Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield

Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield of The Lease Coach are commercial lease consultants who work exclusively for tenants. Dale and Jeff are professional speakers and co-authors of "Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals For Dummies." Got a leasing question? Need help with your new lease or renewal? Call 1-800-738-9202, or email DaleWillerton@TheLeaseCoach.com.

Articles by Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield

• Who makes the first offer?

  When it comes to commercial leasing, who makes the first offer on a property for lease? The answer might…

  Thursday, March 07, 2019

• Negotiating commercial leases: What’s in a name?

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Thursday, February 14, 2019

• Negotiating commercial leases: Reduce your square footage

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Friday, January 25, 2019

• Negotiating commercial leases: Get a document review

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, January 02, 2019

• Negotiating commercial leases: Request written proposals

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, November 28, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Use the franchise advantage

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, November 14, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Focus on important issues

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Friday, October 26, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Subletting your commercial space

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Don’t forget the parking

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, October 03, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Renewal rent reductions

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Friday, September 21, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Renewal term allowances

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Tuesday, August 14, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Put your meeting in writing

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, August 01, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Keep success quiet

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Tuesday, July 03, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Buying a business?

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, June 20, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Don’t give post-dated checks

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, June 06, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Anticipate your lease agreement

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, May 23, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Negotiate for free perks

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Thursday, May 10, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Cap your operating costs

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, April 26, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Give the loser one last chance

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Wednesday, April 11, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Beware of the agent’s dual agency

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, March 29, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Make all offers conditional

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, March 07, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Avoiding letters of credit

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, February 15, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Who should be the tenant?

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, January 31, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: When should the lease end?

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Thursday, January 18, 2018

• Negotiating commercial leases: Select the best lease length

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, December 13, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Go slow for a better deal

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, November 29, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Asking for free rent

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, November 16, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Turnkey construction advice

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, November 02, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Trade free rent for cash

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Thursday, October 19, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Is the asking rent too high?

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, October 05, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Calculating market rents

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, September 07, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Determine your bargaining strength

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Thursday, July 27, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Who makes the first offer?

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Wednesday, July 12, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Size up your opponent

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Tuesday, June 27, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Meet the landlord

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Tuesday, June 13, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Location, location, location

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Wednesday, May 31, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Ask the right questions

  ​For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent…

  Wednesday, May 17, 2017

• Negotiating commercial leases: Don’t telegraph your plans

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Thursday, May 04, 2017

• 3 easy tips for negotiating commercial leases

  For many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or…

  Wednesday, April 19, 2017

• Tenants, beware of landlords with 13-inch rulers

  Measure twice so you only pay once. While representing commercial tenants with leasing matters since…

  Thursday, March 09, 2017

• 8 lease warnings for commercial tenants

  Opening a business and leasing space from a landlord may feel like a marriage, but it's not. Commercial…

  Thursday, December 08, 2016

• Standing in the landlord’s shoes: Seeing yourself as a prospective tenant

  Securing a commercial tenancy isn't always an easy process. One big reason is landlords and tenants have…

  Thursday, October 13, 2016

• Counteroffering the landlord’s lease-renewal proposal

  You have received your landlord’s lease-renewal proposal, so what is your next step? Your job isn't…

  Wednesday, August 31, 2016

• The importance of time, timelines and timing with your commercial lease

  The commercial leasing process can take differing amounts of time, depending on whether you're opening…

  Thursday, July 21, 2016

• Parking pitfalls for commercial tenants

  Do you have enough parking spaces for your customers, you and your staff? It's a common problem we see…

  Thursday, May 26, 2016

• Can you negotiate free commercial rent? Yes

  ​Free rent is just one negotiable factor among many in a commercial lease. Even if you did not receive…

  Wednesday, April 20, 2016

• Understanding the significance of signage

  ​Entrepreneurs can't just open a location and expect customers to beat a path to their door. Those…

  Monday, March 21, 2016

• Leasing tips, tactics and strategies for commercial tenants

  When looking to lease commercial property, it's crucial to do your research on location, size and cost,…

  Tuesday, February 23, 2016

• Pros and cons of preleasing undeveloped commercial property

  As either a new or existing commercial tenant, you may be tempted to prelease undeveloped property (to…

  Friday, January 08, 2016

• Tips for negotiating renewal-option clauses

  The renewal-option clause in a lease is there for the sole benefit of the tenant. Essentially, its purpose…

  Thursday, October 15, 2015

• Dealing with deposits for commercial tenants

  Although landlords often ask for security deposits on commercial leases, such deposits aren't legally…

  Wednesday, August 12, 2015

• 5 warnings no one ever tells commercial tenants

  Dealing with landlords and their representatives can be challenging at any time, but when you're a novice…

  Thursday, July 30, 2015

• Figuring out where your business will thrive, not just survive

  The commercial leasing and site-selection process is not easy or even enjoyable for most tenants. But…

  Thursday, July 02, 2015

• Selecting the right professional to help you, the tenant

  The difference between success and failure in a business can easily come down to your location and lease…

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

• Debunking these 4 lease-renewal myths

  Considering the average commercial tenant only negotiates a couple of leases in his or her lifetime (and…

  Tuesday, June 02, 2015

• Pros and cons of buying vs. leasing commercial property

  The most common reason tenants lease space instead of buying a location is because 95 percent of all…

  Wednesday, May 13, 2015

• What type of landlord are you dealing with?

  Most tenants don't realize that landlords fall into different categories, and these landlords have different…

  Wednesday, April 15, 2015

• Negotiating the operating costs as rent

  When it comes to negotiating commercial leases and renewals, there are aspects of operating costs that…

  Thursday, March 19, 2015

• Is bigger really better? Leasing the right size of commercial space

  Commercial tenants often say they are not making any money because their rent is too high. Sometimes…

  Thursday, January 15, 2015

• Selling your business? What tenants need to know about their lease

  Whether we're speaking at a franchise convention, healthcare workshop or a restaurant expo, we are magnets…

  Thursday, December 11, 2014

• Phantom space: Getting the room you pay for

  Space measurement is one of our favorite topics, and it's amazing how often it's done incorrectly. When…

  Tuesday, November 11, 2014

• Friend or foe? The real motivation of commercial real estate agents

  Commercial tenants are entitled to know if the real estate agent or broker is being paid a commission…

  Tuesday, October 14, 2014

• How much rent can tenants afford to pay?

  One of the most commonly-asked questions we hear is, "How do I know how much rent my business can afford…

  Wednesday, September 17, 2014

• Why do site selection if you’re not planning to relocate?

  Prior to negotiating a lease renewal, there is great value in conducting a site selection. Typically,…

  Friday, August 15, 2014

• Avoiding security deposit pitfalls when renewing your lease

  Tenants can hit some potential pitfalls with the security deposit when renewing a lease. To be successful…

  Wednesday, July 16, 2014

• How to negotiate a lease renewal rent reduction for commercial tenants

  When we speak at major North American conferences and franchise shows, we frequently advise our audiences…

  Wednesday, June 11, 2014

• 3 myths when negotiating commercial leases and renewals

  Whether you are leasing space in a strip plaza, office building, shopping mall or industrial warehouse…

  Wednesday, May 14, 2014

• Franchisee tenants: Dealing with deposits and guaranties

  ​While landlords often ask for security deposits and/or personal guaranties on commercial leases, neither…

  Tuesday, April 22, 2014