About Us > Introduction

The costs associated with a commercial property lease are often the second or third highest expense for a business and yet few business owners have sufficient information for them to understand the process, in order for them to make informed decisions. Not only that, but a commercial property lease is probably one of the most important documents that a business owner will sign. To gain the attention that this critical aspect of a business deserves we have to be a little bit different in our approach.

One client explained it like this…....... "because your process started with you wanting to understand my business and personal goals I quickly became comfortable with discussing all sorts of aspects of my business with you. I never viewed you as simply the company that sorted out my lease...’

So how do we do this? We think it’s simple... we explain the process, we explain the legalities in simple terms, we respond to communications and questions promptly, we spend time understanding your business and personal goals, and we work on a flat fee basis so you don’t have to worry about the bill going up every time you pick up the phone.

Our team has negotiated thousands of commercial property leases. They have experience acting for Landlords and as commercial agents, but they are chosen for their approach to customer service.

Our aim is to ensure you know enough about the leasing process so you can make informed decisions... and we would love to have you as a client.

For most tenants the process of leasing a commercial property is a five step process:

Step 1 Find a property through a combination of web searches, trudging the pavements and contacting numerous commercial property agents.
Step 2 Haggle with the agent over the price and how long you want it for.
Step 3 The agent sends a draft lease document to your solicitor for them to review.
Step 4 Your solicitor negotiates the wording of some terms and you sign the documentation.
Step 5 You file the lease document under ‘Other Miscellaneous’

If you want to know all the problems with this go to the ‘learning page’, but here are the top five…

1. The agent is not working for you
2. The agent negotiates hundreds of leases every year, you don’t
3. The ‘deal’ has largely been done (by you) by the time your solicitor gets the lease document so there’s not much they can do
4. It’s unlikely you will be aware of the total cost of the lease even when you have signed it ( there’s Stamp Duty Land Tax, Land Registry fees, buildings insurance, maintenance, reinstatement costs…)
5. The lease document, which you filed in “Other Miscellaneous”, has scores of hidden time bombs waiting to go off. You had better have read it, understood it (or get someone to read it and explain it to you !), highlighted and noted all the key dates, and have given the responsibility to someone to do everything required of you in the Lease.

There is a better way for you to lease a commercial property, and that’s the Cirrus 5 Step process ...

Step 1 Explain the process that we will be going through in the next few months and the total cost of a lease, so that you can budget more effectively.
Step 2 Complete a market review and analysis of the chosen location
Step 3 Understand your business and /or personal plans in order to build our negotiation strategy and ‘must have’ list
Step 4 Negotiate the entire lease and deal with all documentation
Step 5 Explain the document to you and help you develop a plan to actively manage the lease

So the negotiation is only part of the process. Since 1994, when the company was founded in Canada, Cirrus has been structuring business tenant leases so they become a valuable asset, strengthening the platform for sustained growth.

We’ve grown our business from educating and helping tenants with their lease negotiation and ongoing administration. Let us help you grow yours. If you want all the details please go to the solutions section. If you’ve read enough and want to speak to someone... please give us a call or email us