Do I need a broker to lease my commercial property in BC?

No. An owner in British Columbia can market, negotiate and lease their own commercial property without hiring anyone. What you cannot do on your own is list on the MLS and realtor.ca, which are only open to members of a real estate board. That is the main reason owners who have been listing by themselves bring us in: David has his own MLS access and can put the space there right away, which most property managers cannot do. Most owners still use a lawyer to draft the lease because BC has no standard commercial form. If you pay someone else to lease the space for you, those services are regulated under the Real Estate Services Act and overseen by BCFSA, so ask how they are licensed or structured.

Who pays the leasing commission in Vancouver?

Usually the landlord, under the listing or leasing agreement, and it is negotiable. When the tenant has its own representative, that fee is typically shared out of the landlord's commission instead of being added on top, but this is set by your agreement, so confirm it in writing before the space goes to market.

How are commercial leasing commissions calculated in BC?

There is no set rate. Commissions are commonly quoted either as a percentage of the total base rent over the term or as a dollar rate per square foot per year of term, and the two methods can produce quite different numbers on the same lease. Published Metro Vancouver ranges are commonly 4 to 6% of total lease value, or roughly one month's rent per year of term. Ask which formula a quote uses, what happens on renewal or expansion, and get it in writing.

Can a property manager lease my commercial space?

Yes. Many commercial property management firms lease vacant space and handle renewals as part of managing the building, usually for a leasing fee on top of the monthly management fee. Ask whether leasing is done in-house or referred to an outside brokerage, how the fee is calculated, and whether the firm is set up for the services it offers under BC's Real Estate Services Act.

Should I hire a national brokerage or a local one for a small space?

Size and tenant type decide it. Large floors, institutional buildings and tenants with their own representatives are where national brokerages do their work. For a 1,500 sq ft retail unit or a small industrial bay, the tenants are mostly local businesses searching online listings and driving the area, so a boutique brokerage, a management firm or an owner-side specialist who will return every call is usually the better fit. Ask any firm who, by name, will handle a listing of your size.

Should I sell or lease my commercial property?

Run both sets of numbers before you hire anyone, because whoever you ask first tends to recommend what they do. Compare the income and value from a new lease against today's sale price after tax and costs. We model both paths side by side for owners; if a sale is the answer, property sales are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR®, Engel & Völkers Vancouver. Confirm the tax side with your accountant.

Owner guide · choosing who leases your space

Who should lease my commercial property in Vancouver?

Q: How long does it take to lease a commercial space in Vancouver?

As a rough guide from our experience and brokerage market reports: small industrial about 30 to 90 days, small office 60 to 150 days, and retail, live/work or specialised space 90 to 180 days from the start of proper marketing to a signed lease, plus a fixturing period before rent starts. Listings with missing information, no photos or an above-market asking rent routinely take much longer, whoever is doing the leasing.

Q: Can I lease my commercial property myself?

Plenty of owners do. Of the 1,216 live Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley listings we track on Craigslist and Kijiji (updated 2026-09-17), 461, about 38%, are posted by the owner directly. It works best for one straightforward unit when you have time to answer enquiries the same day and show the space. Use a lawyer for the lease, screen the tenant's financials, and get help if the listing passes 90 days without an offer.

An owner in Metro Vancouver has five real options: a national brokerage, a boutique brokerage, a commercial property management firm, an owner-side leasing and management specialist, or doing it yourself. Size decides most of it. Above roughly 10,000 sq ft, or for any institutional building, call a brokerage. Below that, the choice is about who runs the building afterwards. Of the 1,216 live listings we track, 38% are posted by owners directly.

What should my space lease for? Ask which option fits

For private owners of office, retail, industrial, live/work and mixed-use space · 11 min read · Updated September 2026

Quick match

Five options, one line each

National brokerageLarge floors, big-bay industrial, institutional owners
Boutique brokerageMid-sized space, MLS exposure, might sell
Management firmMulti-tenant buildings, absentee owners
Owner-side specialistUnder about 10,000 sq ft: on the MLS, leased, then managed
Do it yourselfOne simple unit and time to show it

The highlighted row is our category. It is the right answer for some owners and the wrong one for others; the table below says which.

