Spacebly vs a Commercial Office Broker
UK office brokers charge 10-15% of year-one rent. Spacebly charges tenants nothing — operators pay a flat subscription so you keep your full budget, see every option in the market, and negotiate direct.
The headline difference
- Broker: 10-15% commission, baked into your rent. Curated shortlist (usually buildings they have relationships with).
- Spacebly: 0% to tenants. Every approved building in the market, live pricing, direct operator contact, shareable shortlists.
What you actually save
On a typical £150k/year office, broker commission is £15-£22k in year one. On Spacebly that money stays in your business — or becomes a negotiation lever with the operator.
FAQs
How much does a commercial office broker actually charge?
UK office brokers typically take 10-15% of year-one rent, paid by the landlord but baked into your headline rate. On a £100k/year office that's £10k-£15k of commission per deal.
Is Spacebly really free for tenants?
Yes. Operators pay a flat subscription. Tenants pay nothing — no commission, no per-deal fee, no markup on headline rent.
Don't brokers have access to better deals?
Brokers have relationships, but Spacebly indexes the same buildings plus thousands of operator-direct listings brokers don't carry. You see more options, with live pricing.
Learn more
- How broker fees actually work
- Office cost guides by city
- Market reports & research
- Let operators find you
- Search every UK office
References: UK government statistics, RICS, Companies House (Seek Re Tech Ltd t/a Spacebly).