Author: Hughes Marino
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Your First Office Lease: A Step-by-Step Guide
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Signing your first commercial office lease is one of the most significant financial commitments your business will make. Most first-time tenants approach this transaction the way they approach renting an apartment: focused on the monthly rent number, moving quickly to get the space they want, and trusting that the paperwork is more or less standard.…
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In a recent interview on the Market Insider podcast with host Siyamak Khorrami, Senior Executive Managing Director and co-founder of Hughes Marino, David Marino, laid out a stark assessment of where commercial real estate stands today: this is the worst environment he’s seen in more than 30 years. According to David, commercial real estate in 2026 looks nothing like it…
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A Q&A With Jason & Shay Hughes Fifteen years ago, Hughes Marino was built on two bold ideas: that tenants deserved a true non-conflicted advocate and that commercial real estate could be elevated through a more sophisticated, service-driven model supporting both our clients and our advisors. While a lot of exciting things have changed over the years, Hughes Marino is…
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A well-structured build-to-suit (BTS) can deliver the exact facility your team needs, without overpaying for features you’ll never use. The key is attacking cost barriers head-on: establish ruthless cost visibility, choose procurement models that align incentives, standardize wherever possible and use digital decisioning to avoid missteps before they happen. BTS is a development approach in which a developer designs and…
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A cooler, more predictable capital market is reshaping how companies take control of their real estate in 2026. With commercial real estate interest rates stabilizing near 6%–6.5% for industrial and 6.5%–7.25% for office property, and a looming $1.8 trillion maturity wall creating motivated sellers and creative capital, buyers have more choice—and leverage—than they’ve had in years. Below we expand upon…
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Relocating an office in 2026 is a complex, multi-stakeholder initiative, comprised of part logistics, part change management and part technology program. Office relocation encompasses moving a company’s physical workspace, including furniture, equipment, personnel and IT infrastructure, in addition to shifting to an entire new location while protecting continuity and cost. If you’re asking, “what’s the best option for relocating my…
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A precise commercial property assessment is not about determining what a building is “worth” to an investor—it’s about understanding what the property means to your business as a tenant. For occupiers, a strong assessment is a decision-grade tool that informs leasing strategy, renewal leverage, relocation comparisons, space planning and total occupancy cost. As a tenant- and user-only advisory firm, Hughes…
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Key Takeaways In representing healthcare groups and specialized practices in leasing and purchasing clinical space for decades, we have found that some medical practitioners reach a crossroads—is it time to stop paying rent to a landlord and own the facility where they provide care? As a tenant only advisory firm, when we evaluate a potential medical office purchase, we utilize…
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While industrial rents peaked between 2021 and 2023, industrial real estate now enters 2026 almost in free-fall. Industrial landlords and their brokers have been pulling the wool over commercial tenants’ eyes for too long, publishing asking rents that haven’t changed materially since 2023, or not posting rents at all with listing asking prices shown as “withheld” or “negotiable.” But things…
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The office market has normalized, and both tenants and landlords can now look ahead to see what the future holds. In most office markets, the majority of pre-2020 leases have expired, whereby tenants have been able to resize and reset their footprint to their new hybrid and remote specifications. While there are still some large longer-term leases set to expire…
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Commercial lease consolidation combines multiple office locations into fewer, strategically positioned spaces to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. As companies expand through acquisitions, return-to-office policies or market shifts, they often accumulate redundant leases that drain resources without adding value. Consolidating these leases can cut real estate costs by 20-40% while enhancing collaboration, streamlining facilities management and positioning businesses for…