What are my options for leasing a commercial property in Vancouver?

Most advice on this question comes from a firm recommending itself. This guide is written by a small leasing and management company, so read it with that in mind, but it is built to be useful even if you never call us. Each option below is a legitimate model that suits a particular kind of building and owner. The mistake is a mismatch: a large team given a listing too small to get attention, or a small operator given a building that needs a tenant-side network it does not have.

Start with three facts about your property: the size of the space, whether it is one tenant or several, and whether you want someone to run it after the lease is signed. Those three answers narrow five options to one or two.

The five options at a glance

Swipe sideways to see the full table

Option	Lists on the MLS	Leases the space	Manages it afterwards	Can handle a sale	Typical fit
National or large brokerage	Yes	Yes	Some, through a separate management arm	Yes	Large and institutional space
Boutique or local brokerage	Yes	Yes	Some firms; ask	Yes	Mid-sized and smaller listings
Commercial property management firm	Many cannot; leasing is referred to a brokerage. Ask	Often, as part of management	Yes	Varies; ask	Multi-tenant buildings, absentee owners
Owner-side specialist	Yes. David has his own MLS access	Yes	Yes	By referral. Ours are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR®, Engel & Völkers Vancouver	Private owners, under about 10,000 sq ft
Doing it yourself	No	You do	You do	No	One simple unit, local owner with time

A general picture of how each model usually works in Metro Vancouver. Individual firms differ, so confirm the scope with whoever you speak to.

How do the five options compare, honestly?

Each card answers the same four questions: who it is best for, who it is not ideal for, how they are paid, and what you still do yourself. The firms listed are real Metro Vancouver examples of each category so you have somewhere to start.

OPTION 01

National and large commercial brokerages

Big teams, research departments, tenant-side relationships

10,000+

sq ft typical, and institutional buildings of any size

Best for: Full office floors and buildings, large-bay industrial, shopping centres, institutional owners, and any space where the likely tenant has its own representative. A 40,000 sq ft downtown office floor belongs here.
Not ideal for: A single small unit. Ask who, by name, would work a 1,500 sq ft listing and how much of their week it would get.
How they are paid: A commission when the lease is signed, usually paid by the landlord and shared with the tenant's representative if there is one. Negotiable; confirm in writing.
What you still do yourself: Everything after commencement unless you hire management separately: rent collection, additional rent reconciliation, repairs, renewals. Your lawyer drafts the lease.

Examples with Vancouver offices

ColliersLandlord representation in office, industrial and retail, with a Greater Vancouver office team
CBREVancouver office serving owners, investors and occupiers across office, retail, industrial, land and multifamily
Avison YoungVancouver office offering leasing, investment sales, property management and project management
Cushman & WakefieldVancouver office with agency leasing for office, retail and industrial landlords
JLLVancouver office offering leasing, property management and facility management
Marcus & MillichapVancouver office offering investment sales, advisory and leasing

OPTION 02

Boutique and local commercial brokerages

BC-based firms that work mid-sized and smaller listings

3,000 to 20,000

sq ft typical, with MLS exposure

Best for: Roughly 3,000 to 20,000 sq ft of industrial, retail or office; strata units; owners who want MLS exposure and a local team that knows the submarket; owners who may sell instead of lease.
Not ideal for: Owners who also need someone to run the building afterwards, unless the firm has a management arm. Ask.
How they are paid: The same way as the large firms: a commission on signing, usually paid by the landlord, shared with a tenant's representative, negotiable.
What you still do yourself: Approve pricing and terms, pay for any improvements, instruct your lawyer on the lease, and manage the tenant for the term or hire a manager.

