Commercial
OVERVIEW
This page sets out how Breens works on commercial property. We cover the three services — sales, lettings and property management — across four property types: retail and high-street units, offices, mixed-use buildings, and light industrial space and yards.
Commercial sales — owner-occupier, investor, freehold and leasehold
Our commercial sales team handles disposals across the four property types we cover. That includes freehold sales of high-street units and small mixed-use buildings, leasehold assignments where a tenant is exiting before the end of their lease, and investment sales where a building is being sold with tenants in place. We work with the owner on pricing, prepare the marketing in-house, and run the viewings programme through to exchange and completion.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Pre-marketing appraisal and pricing strategy, informed by current local commercial evidence
- Marketing materials produced in-house — particulars, photography, signage, listings on the relevant commercial portals
- Energy performance certification arranged where not already in place
- Viewings programme, with regular progress reporting back to the seller
- Negotiation through heads of terms
- Sales progression with solicitors through to exchange and completion
- Investment sales handled with appropriate tenancy and lease information packs
HOW IT WORKS
Most commercial sales begin with a market appraisal once the owner has decided to sell or has reached the planning end of a redevelopment cycle. From there we agree pricing and the marketing approach, prepare the materials inside two to three weeks, and launch with a defined viewings window. For tenanted investment sales we coordinate with the tenant on access for viewings and prepare the lease information package alongside the listing — so a serious investor can move quickly when offers come in.
Commercial lettings, — landlord and tenant marketing
Our commercial lettings team handles vacant-possession marketing for landlords and owners — bringing a unit to market, originating tenants, agreeing heads of terms, and seeing the lease through to completion. We work across all four property types: retail and high-street, office, mixed-use buildings where the commercial element is being let separately, and light industrial space and yards. Where a tenant is being sought for a use that requires a particular planning class, we will say so up front and price the marketing accordingly.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Rental valuation and marketing strategy
- Particulars and photography produced in-house
- Listings on the relevant commercial portals and across the Breens marketing channels
- Energy performance certification arranged where not already in place — most commercial lettings now require a minimum E rating
- Viewings programme, with regular progress reporting back to the landlord
- Tenant qualification — covenant strength, trading history, references
- Heads of terms negotiation, then handover to solicitors for the lease itself
- Where required, ongoing rent collection and arrears handling once the lease completes
HOW IT WORKS
For a typical retail or office unit we agree the rent and marketing approach, prepare the materials inside two weeks, and run an open marketing campaign. Where a unit benefits from being marketed before the previous tenant vacates, we coordinate with both parties to allow viewings ahead of the surrender date — so the marketing window is doubled and the void period reduced. After heads of terms are agreed, we work with the landlord’s solicitor through to the lease completing, and remain the day-to-day contact for the landlord-tenant relationship if we are also instructed on management.
Commercial property management — service charge, contractors, compliance
Property management on a commercial building is its own discipline: collecting rent and service charge, running the contractor list, holding the compliance certificates, and being the single point of contact for tenants. We take on commercial buildings whether or not we handled the original sale or letting, and we manage mixed-use buildings where the commercial unit sits below residential as a single managed property rather than as two separate ones.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Rent and service charge collection, with arrears handling
- Service charge budgets prepared annually and apportioned correctly across units
- Contractor procurement and ongoing management — cleaning, security, lifts, building maintenance
- Statutory and best-practice compliance — fire safety, electrical safety, gas safety where applicable, asbestos register, water hygiene
- Building insurance placement and claims handling
- Tenant communications and a single point of contact for occupier enquiries
- Coordination with tenants on lease end, lease renewal and dilapidations
- Mixed-use buildings managed as a single property rather than as separate residential and commercial instructions
HOW IT WORKS
On a new instruction, we ask for the lease or leases, the existing service charge budget, and the current contractor list. Within the first month we walk the building, confirm the year-one budget, and write to tenants introducing the management team. Reporting to the owner runs quarterly thereafter. Where a building is mixed-use commercial below, residential above we manage it as a single property, with one set of contractors, one budget structure, and one point of contact for the owner.
Recent work
A recent example of how the sales side of the department works in practice. Future case studies on this page will cover lettings and property management instructions as those schemes complete.
CASE STUDY · SALES
Totteridge Road, Enfield
A brand-new home in Enfield, brought to market with the developer working closely on pricing strategy. We compared the property against both new build and resale stock in the area, agreed a position above the resale benchmark, and built the marketing around the design and specification choices that supported it. The viewings programme delivered an offer at terms the developer was happy with, and the sale completed without renegotiation.
viewings
generated
generated
price achieved
resale comparables
Moving Forward with Confidence
Renting through Breens is designed to feel smooth, transparent, and well-supported from start to finish.
It begins with a conversation — where we take the time to understand your needs, preferences and priorities. Once you’ve found the right home, our team will guide you through the application process with clarity and care, outlining everything you need to know upfront.
From referencing and affordability checks to signing your tenancy agreement, you’ll have full visibility at every stage. And with our commitment to clear communication throughout, you’ll always know what’s happening — and what to expect next.
PROPERTY TYPES WE COVER
The commercial market is not one market a high-street shop, an office suite, a mixed-use building and a small industrial yard each behave differently in pricing, in marketing, and in management. The notes below set out how we approach each.
Retail and high street
Shops, restaurants, cafes, hair salons, gyms, professional services frontages most of which now sit under Use Class E (the broad commercial class introduced in 2020 covering most retail, food and professional uses). We handle sales, lettings and management on retail units across the patch from single high-street shops through to small parades. Marketing leans on local footfall, recent local trading evidence, and the planning class the unit currently carries.
