Define the decision before gathering quotes
Write a requirements sheet for location, timing, area, use, access and the physical characteristics of the space. Separate essential requirements from preferences. A shortlist should remove premises that cannot support the operation before ranking prices.
Record the relevant date and proposed term for each quotation. A rate for an immediate short-term sublease and a rate for a new long-term direct lease can describe very different packages.
Create one cost vocabulary
Normalize rent units and payment periods only where they are explicit. Keep annual dollars per square foot separate from monthly total dollars. For area, preserve the measurement basis and note whether it is approximate. An ambiguous payment period stays unresolved.
Build separate lines for base rent, additional rent, fixed charges, setup expenditure and incentives. Note which costs are excluded. Do not compare base-only rent on one property with known total occupancy cost on another.
Make the denominator meaningful
A hypothetical 2,000-square-foot premises at a known $30 annual combined rate costs $60,000 annually. A 2,400-square-foot premises at $27 costs $64,800. The second has a lower rate and a higher annual total; the right comparison depends on the useful capacity required.
Office comparisons should consider layout and service levels. Industrial comparisons should document loading, clear height and yard. Retail comparisons should record frontage and operating fit. These details can explain a difference without proving a market premium.
Keep research lenses separate
An official index describes historical movement in occupied-space net effective rent. Publisher averages describe the publisher-defined sample. Your own documented asking quotes describe a candidate set. Keep the source, scope and date visible for each.
A sample median is a statistic of eligible observations, not automatic proof of market representativeness. Small, concentrated, stale or incomparable samples remain withheld under our publication gates. A disappearing listing is not evidence that the offered terms were achieved.
Sources and scope.
Sources checked 12 October 2026. Numerical examples are hypothetical; figures from the official index carry their published source period.
Questions worth asking.
Can I use a headline quote as an all-in budget?
Only after its payment period, area basis, inclusions and excluded charges are established. Preserve unknowns rather than treating them as zero.
Will the official index tell me the fair dollar rent?
No. It is historical movement in occupied-space rent. A documented comparison requires comparable spaces and lease terms.