Brighton Retail Space - For Rent & Sale
With its location in the northwest corner of the city, Brighton is a prime location for retail businesses. If you'd like to open a business here or are ready to upgrade to a newer, better location, sign up for access to Boston City Properties' free Brighton retail space listings. In no time flat, you will have a list of commercial and retail properties that suit your business's needs and budget. Our team of friendly retail space leasing and sales experts is also available to assist you in finding properties that will set your business up for unparalleled success in this exciting neighborhood.
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Retail Space
Finding Retail and Commercial Space in Brighton
Special considerations must be made when looking for retail space. In a neighborhood like Brighton, you can take your pick from all kinds of prime options. Regardless of the type of business you own, there are sure to be plenty of viable options at any given time. The trick is identifying ones that have the space, lease terms and other characteristics you need. Do you want a gross lease, for instance, or would you prefer a net lease? Do you require significant amounts of floor space? Could your business benefit from having large front windows where you can showcase products? Boston City Properties is here to help you locate properties in Brighton that suit your precise specifications.

Locate Prime Brighton Retail and Commercial Space with Boston City Properties
Whether you want to buy retail space in Brighton or are just looking to lease, the vibrant real estate market in this neighborhood has plenty of great options in store for you. They are out there, but the tricky part is finding them. That's where Boston City Properties comes in. Let our team of experts assist you in locating the perfect location for your business, or sign up now to start browsing our free Brighton commercial real estate listings now.
If you are looking for a location for your business in this thriving Boston neighborhood, you might as well go into it knowing that it’s going to take some work. At least, it will if you want to get a location that truly works for your business. As with virtually all other neighborhoods here, this one has a fiercely competitive commercial real estate submarket. Certain types of square footage are more readily available than others. Fortunately, if you own a business that relies on foot traffic and that sells goods or services to consumers, you should have plenty to choose from.
With that being said, you are also going to need all of the help that you can get. This neighborhood is one of the city’s prized Main Street districts, so it attracts businesses spanning many industries. Competition for certain types of properties can be insanely fierce. To go into the process without any prior knowledge is a recipe for disaster. While you can always start out by simply finding an agent, the better move is to educate yourself a little first. After all, it is your business. You know what you need, so shouldn’t you play an integral part in finding it?
When seeking commercial property for a business in this neighborhood, do yourself a favor and connect with Boston City Properties. Complete and submit a simple signup form for free, immediate, unlimited access to a wealth of resources, including a vast online database of searchable MA real estate listings. Updated around the clock and populated by data from reputable sources like the MLS, our database is the best place to look for up-to-the-second information about commercial locations for sale and for rent in this thriving shopping district.
Market Overview
What will you encounter when initially looking for a spot for your business in this part of the city? You can always call Boston City Properties for a referral to an agent who can bring you up to speed, but it never hurts to do a little research yourself. A few factors affecting this submarket include:
- Low vacancy rates – If you are familiar at all with commercial real estate in Boston, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. As is the case across all core and downtown submarkets, this one has been experiencing low vacancy rates for commercial properties for some time. Most recently, the rate was hovering right around 5.4 percent.
All told, this neighborhood’s supply of commercial real estate exceeds 878,000 square feet. However, only around 47,000 square feet is typically available. It’s safe to assume that much of that square footage consists of properties that won’t work for you for one reason or another. Knowing this, you may be thinking that you should forget about finding a location for your company here entirely. By availing yourself of our considerable resources and getting a referral to an experienced commercial real estate expert, however, you should still be able to find what you need.
- Asking rents – In this part of the city, commercial real estate asking rents tend to be more affordable than in more core downtown areas. Lately, the price has ranged from around $15 to around $45 per square foot. Needless to say, certain types of properties command higher prices than others. Below, we will delve into the factors that affect lease rates and property values. It is also a fact that asking rents have been on the rise for some time. This is likely to continue for some time still, so keep that in mind while looking at prices for various types of real estate in this neighborhood.