Offices
Small to mid-sized office space from a single suite within a mixed-use building through to a whole-building office instruction. We market offices on a vacant-possession basis to occupier businesses, on an investment basis to landlords looking for income, or as managed instructions for owners holding offices with sitting tenants. Plain-English on lease length, repair obligations and break options, so an occupier client knows what they are committing to.
Mixed-use — commercial below, residential above
The classic North London building shop or office on the ground floor, a flat or two above. Mixed-use buildings are common across Enfield, Palmers Green, Walthamstow, Highams Park and the surrounding areas. We handle them as a single property one team across both halves, one budget, one contractor list, one set of quarterly reporting to the owner.
Light industrial, warehousing and yards
Light industrial units, small warehouses, trade counters and yards — typically clustered around the A10, the North Circular, and the industrial strips through Edmonton, Tottenham and Walthamstow. We work on sales, lettings and management of light industrial space, and we are honest about scale: heavier industrial property and large logistics is not our market — we will say so and recommend a specialist where appropriate.
What clients say about Breens
Michael Haswell
I’ve had such a great experience with the property management at Breens! The team is always super friendly, helpful, and quick to respond whenever we need anything. They really make renting easy and stress-free.My experience with Breens has been fantastic.
Visi S
Extremely satisfied with the service, assistance and professionalism. Having dealt with a number of estate agents in the past Breens are a league of their own. They made the purchase of our property very easy and stress-free. Both Jack and Patrick were professional, approachable, and thoroughly decent.
If I ever need to enlist the services of an estate agent in the future, Breens WILL be the ones I go to.
Thank you for making the whole process easy and stress-free!
Michael Haswell
Visi S
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For Clients
Consumer Protection Assurance
UK Association of Letting Agents
Protection For Held Client Money
Government-Backed Tenant Deposit Scheme
Independent Dispute Resolution
How we work on commercial
HOW THE COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP WORKS
A few practical things worth saying about how we run commercial instructions, so you know what working with the Commercial team looks like before you pick up the phone.
One team across all three services.
You can instruct us for one service or all three. The benefit of running them together is continuity — the team that markets the unit for sale or letting is the same team who handles the management once a tenant is in place, or who steps in to remarket the unit when a lease comes to an end. If you only need one service, that is straightforward too.
Marketing produced in-house
Particulars, photography, signage and listings are produced by our team rather than outsourced to a separate agency. Practically, that means faster turnarounds when a launch date moves, and a marketing tone that stays consistent with how Breens markets its other instructions across the area.
Coverage across North and East London
The Commercial team works across Enfield, North London, Highams Park, Waltham Forest, and east into the inner-East-London commercial corridor. Coverage is wider for commercial than for residential because the commercial market is thinner — we will travel for the right instruction, including across the Hertfordshire and Essex borders for owners and occupiers we already work with elsewhere.
Areas covered
WHERE WE WORK
We work on commercial property across the following areas. Coverage is wider than for residential commercial enquiries from outside the priority footprint below are still welcome, and we will tell you straightforwardly whether we are the right fit.
- Enfield — Enfield Town, Bush Hill Park, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green, Southgate
- Highams Park, Chingford and the wider Waltham Forest borough
- North London — Wood Green, Whetstone, Friern Barnet, Muswell Hill
- East London — Walthamstow, Leyton, Wanstead, Woodford
- Hertfordshire border — Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Cuffley, Goffs Oak
- Essex border — Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Theydon Bois, Epping
- Wider North/East London commercial corridors — Edmonton, Tottenham, Hackney edge
FAQs
Common questions on commercial property.
Retail and high-street units, offices, mixed-use buildings (commercial below, residential above), and light industrial space, warehousing and yards. We do not cover heavy industrial or large logistics — for those instructions we will recommend a specialist. Most other commercial property across North and East London is in scope.
Not at all. Most commercial relationships start with one service — usually a sale, a letting, or a management instruction — and grow from there. If a single service is what you need, that is what we provide. The option to bring in a second service later is there if and when it becomes useful.
As a single property rather than as two separate ones. Mixed-use is common across our area — shop or office below, a flat or two above — and the wrong setup costs money over time. One team handles both halves: one budget, one contractor list, one rent statement to the owner each month, and one point of contact for tenants on either side.
Yes. Commercial management is its own discipline; we treat instructions on someone else’s let or sold buildings as a normal part of the workload. We will ask for the lease or leases, the current service charge accounts and budget, and the existing contractor list, and quote on that basis.
Most retail, food, professional services and small office uses now sit under Use Class E (introduced in 2020), which gives a unit considerable flexibility — a shop unit can typically become a cafe, a professional office, or a clinic without a planning application. Some uses (gyms above a certain size, medical, hot food takeaway) sit outside Class E and need separate consent. We will check the planning position on any unit we market or let, and tell you up front what is and is not permitted.
Yes. Breens is a member of The Property Ombudsman, a participant in the Trading Standards Approved Code scheme, and a member of UKALA — the UK Association of Letting Agents. Client money is protected through the CMP scheme, and tenant deposits are held through the Deposit Protection Service. The full list is in the footer of every page.
A commercial property generally needs an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or better to be let on a new lease, with a tightening of the rules already moving the bar towards C in coming years. Where a property’s rating is below E, options usually involve targeted improvements (lighting, heating controls, insulation) rather than wholesale work. We will flag the rating early in any sale or letting conversation so improvement work can be planned alongside the marketing.
Yes. Investment sales need a different marketing approach to vacant-possession sales — a complete information pack on the tenancy, the lease term, the rent, the service charge position and the tenant’s covenant strength, prepared before the property goes to market. We will assemble that pack alongside the listing so a serious investor can move quickly when offers come in.
Closing CTA and scheme enquiry form
Tell us about your commercial property
A short brief is enough to start the conversation. We will come back within one working day with a proposal call or a site visit.