Short answer: the professionals who can help you negotiate an office lease are a tenant representation broker, who negotiates the business terms, and a commercial real estate attorney, who reviews the lease document itself. Most Chicago tenants also involve a space planner and, at move time, furniture and relocation vendors. The broker typically costs you nothing — the landlord pays the commission — and coordinates the rest of the team.
Key Takeaways
- A tenant rep broker negotiates your lease economics — rent, free rent, tenant improvement allowance, options — and costs you nothing, because the landlord pays the commission.
- A commercial real estate attorney negotiates the lease document itself; budget $1,500–$5,000 for a mid-size office lease.
- Use both. The broker handles economics, the attorney handles legal risk — neither replaces the other.
- Engage the broker 9–12 months before lease expiration. Leverage comes from having real alternatives, even if you plan to stay.
Broker vs. Attorney vs. Going Direct
| Tenant Rep Broker | Real Estate Attorney | Going Direct (DIY) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they negotiate | Rent, free rent, TI allowance, term, escalations, options | Lease language: assignment, default, SNDA, restoration, holdover | Everything — against professionals who do this daily |
| Cost to tenant | $0 — landlord pays the commission | $1,500–$5,000 typical | “Free” — but typically leaves above-market terms on the table |
| Market data & alternatives | Full market survey, comps, competitive RFP process | None — attorneys don’t survey the market | Limited to public listings; no comp data |
| When to engage | 9–12 months before expiration | Once a letter of intent is signed | — |
The Four Professionals Who Can Help You Negotiate an Office Lease
1. Tenant Representation Broker
A tenant rep broker works exclusively for you, the tenant — never the landlord. The broker runs the entire negotiation: analyzing your space needs, surveying the market, touring alternatives, issuing RFPs to multiple buildings, comparing proposals side by side, and negotiating rent, free rent, tenant improvement allowances, escalations, and options. The competitive process is the point — landlords only offer their best terms when they believe you have real alternatives.
In the transactions we track and negotiate across the Chicago CBD and suburbs — Schaumburg, Rosemont, Oak Brook, Naperville, Northbrook and beyond — represented tenants consistently secure lower effective rents and larger concession packages than tenants who negotiate directly with their landlord. Not all brokers are the same, though — many Chicago brokerages represent landlords and tenants at the same time, which creates a conflict of interest. Our guide to Chicago office tenant representation firms explains the different representation models and how to choose.
2. Commercial Real Estate Attorney
Once the business terms are agreed in a letter of intent, the landlord’s attorney drafts the lease — and that draft always favors the landlord. A commercial real estate attorney reviews and negotiates the legal language: assignment and sublease rights, default and cure provisions, SNDA, restoration obligations, holdover penalties, and personal guaranty terms. Attorney review typically costs $1,500–$5,000 for a mid-size office lease and routinely pays for itself many times over.
3. Architect or Space Planner
A space planner produces test fits — floor plans showing how your operation fits into each candidate space. Test fits keep you from leasing more square footage than you need and give you hard numbers to negotiate the tenant improvement allowance. Landlords often cover test-fit costs for serious prospects, and your broker arranges them as part of the process.
4. Furniture, Technology, and Move Vendors
If the negotiation ends in a relocation, you’ll need furniture, cabling, IT, and movers. An experienced tenant rep broker maintains a vetted vendor network and coordinates the move timeline against your lease commencement date, so there’s no gap between spaces.
Broker vs. Attorney: Who Does What?
They’re complementary, not interchangeable. The broker negotiates the economics — rent, concessions, term, options — using market leverage. The attorney negotiates the legal risk in the document. A tenant who hires only an attorney gets a well-drafted lease at above-market terms; a tenant who skips the attorney gets great economics wrapped in one-sided legal language. Use both.
Can You Negotiate Directly With the Landlord?
You can — but you’ll be negotiating against professionals who do this every day, without market data and without credible alternatives. This is most costly at renewal: once your landlord believes you aren’t going anywhere, your leverage disappears, and renewal proposals reflect it. Our office lease renewal negotiation page covers how represented tenants create leverage even when they intend to stay. If you already signed without help, a lease audit can identify what you’re overpaying.
What Does Each Professional Cost?
The tenant rep broker costs you nothing — commissions are paid by the landlord and are built into every building’s economics whether you use a broker or not. Skipping representation doesn’t save the fee; it just leaves it with the landlord’s side. The attorney is your direct cost ($1,500–$5,000 typical). Test fits are usually landlord-paid. More detail on fees and conflicts is in our tenant representation FAQ.
When to Bring Each One In
Engage the broker first, 9–12 months before lease expiration (longer above 20,000 SF). The broker brings in the space planner during building tours, and the attorney once a letter of intent is signed. Vendors come in after lease execution. Tenant Advisors has represented office tenants — never landlords — since 2004, with 2,000+ leases negotiated across the Chicago CBD, Northwest Suburbs, O’Hare/Rosemont, East-West Corridor, and North Suburbs. If your lease expires in the next 12 months, request a free consultation.
Who negotiates an office lease on behalf of the tenant?
A tenant representation broker negotiates the business terms (rent, free rent, tenant improvement allowance, term, options) on the tenant’s behalf, and a commercial real estate attorney negotiates the legal language of the lease document. The broker is paid by the landlord; the attorney is paid by the tenant.
Do I need a broker AND an attorney for an office lease?
Yes, for most leases. The broker creates market leverage and negotiates economics; the attorney protects you in the document itself. Neither replaces the other — an attorney doesn’t survey the market or run a competitive process, and a broker doesn’t provide legal advice.
How much does a tenant rep broker cost in Chicago?
Nothing out of pocket. The landlord pays the brokerage commission, which is built into building economics whether or not the tenant uses a broker. Tenants who negotiate without representation don’t save the fee — it simply stays on the landlord’s side of the table.
Can a lawyer negotiate my office lease instead of a broker?
An attorney can negotiate lease language, but attorneys don’t survey the market, tour alternatives, or run the competitive RFP process that drives rent and concessions down. Tenants get the best results using a tenant rep broker for economics and an attorney for the document.
About the Founders: Tenant Advisors, Inc. was co-founded in 2004 by Tom Koelzer (Co-Founder & Managing Partner) and Dave Ven Horst (Co-Founder & Managing Broker). The Schaumburg-based commercial real estate firm has represented office tenants exclusively — never landlords — across Chicago and the suburbs, with more than 2,000 office leases negotiated. Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.