162
    Vancouver retail$45.00$30.00–$58.37109
    Vancouver industrial$20.90$18.00–$25.00168
    North Vancouver office$28.50$21.50–$44.3930
    Burnaby office$44.00$30.64–$72.7514
    New Westminster office$47.77$25.74–$54.2132
    Richmond industrial$24.61$19.80–$29.7218
    Port Coquitlam industrial$19.75$18.00–$21.0026
    Surrey office$36.60$28.68–$45.928

    Asking base rent, CAD/sq ft/yr, from 701 priced listings out of 1,216 live commercial-for-lease listings on Craigslist and Kijiji (Prospect OS), updated 2026-09-17. Asking ≠ achieved; additional rent (property tax, insurance, CAM) is on top. Where a city × type cell has fewer than 8 priced listings we show the Metro-wide figure for that type and say so.

    North VancouverBurnabyRichmondSurreyLangleyCoquitlam & Tri-Cities

    08

    What does this look like on a real building?

    Live example · for lease

    Castle Armory & Residence, 1496 Rupert St, North Vancouver

    8,003 sq ft live/work building on a CD8 site. Live/work is a narrow tenant pool: a maker, studio or small manufacturer who also wants to live on site. The marketing is direct outreach to those businesses plus the MLS (C8077795), which David listed himself with Heller Murch Realty so cooperating brokers can bring tenants, not a sign and a wait.

    See the listing in the portfolio

    Live example · leased, 5-year term

    Gunderson Rd, Fraser River industrial site, Delta

    86,249 sq ft industrial site leased to a warehousing tenant on a 5-year term. The work was in matching the yard, river access and truck circulation to a tenant whose operation needed exactly that, then structuring a term that made the tenant's fit-out worth it and gave the owner five years of income.

    Read the Gunderson Rd case

    09

    Which of these sounds like you?

    "My lease is expiring in the next 12 months"

    Start now. A renewal negotiation is strongest when you have a live market alternative. We price the renewal, prepare the fallback marketing, and negotiate with the sitting tenant from a position of choice.

    Lease expiry playbook

    "My space has sat empty for six months"

    Something in price, presentation or reach is wrong, and usually all three. We audit the existing listing, re-price against live asking rates, and put it in front of the tenants who are actually searching.

    See what each month costs

    "My broker only wants to sell"

    A sale is one of three outcomes. We model lease income, hold-and-renovate and sale side by side. If a sale is the answer, sale advisory is executed by Lawrence Siccia (Engel & Völkers). If leasing is, we do the leasing.

    Sell or lease, side by side

    "I self-manage and it is eating my time"

    Owners who self-manage one or two commercial buildings usually lose money on the vacancy they were too busy to fill, not on the fee they saved. We lease the space and, if you want, run the building after.

    What management costs

    If none of these fit, the contact page is fine. Describe the building and what you want from it; you get a straight answer on rate and timeline either way.

    10

    Questions owners ask before hiring a commercial leasing specialist

    Get a rate and timeline for your space

    Send the address and a floor plan if you have one. You get a base rent range against live asking rates, a realistic time-to-lease, and a flat quote, whether or not you hire us.

    Talk to David about leasing 236-998-5841

    David Siccia Properties handles leasing and management. Property sales are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR®, Engel & Völkers Vancouver.

    General information, not legal or tax advice

    Commercial tenancies in BC are governed by the Commercial Tenancy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 57). GST applies to commercial rent; PST does not. Confirm lease terms with your lawyer and tax treatment with your accountant before you sign anything.

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