The Atlas blog
Working methods for leasing commercial space: finding tenants, reaching decision-makers, and which tools help, written from what we build and run every day.
October 8, 2026 · 3 min read
A retail tenant prospect list you can hand to another broker
Download a free CSV template for retail tenant prospecting. Track operator identity, property fit, evidence, contacts, and the next action in one place.
October 7, 2026 · 3 min read
Before pitching a restaurant tenant, calculate the cost of occupying the space
Work through restaurant occupancy costs, a sales-sensitivity example, and second-generation fit-out questions before proposing a space to an operator.
October 5, 2026 · 3 min read
Fitness tenants are growing. Which format belongs in your retail space?
Use 2026 fitness research to build a better leasing shortlist. Compare studio formats, peak-hour parking, sound, layout, and the operator's site process.
October 3, 2026 · 3 min read
Retail trade area analysis: how far away is a competing location, really?
Compare radius, drive time, access, and store format when screening retail tenants. A practical guide to nearby presence without a universal distance rule.
October 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Finding local operators who could bring a good concept to another district
Find independent retail prospects in comparable districts. Assess the concept, local reputation, and property fit without assuming expansion intent.
September 30, 2026 · 3 min read
Medical tenants for retail space: start with the practice, then the floor plan
Outpatient growth is attracting retail landlords. Learn how to screen practice types, building constraints, and decision-makers before marketing a unit.
September 29, 2026 · 3 min read
How to turn a retailer’s expansion announcement into a leasing lead
Use real 2026 expansion announcements to screen retail prospects by event, market, format, nearby locations, and remaining site demand before outreach.
September 28, 2026 · 3 min read
Retail void analysis: deciding whether a missing concept belongs in your center
Turn a gap in your tenant mix into a testable leasing idea. Compare demand, nearby supply, customer occasions, and the space before approaching operators.
September 26, 2026 · 3 min read
Small retail space in 2026: finding the tenant who can use what you have
Retail supply remains selective and tenant costs matter. Diagnose a small-space vacancy through usable layout, occupancy costs, and operator fit.
September 24, 2026 · 4 min read
Where can brokers find tenant demand data they can actually use?
Find public market data, retailer requirements, and expansion evidence. A practical way for brokers to turn separate sources into a tenant shortlist.
September 23, 2026 · 5 min read
Why property search on a CRE firm's own site keeps disappointing
Most firm websites lose enquiries in the search itself. The five failures that cost the most, why they are invisible in analytics, and what to check first.
September 21, 2026 · 5 min read
What a commercial prospecting platform actually does
Prospecting software promises pipeline and usually delivers a list. The four things worth testing before you buy, and the questions vendors find hard to answer.
September 19, 2026 · 5 min read
Retail tenant directories and databases: what they are good for
A tenant list tells you who exists, not who is looking. What retail tenant databases actually contain, how fast they go stale, and how to use one without wasting a quarter.
September 17, 2026 · 4 min read
What AI actually changed about finding tenants, and what it did not
An honest account of where AI helps in commercial leasing: the research hours it removes, the judgement it does not replace, and how to tell the two apart when buying.
September 15, 2026 · 4 min read
Tenant improvement allowances: what to offer, and what it is really costing you
How to think about a fit-out contribution as an investment with a payback period rather than a discount, how to structure it safely, and when to refuse.
September 12, 2026 · 4 min read
How to set an asking rent when the comparables are thin
Asking rents are advertisements, not evidence. How to build a defensible number from the few real signals you have, and how to adjust without cutting the headline.
September 9, 2026 · 4 min read
The tenants for your retail unit may not be retailers
Medical, fitness, personal care and service businesses now take a large share of small retail units. What they need, what they pay, and how they change a centre.
September 4, 2026 · 3 min read
Retail vacancy in 2026: what the numbers mean for landlords
NAR's 2026 data shows retail as the tightest commercial sector while office stays elevated. What that means for rents, tenant mix, and filling a vacancy now.
September 1, 2026 · 4 min read
How to lease a second-generation restaurant space
A former restaurant is the most valuable small unit you can own and the easiest to mislease. What the infrastructure is worth, who to approach, and what to verify first.
August 26, 2026 · 3 min read
Tenant mix: how to choose tenants that make a retail center work
Why the tenant next door changes your rent roll: anchors, complementary uses, co-tenancy clauses, and the signs a prospective tenant will help or hurt the center.
August 19, 2026 · 4 min read
How long should it take to fill a commercial vacancy?
What a realistic leasing timeline looks like, what each month of delay actually costs, and which parts of the process are worth compressing first.
August 12, 2026 · 3 min read
Commercial real estate prospecting in 2026: what the data says works
NAR's 2025 survey shows where leads really come from and what brokers pay for tools. How landlord-rep brokers win listings and fill spaces with specific, provable work.
August 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The first email to a prospective tenant, and why most of them fail
What to put in a cold approach to a business you want in your space: the one specific reason, the three numbers, the small ask, and the CAN-SPAM rules that apply.
July 30, 2026 · 4 min read
Commercial lease terms explained, in plain English
NNN vs gross, CAM, TI allowance, LOI, percentage rent, escalations, personal guarantees: what each term means before you negotiate a retail or commercial lease.
July 23, 2026 · 4 min read
Commercial real estate tenant search tools: what actually works
Listing marketplaces, data platforms, prospecting stacks, and AI tenant search compared honestly: what each finds, what it costs, and who should use which.
July 17, 2026 · 4 min read
Who actually signs: finding the franchisee instead of the brand
Emailing a franchise head office is the slowest route into a chain. Here is who signs a franchise lease, how to identify them, and what to send once you have.
July 9, 2026 · 4 min read
How to qualify a commercial tenant before you spend a tour on them
Six questions that separate a tenant who will sign and trade from one who will waste three months: format fit, covenant strength, funding, and what their answers reveal.
July 2, 2026 · 4 min read
How to fill a vacant retail space fast: a 30-day playbook
A week-by-week plan for landlords with an empty retail unit: package the space, build a real candidate list, reach decision-makers, and get to a signed LOI.
June 24, 2026 · 4 min read
Your listing has views and no tours. Here is what that actually means
A commercial listing with traffic and no enquiries is not a marketing problem. It is usually the wrong audience, a missing number, or a price the market has already answered.
June 17, 2026 · 5 min read
How to find tenants for a commercial property
A working method for finding retail and commercial tenants: four sourcing channels, decision-maker research, and outreach that gets replies.