- Investors flock in – Spurred not only by Boston’s strong economy and on-fire real estate market but by its business friendly mayor, investors from many parts of the state, country and world continue to converge on and invest in the city. This is just as true in this neighborhood as it is elsewhere in Boston, and it is great news for those who seek square footage for their businesses. These ongoing investments should spur more development. In turn, more options should open up, and prices should start to stabilize.
- Absorption – Another way to gauge the health of a real estate submarket is by determining how much available square footage was removed from the market, or absorbed, in a given year. In Boston in 2016, more than 1.2 million square feet of commercial real estate was absorbed. Typically, this means an uptick in new construction, and we have been seeing that for some time. New Balance and its new headquarters is just one example; the company couldn’t find the type of building that it needed, so it built it.
A Booming Economy
Given the ongoing strength and growth of Boston’s economy, it makes sense to want to locate a business there. Whether you are coming from elsewhere in the city or are opening a business here for the first time, you have chosen a great time to do so. It may be difficult to find suitable square footage in this area, but you can rest assured that it will provide incredible returns in the long run.
Several positive trends regarding Boston’s economy continue to remain strong well into 2017. Annual job growth, for instance, continues to surpass that of the nation as a whole. The economy of the city continues to grow at a rapid pace too; it grew by 3.6 percent, for instance, from 2015 to 2016. At the same time, unemployment remains near record lows. While industries like healthcare and insurance are among the most successful, merchants of various consumer goods and services do well across most neighborhoods.
What to Expect
In a tight submarket like this one, it is essential to be open when seeking a location for your business. Chances are that you already have clear ideas about what you want and need. It could very well turn out that the precise type of square footage that you desire just isn’t available. However, by remaining flexible and open to other possibilities, you should be able to find something that doesn’t just suit your business but that helps it to reach new heights of success.
Because this neighborhood is one of Boston’s Main Street districts, it is home to many prime shopping districts. Therefore, if you are looking for storefront style offerings, you should be able to choose from a nice selection. Depending on specifically where in this neighborhood you are looking, you may pay as little as $15 per square foot or as much as $45 or more. One way to keep costs low is by being open to non-traditional property types. So-called uppers and downers, properties that are located a half-story above or below street level, are available here, and they tend to be fairly affordable in the scheme of things.
Over the last several years, several mixed-use developments have been built in this neighborhood. These typically include decent amounts of street-level shopping square footage, so it’s worth it to look at these buildings. This is just one example of the many types of modern properties that can be found to accommodate businesses of all sizes and scopes in this neighborhood. We will connect you with a local real estate agent who possesses insider knowledge about the various types of properties that are found in this part of the city.
Prices
Unlike certain Boston neighborhoods, this one offers a fairly broad range when it comes to commercial real estate prices. Therefore, if you have your heart set on setting up shop here, you should be able to find something that suits your budget. It is important to remember that comparing and contrasting commercial real estate leases can be extremely confusing, making it all too easy to make a critical error. Read on to get up to speed about how to properly assess such prices.
One thing to keep in mind when it comes to assessing commercial real estate lease prices is the nature of the lease itself. Unfortunately, there is no standard when it comes to how prices for such properties are quoted. Typically, they are quoted based on triple-net lease terms, or NNN lease terms—but not always.
The most convenient type of commercial lease is what is known as a gross lease. Under these circumstances, the monthly lease price covers the cost of just about everything. Technically speaking, with this type of lease, you are only responsible for paying the cost of the rent; the landlord covers all other costs, including property taxes, insurance and maintenance.
If you look at the cost of a property that is attached to a gross lease, then, you may initially think that it is far too expensive. However, you won’t have to pay separately for taxes, insurance and maintenance, which may save you money and which will certainly save you time.
Most commercial leases are classified as modified gross leases, or net leases. These fall into a few different categories based on what is included in the cost of the lease:
- Single-net lease – In addition to including the cost of the monthly rent, this lease includes a percentage of the cost of property taxes for the building. This can be inconvenient because this cost typically changes from year to year. In Boston, of course, it tends to go up on an annual basis.