Examples in Metro Vancouver

Lee & Associates VancouverMetro Vancouver commercial real estate firm working with landlords, tenants, buyers and sellers
NAI CommercialOwner-operated BC brokerage and property management company with Vancouver and Langley offices
Macdonald CommercialBC commercial sales and leasing across retail, office, industrial, multi-family and land
William Wright CommercialBC commercial brokerage with Vancouver and Langley offices and landlord services

OPTION 03

Commercial property management firms

Run the building month to month, and often lease it as part of that

Multi-tenant

Buildings and portfolios that need ongoing management

Best for: Multi-tenant buildings with regular turnover, owners who are away or out of province, and portfolios that need budgets, reconciliations and formal reporting.
Not ideal for: An owner who only needs one vacancy filled and wants no ongoing management. Some firms also set portfolio or building-size minimums. Ask.
How they are paid: Typically a percentage of collected rent each month, plus a leasing fee when they place or renew a tenant. Under a net lease the management fee is often recoverable from tenants; your lease decides.
What you still do yourself: Approve budgets, capital spending and lease terms. Ask whether leasing is done in-house or passed to an outside brokerage.

Examples in Metro Vancouver

Warrington PCI ManagementVancouver office; commercial property management plus office, retail and industrial leasing
Dorset Realty GroupCommercial property management and commercial leasing for office, retail and industrial
Taurus Commercial Real Estate ServicesSurrey office; commercial management for small to mid-sized properties, with lease renewal services
Martello GroupFounded in Vancouver; commercial property management for retail, office and industrial owners
Colliers REMSColliers' Real Estate Management Services for office, retail, industrial and mixed-use properties

OPTION 04

Where we fit

An owner-side leasing and management specialist

One accountable person lists it on the MLS, leases it, then manages it

Under 10,000

sq ft, roughly. Owners who have been listing alone and want MLS exposure plus management

Best for: Private owners of smaller space, roughly under 10,000 sq ft: street retail, small-bay industrial, Class B/C and strata office, live/work, mixed-use ground floor. Owners who have been listing on Craigslist or a sign and want the space on the MLS and realtor.ca without handing the building to a large team: David has his own MLS access and lists it himself. Owners who want the person who screened the tenant to be the person collecting the rent.
Not ideal for: Large floors, institutional buildings, tenants that only deal through national tenant-side teams, or an owner who has already decided to sell.
How they are paid: A leasing fee when the lease is signed, then a management fee monthly as rent is collected. David's leasing fee is typically the first and last months' rent on the lease, and ongoing management is quoted per property.
What you still do yourself: Decide on price and terms, fund improvements, and use your own lawyer for the lease. It is a small team (David Siccia and John Moody, 37 years of combined commercial experience), so check capacity and timing before you engage.

This is David Siccia Properties' category. See how our leasing service works and the market fee ranges.

OPTION 05

Doing it yourself

Craigslist, Kijiji, Spacelist, LoopNet and a sign on the building

One simple unit

A common use, a local owner, time to show it

Best for: One straightforward unit with a common use, a local owner with time, and a phone that gets answered the same day.
Not ideal for: Specialised uses (food, medical, automotive, live/work), owners who are away, space that needs realtor.ca exposure, or a listing already past 90 days with no offer.
How it is paid: No commission. You pay for ads, signage, your own hours and a lawyer. If a tenant arrives with a representative, decide in advance whether you will pay their fee.
What you still do yourself: All of it: pricing, photos, floor plan, enquiries, showings, screening financials, negotiating the offer to lease, and instructing your lawyer.

Firms are named as examples of each category, not as endorsements or rankings. Details change, so check each firm's own site. Descriptions are limited to what each firm said about itself on its own website in September 2026.

Which one fits my situation?

Find the row closest to your building. One recommendation per row, and it is often not us.

