Opening a store in Los Angeles?
Free space search. In most deals the landlord pays our fee.Free space search. In most deals the landlord pays our fee.
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Tell us the space. We find it.
- Inline, strip center, pad, and freestanding retail
- Site selection on and off market
- Letter of intent through signed lease
- Final lease checked against every LOI term
In most deals the landlord pays our fee.
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Tell us what you need. In most deals the landlord pays our fee, not you.
Retail tenant representation in Los Angeles
Retail tenant representation means a broker who works only for the tenant: finding the site, negotiating the letter of intent, and checking the lease against it before anyone signs. In most Los Angeles retail deals the landlord pays the tenant rep's fee. Encore Realty is a Los Angeles commercial real estate firm. Our retail tenant work in 2026 includes three leases for a multi-location discount retailer, 52,249 square feet combined, in Granada Hills, Los Angeles, and La Cañada Flintridge, alongside first locations for local operators such as Smashin Sam's in Van Nuys.
Recent retail tenant leases
| Property | Size | Result for the tenant |
|---|---|---|
| 11130 Balboa Blvd, Granada Hills | 25,488 SF | Multi-location discount retailer. A long stretch of free rent and a tenant improvement allowance (2026) |
| 4633 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles | 18,361 SF | Same retailer. The landlord carried the entire rebuild, including the roof and HVAC (2026) |
| 2160 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada Flintridge | 8,400 SF | Same retailer. Ten year lease with a tenant improvement allowance (2026) |
| 16851 Victory Blvd, Van Nuys | Retail | Smashin Sam's first location, at below market rent (2025) |
| 814 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada Flintridge | 1,900 SF | Retail lease for the tenant (2024) |
A retailer signs the next site with the same broker when the last one opened on budget. Three leases in one year for one client is the record we point to.
What a retail tenant rep does
- Site selection. On market and off market space, compared on total occupancy cost per square foot per month, not the headline rate
- Letter of intent. Rent, NNN, free rent, tenant improvements, delivery condition, use, exclusives, and options settled before the lease is drafted. See our clause by clause guide to retail LOIs
- Lease review. The drafted lease checked line by line against every term the LOI settled, before anything is signed
- Delivery and opening. Rent commencement, build out milestones, and option dates tracked so the free rent you negotiated is the free rent you get
Where retail deals are won in Los Angeles
Rarely on the rate. On the terms around it.
- When free rent starts. From lease execution, it burns while you are still permitting. From opening or certificate of occupancy, you get it when you can actually trade
- Delivery condition. On older Los Angeles retail buildings, who pays for the roof, HVAC, and deferred work decides who pays for the first failure. On Santa Monica Boulevard we put the entire rebuild on the landlord
- Use and exclusives. A use clause written too narrowly limits what you can sell later; an exclusive keeps a direct competitor out of the center
- NNN charges. Get an estimate of taxes, insurance, and CAM in writing, and understand how a sale of the building can raise the tax pass through. Our guide to NNN, gross, and modified gross leases walks through it
- CASp disclosure. California requires a commercial landlord to state whether the space has been inspected by a Certified Access Specialist. Settle who pays for accessibility work before you sign
Multi-site retailers and first locations
Multi-site retailers need consistency. The same LOI checklist and the same lease rider on every deal, so the third site does not give back what the first one won.
First locations need the opposite. The landlord has no operating history to judge, so the package has to carry the deal: financials, the concept, and how any guaranty is structured. We target landlords whose space and terms fit a new operator.
Where we work
Retail corridors across Los Angeles County, with the most activity in the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, and Northeast Los Angeles. Our office is in Glassell Park.
Looking for retail space?
Tell us the size, the area, and the use. We send back what fits, on and off market, and say plainly when a space does not work. Start your free space search, or see how we work on the leasing page.
What clients say
Five star reviews on Google → (opens in a new tab)“Encore Realty was fantastic to work with! They helped us find the perfect retail space to lease and made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommend their team!”
“Encore Realty made selling our retail center easy. We had the quickest sale and sold above asking price! Great communication and excellent service throughout. Highly recommend!”
“Excellent service managing my 4 unit, would recommend!”
Retail leasing questions we get.
What does a retail tenant representative do?
A retail tenant representative works only for the tenant. That covers finding sites on and off the market, comparing them on total occupancy cost rather than the headline rate, negotiating the letter of intent, and checking the drafted lease against every term the LOI settled before anything is signed. After signing, a good tenant rep tracks delivery, rent commencement, and option dates so nothing agreed in the LOI is lost in the build out.
Who pays a retail tenant rep in Los Angeles?
In most Los Angeles retail leases the landlord pays the leasing commission and shares it with the tenant's representative, so the tenant usually pays nothing directly. We confirm in writing how the fee is paid before the search starts, so there are no surprises later.
Do you work with multi-location retailers?
Yes. In 2026 we represented a multi-location discount retailer on three Los Angeles County leases totaling 52,249 square feet: 25,488 square feet in Granada Hills with a long stretch of free rent and a tenant improvement allowance, 18,361 square feet on Santa Monica Boulevard where the landlord carried the entire rebuild including the roof and HVAC, and 8,400 square feet in La Cañada Flintridge on a ten year lease with a tenant improvement allowance. Working across several sites, we keep one LOI checklist so terms won on one lease carry to the next.
What should be settled in a retail LOI before the lease is drafted?
At minimum: the permitted use and any exclusive, base rent and an estimate of NNN charges, when free rent starts and what triggers rent commencement, the tenant improvement allowance and the condition the space is delivered in, renewal options and how option rent is set, and the CASp disclosure California requires. Terms left vague in the LOI tend to come back as disputes in the lease. Our clause by clause guide to retail LOIs covers each one.
Can you help a first-time retailer get approved by a landlord?
Yes. A first location is the hardest lease a business signs, because the landlord has no operating history to judge. We help put together the package that carries the deal, including financials, the concept, and how any guaranty is structured, and we target landlords whose space and terms fit a new operator. We represented Smashin Sam's in securing its first location on Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys at below market rent.
Opening your next location?
The search is free. In most deals the landlord pays our fee. Send the size, the area, and the use.