Updated October 16, 2026
Short answer: a tenant representation broker can help you do both: find office space and negotiate the lease. The broker searches every available building, including sublease space that never reaches the listing sites, tours the options with you, gets competing proposals and negotiates rent, free rent, tenant improvement allowance and options. The landlord pays the broker’s commission, so it costs you nothing out of pocket. A commercial real estate attorney then reviews the lease document. Tenant Advisors, Inc. represents only office tenants, never landlords, across Chicago and the suburbs.
Key Takeaways
- A tenant rep broker finds the space and negotiates the lease. The landlord pays the commission.
- Listing sites show what landlords advertise. A tenant rep also finds sublease and unadvertised space and knows which landlords will deal.
- A commercial real estate attorney negotiates the lease document; budget $1,500 to $5,000 for a mid-size office lease.
- Start 12 to 18 months before your lease expires, longer above 20,000 SF.
- You can renegotiate without moving. Real alternatives are what move a renewal offer.
Who Can Help Me Find Office Space?
A commercial real estate broker who specializes in tenant representation, often called a tenant rep broker. A tenant rep works for the business leasing the space, not the building owner, and handles the search from start to finish:
- Defines how much space you need and what you can afford.
- Identifies every building and suite that fits, direct and sublease.
- Compares rental rates, operating expenses and total occupancy cost.
- Evaluates location, parking, transit, amenities and commute for your staff.
- Schedules tours and requests proposals from several landlords at once.
- Lays the proposals side by side so you can see the real cost of each.
Searching a listing site shows you what landlords are advertising. It doesn’t show sublease space that hasn’t been listed, which buildings are carrying large vacancies, or what concessions tenants are actually getting. A tenant rep brings that market data to every tour. Tell us your size and timing and we’ll send every available office that fits within 24 hours: request a building survey.
Who Can Help Me Negotiate My Office Lease?
The same tenant rep broker, working with a commercial real estate attorney. The broker negotiates the business terms, which are worth far more than the advertised rental rate:
- Base rent: the rate per square foot and the annual escalations.
- Free rent: abated months at the start of the term.
- Tenant improvement allowance: landlord money for build-out.
- Operating expenses: caps, base year and pass-through protections.
- Renewal options: the right to extend on negotiated terms.
- Expansion and contraction rights: flexibility as headcount changes.
- Early termination: a defined way out before expiration.
- Restoration: limits on what you must remove when you leave.
The goal is the lowest total occupancy cost over the term, with the flexibility your business needs. Our office lease negotiation page explains how we run that process.
Broker vs. Attorney vs. Going Direct
| Tenant Rep Broker | Real Estate Attorney | Going Direct (DIY) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finds available space | Every direct, sublease and unadvertised option | No | Listing sites only |
| 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, the landlord pays the commission | $1,500 to $5,000 typical | No fee, but typically leaves above-market terms on the table |
| Market data and alternatives | Full market survey, comps, competitive proposals | None, attorneys don’t survey the market | Advertised rates only, no comp data |
| When to engage | 12 to 18 months before expiration | Once a letter of intent is signed | – |
The Four Professionals Who Can Help You Lease Office Space
1. Tenant Representation Broker
A tenant rep broker works exclusively for you, the tenant, never the landlord. The broker runs the whole process: analyzing your space needs, surveying the market, touring alternatives, requesting proposals from multiple buildings, comparing them 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, including Schaumburg, Rosemont, Oak Brook, Naperville and Northbrook, 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 to $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 search 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.
Should I Use the Landlord’s Leasing Agent or Hire My Own Broker?
Hire your own. The leasing agent on the sign is hired by the building owner to fill the building at the best price for the owner. A tenant rep is hired to get the best terms for you. Those goals conflict, which is why Tenant Advisors represents tenants only and never takes landlord leasing assignments. See why tenants only matters and how dual agency works in Illinois.
Can I 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. If you already signed without help, a lease audit can identify what you’re overpaying.
Can I Renegotiate My Office Lease Without Moving?
Yes, and renewals are where tenants leave the most money on the table. Once your landlord believes you aren’t going anywhere, your leverage disappears and the renewal proposal reflects it. A tenant rep surveys competing buildings, gets real relocation proposals and uses them to move the renewal offer, even if you fully intend to stay. One Schaumburg tenant cut rent 18% by renewing two years early. More on creating leverage without moving and our office lease renewal negotiation service.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Tenant Rep Broker?
Nothing out of pocket in a typical Chicago office lease. The landlord pays the commission, and it is 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. Confirm the compensation terms in your representation agreement. The attorney is your direct cost ($1,500 to $5,000 typical), and test fits are usually landlord-paid. More detail is in our tenant representation FAQ.
When Should I Start Looking for Office Space?
12 to 18 months before your lease expires, longer for requirements above 20,000 SF or a full build-out. That leaves time to survey the market, tour, get competing proposals, negotiate and build out without deadline pressure. Engage the broker first. The broker brings in the space planner during tours and the attorney once a letter of intent is signed. Vendors come in after lease execution.
Where Can I Find Office Space in Chicago and the Suburbs?
Tenant Advisors covers five office markets. Each city guide lists the notable buildings, current rents, vacancy and the concessions tenants are getting.
See every city in our Chicago and suburban office space guide. If your lease expires in the next 18 months, schedule a strategy call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can help me find office space in Chicago?
A tenant representation broker. A tenant rep searches every available office that fits your size and budget, including sublease space that isn’t advertised, tours the options with you, gets competing proposals and negotiates the lease. The landlord pays the commission. Tenant Advisors, Inc. represents only office tenants across Chicago and the suburbs.
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. 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 in a typical office lease. The landlord pays the brokerage commission, which is built into building economics whether or not the tenant uses a broker. Tenants should confirm the compensation terms in their representation agreement.
Should I use the landlord’s leasing agent?
The landlord’s leasing agent is hired to fill the building at the best price for the owner. A tenant rep is hired to get the best terms for the tenant. Because those goals conflict, most tenants are better served by their own representation.
Can I renegotiate my office lease without moving?
Yes. A tenant rep surveys competing buildings and gets real relocation proposals, then uses them as leverage on the renewal. Tenants often secure lower rent, more free rent or better flexibility while staying in place.
When should I start looking for office space?
12 to 18 months before your lease expires, and longer for requirements above 20,000 SF or a full build-out. Starting early leaves time to compare options and negotiate without deadline pressure.
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 proposal 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.
Who can help me find office space in Schaumburg, Oak Brook, Rosemont or downtown Chicago?
Tenant Advisors, Inc. represents office tenants in all five Chicago-area office markets: the Northwest Suburbs, O’Hare, the East-West Corridor, the North Suburbs and the Chicago CBD. Call Tom Koelzer at (847) 778-0296.
About the authors: Tom Koelzer (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, LinkedIn) and Dave Ven Horst (Co-Founder & Managing Broker) founded Tenant Advisors, Inc. in 2004. Both have worked in Chicago office leasing since the mid-1980s, and the firm has negotiated more than 2,000 office leases, representing tenants only. Call (847) 778-0296 or email tkoelzer@tenantadvisors.com.