Swipe sideways to see the full table

Your situation	Usually the best fit	Why
A full office floor or building, 20,000 sq ft and up	National brokerage	Tenants that size are nearly always represented, and the national firms have the tenant-side relationships and research.
Large-bay industrial or a distribution building	National or large brokerage	A regional and national tenant pool, and deals that are negotiated between two professional teams.
3,000 to 20,000 sq ft, management already in place, you just need a tenant	Boutique or local brokerage	Local submarket knowledge, MLS exposure, and a listing large enough to get real attention.
A multi-tenant plaza or office building with regular turnover	Commercial property management firm	Leasing is one part of a constant job: budgets, reconciliations, vendors and renewals.
A portfolio that needs formal budgets and institutional reporting	A large management platform	Systems, staff depth and reporting standards that lenders and partners expect.
One to a few smaller units, under about 10,000 sq ft, no manager, and you want one person accountable from listing through year three	Owner-side specialist	The person who prices the space and screens the tenant then manages that tenant, so the advice at the table accounts for the whole term.
Live/work, mixed-use ground floor or an unusual zoning	Owner-side specialist, or a boutique brokerage that knows the niche	A narrow tenant pool that is reached by direct outreach and patience more than by volume.
You live out of town and have no time for showings or tenant calls	Management firm, or an owner-side specialist for a smaller building	You need ongoing management either way; pick by building size.
One simple unit, a common use, you are local and have the time	Do it yourself, with a lawyer for the lease	The tenants are searching the same free sites you can post on.
You tried it yourself and it has sat 90 days or more with no offer	Run the listing audit, then hand it over	It is usually price, missing information or exposure. Owners cannot post to the MLS or realtor.ca, so exposure is the gap you cannot close alone. Options 2 and 4 both close it; choose by size and by whether you want management afterwards.
You might sell instead of lease	A brokerage that does both sales and leasing, or a sell-or-lease assessment first	Get both sets of numbers before you commit to either path.

Rows marked with a dot are where David Siccia Properties is a fit. For the last two rows see the commercial listing audit and sell or lease your commercial property.

How is each option paid in BC, and what does it cost?

There is no fixed commission in British Columbia. Commercial leasing commissions are commonly quoted in one of two ways: as a percentage of the total base rent over the term, or as a rate per square foot per year of term. They are usually paid by the landlord and they are negotiable. Management firms typically charge a percentage of collected rent. Conventions vary between firms and asset types, so ask which formula a quote uses and confirm it in writing.

4 to 6%

Leasing, of total lease value

Published Metro Vancouver range, or about one month's rent per year of term

3 to 8%

Management, of gross collected rent

Published Metro Vancouver range; low end for single-tenant net leases

Landlord

Usually pays the leasing commission

A tenant representative's fee is typically shared, not added. Confirm

5% GST

On fees and on commercial rent

PST does not apply to commercial rent. Confirm with your accountant

The ranges above are market figures, sourced and explained on our commercial property management fees page, which also has an estimator that shows the two leasing formulas side by side. They are not a quote from us or from any firm named on this page. David's leasing fee is typically the first and last months' rent on the lease, and ongoing management is quoted per property. A commercial leasing lawyer commonly quotes $2,000 to $6,000 to draft or review a lease; confirm with your lawyer.

Swipe sideways to see the full table

Option	How it is typically paid	When	Confirm in writing
Brokerage, national or boutique	Commission: a percentage of total base rent, or a rate per sq ft per year of term	On signing or commencement, per the agreement	The formula, the rent it applies to, renewals and expansions, and how a tenant representative is paid
Commercial property management firm	A percentage of collected rent, plus a leasing fee per new lease or renewal	Monthly, plus on each lease event	Collected versus scheduled rent, what is extra, and whether your lease lets you recover the fee
Owner-side specialist	A leasing fee, then a management fee as rent is collected	On signing, then monthly	The same items as the two rows above. Our leasing fee is typically the first and last months' rent on the lease
Doing it yourself	No commission. Ads, signage, your hours, legal fees	As you go	Whether you will pay a fee to a tenant's representative if one appears

General information about common BC practice, not a quote. Every agreement is different; read the fee schedule, not the summary.

What should a leasing engagement include, whoever I hire?

The label on the firm matters less than what is written into the engagement. These are the items a good leasing agreement or proposal covers. If one is missing, ask for it before you sign.