- Double-net lease – This lease rolls a percentage of the property taxes and property insurance in along with the cost of the monthly rent. The landlord still covers the cost of maintenance completely.
- Triple-net lease – By far the most common type of lease, the NNN lease, as it’s often called, includes a percentage of the cost of property taxes, property insurance and maintenance along with the monthly rent. You will find that most commercial properties are quoted this way. Always make sure, however, as you could accidentally miss out on a great deal by misreading which type of lease is involved.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Leasing Commercial Property
If you initially had your heart set on a certain part of this neighborhood for your business but were stymied by prices that far exceeded your budget, you may have been left scratching your head. Often, business owners have no idea of what makes a location costlier or cheaper, and they waste huge amounts of time barking up the wrong trees.
Avoid this headache by getting the gist of the various factors that affect the cost of commercial real estate. A few that you should especially keep in mind include:
- Duration of lease – As a rule of thumb, the longer that you are tied into a lease, the cheaper your monthly rent should be. However, business owners are often reluctant to commit themselves to long-term leases, as there’s no telling how things will go in the future. Figure out how long you are willing to tie yourself to a lease, and keep this in mind while looking.
- Proximity to landmarks and attractions – The closer that a location is to the center of a neighborhood or district, the more expensive it is certain to be. Likewise, locations that are within close proximity of foot-traffic generators tend to fetch top dollar in terms of rent. For example, commercial properties that are close to universities, mass transit stops and popular anchor stores typically lease out for a lot more than properties that are more off the beaten path.
- Tenant type – It may seem a bit unfair, but certain types of tenants get better lease deals than others. Basically, if your business will attract more people to the property, landlords are more willing to negotiate. Typically, only huge companies get any traction from this. However, if you find a building that is dominated by tenants whose businesses dovetail well with yours, you may able to negotiate better terms. That is likelier still when you have an experienced commercial real estate agent by your side, and Boston City Properties can refer you to one when you’re ready.
News
If you keep track of commercial real estate news in Boston, you already know that all kinds of things have been happening in this vibrant neighborhood lately. The additions of New Balance’s new world headquarters last year and a new Bfresh supermarket the year before that have bolstered traffic in the area—both pedestrian and otherwise. Mixed-use developments continue to dominate, with Boston Landing offering plenty of street-level real estate for shops and the like and with another mixed-use building planned for construction across from the local Whole Foods.
How Boston City Properties Can Help
At this point, you should have a fairly good understanding of what to expect while seeking a location for your business in this popular Boston neighborhood. More than anything else, you should realize that you face a monumental undertaking. The kinds of properties that you need are likely available here, but they tend to fly off of the market fast. It is crucial, therefore, to have access to timely and accurate information from the get-go. You will get that and much more by connecting with Boston City Properties.
First, sign up using the simple form to gain immediate, free, unlimited access to our constantly updated online database of searchable Massachusetts real estate listings. While it is best known for its residential listings, it is also populated by listings for commercial properties throughout the city and state. Note that our database pulls information constantly from dependable sources like the MLS, so you can rest assured of accuracy from start to finish.
Once you have access, navigate over to the search tool to begin. Note that in addition to selecting this neighborhood, you can select other neighborhoods, towns or cities to include in your search. From there, adjust filters for attributes like total square footage and price range to get even more relevant and useful results.
It shouldn’t take long to come up with a list of promising options in this neighborhood. The next step is contacting Boston City Properties for a referral to a local commercial real estate agent. We can refer you to one who specializes in the type of property that you need based on the nature of your business. This agent can get answers to any questions that you have about properties on your list, and they can take you to tour the ones that look the most promising. Later, they can assist in negotiations and much more.
Remember, too, that we are a reliable source of information and support for investors seeking commercial properties for their portfolios. We can help you to identify property types in this neighborhood that are likely to align with your goals. Whether you need a location for your own business or for investment purposes, do yourself a favor and sign up with Boston City Properties. In no time, you will be on your way to achieving your goals—and much of the work can be done from the comfort of home. If you have questions or need further assistance, please give us a call.
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Retail Space