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Office Space , Commercial Real Estate

How to Find the Best Phoenix Office Space—Without Overpaying

By The Keyser Editorial Team
October 15, 2025

Executive Summary

  • Phoenix demand is uneven: some submarkets are heating up (Scottsdale, Tempe, Downtown), while overall vacancy remains elevated.

  • That imbalance creates leverage—if your broker is 100% on your side.

  • Tenant-only representation (Keyser’s model) expands your options, pressures pricing, and secures stronger concessions and protections.

Why Tenants Overpay

  • Split loyalties: Traditional brokerages often represent landlords and tenants, creating incentives that can dilute your outcome.

  • Partial market views: Seeing only pre-selected listings limits your leverage.

  • Weak negotiation posture: Without hard comps and a credible walk-away, landlords won’t move on rent, TI, or flexibility.

The Tenant-Only Advantage (Keyser)

Keyser represents tenants only—never landlords—so our loyalty is unambiguous. We:

  • Show the full market: Every viable option across Scottsdale, Tempe, Downtown, the Camelback Corridor, Chandler, and more.

  • Create competition: We leverage multiple shortlisted options to improve economics and terms.

  • Capture value you can measure: Lower effective rent, larger TI packages, free rent, renewal flexibility, expansion/contraction rights, and operating-expense protections.

Negotiation Levers You Should Expect

  • Face vs. effective rent: Reduce true occupancy costs via free rent, step-ups, and escalations that pencil.

  • Tenant Improvement (TI) dollars: Maximize allowance; align delivery standards and contingencies.

  • Flexibility: Renewal, termination, expansion/contraction rights aligned to your growth plan.

  • OpEx transparency: Caps, audit rights, controllable-expense definitions, and base-year clarity.

  • Build-out risk: Clear timelines, landlord delays, liquidated damages where appropriate.

A Simple, High-Leverage Process

  1. Strategy & headcount planning (12–36 months outlook).

  2. Market scan & comp set across priority submarkets.

  3. Shortlist & RFPs that force real competition.

  4. Economic/Legal term modeling (net effective rent, TI, cash flow).

  5. Final negotiations on economics and protections (the small print that saves big).

  6. Execution & post-deal audits to ensure promised value is delivered.

What Success Looks Like

  • Lower total cost of occupancy (effective rent, not just face).

  • More TI and free rent without sacrificing quality.

  • Built-in flexibility to scale up or down.

  • No surprises in operating expenses or build-out delivery.

Call to Action

Choosing Phoenix office space is about more than an address—it’s about cost control, resilience, and leverage. With Keyser as your tenant-only advocate, your lease will support your goals—not your landlord’s profit.

 


 

FAQs

 

What makes tenant-only representation different?
There’s no conflict of interest. Your broker never represents landlords, so every recommendation maximizes your leverage, savings, and protections.

 

How does Keyser reduce total occupancy cost?
We create competition among landlords, model net effective rent (not just face), and secure TI, free rent, OpEx protections, and flexible options that lower risk and cost.

 

Is now a good time to negotiate in Phoenix?
Yes. Mixed demand with elevated vacancy in several submarkets means meaningful concessions are available—if your advisor pushes and you maintain a credible BATNA.

 

Beyond rent, what terms matter most?
TI dollars, free rent, renewal/termination rights, expansion/contraction rights, OpEx caps and audit rights, delivery standards, and delay remedies.

 

How do we get started?
Connect with a Keyser advisor. We’ll align space strategy to your headcount plan, run a full-market scan, and drive a competitive RFP that translates into real savings.

All posts
The Keyser Editorial Team

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