Leasing engagement checklist

Applies to a brokerage, a management firm or a specialist

Pricing and marketing

Pricing evidence: comparable asking rates and signed deals for the same asset type and area, with a recommended asking rent and an expected range.
A written marketing plan that names the channels: MLS and realtor.ca if used, Spacelist, LoopNet, the classifieds, signage, and direct outreach.
Who produces the photos, floor plan and measured area, and who pays for them.

Reporting and screening

A reporting cadence: a written update at a set interval with enquiries, showings, feedback and offers.
A tenant screening standard: financial statements, corporate search, references, and a view on deposits and guarantees.
Who negotiates the offer to lease, and what needs your sign-off.

Paper and exit

The lease is drafted or reviewed by a lawyer acting for you. BC has no standard commercial lease form.
The fee formula, when it is payable, and what happens on renewal, expansion or an early default.
The term of the engagement, whether it is exclusive, how either side can cancel, and any holdover period afterwards.

Related: the clauses worth understanding before you negotiate are in our guide to commercial lease types in BC.

Ten questions to ask before you sign with anyone

01Who, by name, will work my listing?And how many other listings do they carry? The person who pitches is not always the person who shows the space.
02What evidence supports the asking rate?Ask for comparable listings and signed deals for the same asset type and area, not a number chosen to win the listing.
03Where will it be marketed, and who pays?MLS and realtor.ca, Spacelist, LoopNet, the classifieds, signage, direct outreach to nearby businesses. Get the list in writing.
04How often will I hear from you?A written report every two weeks with enquiries, showings, feedback and offers is a reasonable standard.
05How do you screen a tenant?Financial statements, corporate search, landlord and trade references, and a view on deposits and personal guarantees.
06Who negotiates, and when does my lawyer take over?Usually the offer to lease is negotiated on the business terms, then your lawyer drafts the lease on your form.
07How exactly is the fee calculated?On which rent, payable when, what happens on renewal or expansion, and is a tenant representative's fee shared or added?
08What happens after the lease is signed?Who handles the deposit, the fixturing period, the additional rent estimate, and the tenant's calls in year three?
09How long am I committed?Term of the engagement, whether it is exclusive, how to cancel, and any holdover period for tenants introduced during the term.
10How are you licensed or structured?Under BC's Real Estate Services Act: which brokerage holds the listing, and who carries errors and omissions insurance.

Ask us the same ten. A firm that is a good fit will answer all of them in one conversation and put the answers in the agreement.

Can I lease my commercial property myself?

Yes, and many owners do. We track live commercial-for-lease listings on Craigslist and Kijiji across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley every day. As of 2026-09-17, 461 of 1,216 listings (38%) were posted by the owner directly. Those two sites lean toward smaller space and owner listings, so the share across the whole market is likely lower, but it shows that self-leasing a small unit is normal, particularly for office.

1,216

Live listings tracked

Craigslist and Kijiji, updated 2026-09-17

56%

Office listings that are owner-direct

340 of 612

16%

Retail listings that are owner-direct

40 of 256

23%

Industrial listings that are owner-direct

81 of 348

The owner-direct share drops sharply for retail and industrial, where uses are more specialised, tenants are more often represented, and a wrong tenant costs more. If you go it alone, do the three things that most owner listings skip: price against live asking rates with the lease rate estimator or the Metro Vancouver commercial lease rates report, put a number on each empty month with the vacancy cost calculator, and check your ad with the commercial listing audit. The full method is in how to find a tenant for your commercial property.

38%

Of 1,216 live listings are owner-direct

Doing it yourself is a real option for one simple unit. The cost is your time and the risk of a slow lease-up: asking rates are not achieved rates, and every empty month is rent you do not get back. Set a limit in advance. If there is no offer by day 90, change the price, the listing or the person.

Cost of an empty month

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

These are hedged ranges from our experience with private-owner listings and from brokerage market reports, the same figures used in our find-a-tenant guide. They run from the start of proper marketing to a signed lease. No option on this page can promise a date, and a well-priced, well-documented listing matters more than who posts it.

Swipe sideways to see the full table

Asset type	Marketing to signed lease	What stretches it
Small-bay industrial	About 30 to 90 days	Power, loading or yard needs that narrow the pool
Small office	About 60 to 150 days	Condition, parking and competing sublease space
Street and strip retail	About 90 to 180 days	Use restrictions, permits, food-service fit-outs
Live/work and specialised space	About 90 to 180 days, sometimes longer	A narrow tenant pool and zoning conditions

Add a fixturing period before rent starts. Under-documented or over-priced listings routinely take twice as long.

Who is allowed to lease property for someone else in BC?

In British Columbia, trading services and rental property management services provided to others for pay are regulated under the Real Estate Services Act and overseen by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA). Whoever you engage, ask how they are licensed or structured, and which brokerage holds the listing. It is a normal question and a good firm will answer it plainly. BCFSA can confirm what applies to a particular arrangement.

How we are set up: David Siccia is a property manager and leasing specialist with his own MLS access, so he lists your space on the MLS and realtor.ca himself. A current example is 1496 Rupert Street in North Vancouver (MLS C8077795, listed with Heller Murch Realty). Property sales are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR® at Engel & Völkers Vancouver.

When is David Siccia Properties the right call, and when is it not?

Call a brokerage instead

Options 1 and 2

Your space: More than roughly 10,000 sq ft, a full floor, a large bay, or an institutional building
Your tenant: A national or regional company that will arrive with its own representative
Your plan: You have decided to sell, or you already have management you are happy with

Narrow on purpose

We are a fit

Option 4

Your space: Under roughly 10,000 sq ft: street retail, small-bay industrial, Class B/C or strata office, live/work, mixed-use ground floor
Your tenant: A local or regional business found through listings, signage and direct outreach
Your plan: You want one accountable person to get it leased and then manage it

Private owners in Metro Vancouver. The leasing fee is typically the first and last months' rent.

Do it yourself instead

Option 5

Your space: One straightforward unit with a common use and clean zoning
Your tenant: Small local businesses searching the free listing sites
Your plan: You are local, you have the hours, and you will use a lawyer for the lease

Vancouver specifics that change the answer

You cannot post to the MLS or realtor.ca yourself. Only members of a real estate board can, and that is where tenant representatives and most businesses start their search. Options 1 and 2 give you that exposure, and so does option 4: David has his own MLS access, which most property managers do not, so the listing can go up right away while you keep one accountable person.
Downtown and Broadway office is a represented market. Larger office tenants in the core usually search through tenant-side teams. Small suites and strata office in Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey and the North Shore are found far more often through online listings.
Small-bay industrial leases quickly when priced right. With availability around 3 to 4% (brokerage market reports, 2025), the work is screening the use and the covenant, not finding enquiries. See industrial property management.
Redevelopment corridors complicate leasing. On Broadway, Cambie, Kingsway and around SkyTrain stations, a demolition clause and a shorter term change who the right tenant is. Whoever leases the space should be able to explain the trade-off. See commercial lease types in BC.
Commercial tenancies are governed by the Commercial Tenancy Act and your lease, not the Residential Tenancy Act, and there is no standard form. That is why the lawyer appears in every option above. The buildings we lease and manage now are on the commercial portfolio, or contact us.

Owner questions

Not sure which option fits your building?

Send the address, the size and what you want to happen. You get a straight answer on which of the five options we would use in your position, including when that is not us.

Ask which option fits 236-998-5841

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

Guides and market data

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General information, not legal advice

This guide is general information for owners of commercial property in British Columbia as we understand it in September 2026. It is not legal, tax or licensing advice. Real estate services are regulated under the Real Estate Services Act and overseen by BCFSA; commercial tenancies are governed by the Commercial Tenancy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 57) and your lease. Fee figures are published market ranges, not a quote from any firm. Other firms are named as examples only, using what each said on its own website. Confirm the engagement and the lease with a lawyer and the tax treatment with an accountant.