What are the different types of commercial real estate?

Commercial real estate is a broad category that includes a high variety of space types designed to meet the needs of various industries of the local economy and their specialized subsectors, as presented in our real estate 101 guide to types of commercial real estate . However, there are three main categories that you are most likely to come across: office, retail, and industrial space . Modern office space is typically organized over large floor plates bound by high ceilings and large windows for an abundance of natural light and is located in transit-oriented developments with good access to multiple modes of transportation, so as to facilitate employee commute. The San Francisco commercial real estate market incorporates 149,141,533 square feet of office space across 984 buildings. Office buildings can also accommodate coworking spaces , which are shared office options that typically cater to the needs of small, startup businesses that require flexible workspaces, a concentration of amenities, and services that can be accessed on an occasional or short-term basis. In San Francisco, the coworking segment of the commercial real estate market incorporates about 46,171 square feet. Retail space includes shopping malls, department stores, street retail, or specialty stores dedicated to a narrow range of products. Such properties are typically located in high foot-traffic and/or car traffic areas, to facilitate customer access. The San Francisco commercial real estate market includes 164,647,802 square feet of retail space in a variety of settings. Industrial property most often serves businesses operating in manufacturing or logistics and generally consists of large open spaces located within good access to roads, railways, freight airports or regional water ports. Industrial space listings can include warehouses, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, flexible industrial space, or even data center facilities. Across the San Francisco market, there is a total of 9,945,182 square feet of industrial property.

What types of commercial real estate are available in San Francisco, CA?

The largest share of commercial real estate space for lease in San Francisco is represented by Office space , which accounts for 25,994,747 square feet of available listings. Retail space available in San Francisco adds up to 2,271,795 square feet.

What factors affect the price of commercial real estate in San Francisco, CA?

The price of renting or buying commercial real estate is influenced by a variety of factors, including: the property type (for example, office space is priced higher than other property types in most locations); the condition and asset class rating (property rated class A or above will typically command a higher price than lower grade classifications); the quality or the development potential of the property location; whether or not there is high demand for the type of commercial asset in question; and what the state of supply is relative to demand.

What is the average rent for commercial space in San Francisco, CA?

The average rent for commercial real estate space listed for lease in San Francisco is $47.43 per square foot. However, this value does not offer enough perspective on its own, as you will find significant variation in prices across property types, property classes, and location, as well as other impacting factors. For instance, rent per square foot of office space in San Francisco can vary greatly depending on the rating of the property from Class A to Class C, as well as across the city depending on the location of the asset. What’s more, each commercial property type makes its own rent market: while the average rent for office space rested at $68.56 per square foot, industrial space in San Francisco saw average rents of $22.7 per square foot.

What are the best areas for commercial real estate in San Francisco, CA?

The best choice of location for commercial space depends on the factors that are most relevant to your business. A good thing to look for at the start, however, is the areas of the city that have the highest concentration of your preferred type of property, as these areas are generally well connected to the amenities and points of interest that are most relevant to each property type. As such, there are several areas that you could consider to be the best location for commercial real estate in San Francisco, depending on the property type you are interested in. The highest concentration of commercial space listings of any kind in San Francisco is in the Financial District - Barbary Coast neighborhood. But if we look at each commercial property type, we find that for office space, the best location is the Financial District - Barbary Coast area . Meanwhile, retail space opportunities are most abundant in the Financial District - Barbary Coast submarket. Alternatively, if you are looking for warehouse or other industrial space, consider looking at listings in Bayview . Select your preferred property type from the search filters menu at the top of the search page and then navigate the interactive map for a better view of commercial real estate availability in the locations most suited to your needs.

How do I find a good commercial real estate broker?

Whether or not leasing commercial space is a new experience for you, there are significant benefits to working with a commercial real estate broker . In addition to saving you time and money, an experienced broker will contribute specialist knowledge of the local market , the property type you need representation for, and will handle negotiations on your behalf in your best interest. To start, it is important for you to have a good understanding of what kind of broker you need. For instance, there are differences between a tenant broker and a listing broker . Also important at the start is to have a clear idea of what kind of space (or tenant) you are looking for and what (if any) particular needs and requirements you might have. And, while it is good to get a referral, you should interview several brokers to better gauge who you feel would best represent your interests. CommercialCafe hosts listings from some of the most trusted commercial real estate brokerages in the country. Use the contact form available on each listing page or the contact details for the property representatives to reach out and start your search!

What is the most profitable commercial real estate?

The profitability of a commercial real estate investment depends on a multitude of factors working together. These factors include the quality of the asset itself — which itself includes aspects such as location, property class, amenities, and the quality of the property management — to the local market conditions, the state of the local economy, the demand for that particular type of commercial property, and of course the costs of owning and maintaining it relative to what leasing rate or sale price you get from the property. Asking rents in the city went as high as $78 per square foot. In particular, the property type commanding the highest lease rates in San Francisco was Office space. Conversely, the highest sale price last year was $356,000,000 that is located at 550 Terry A. Francois Blvd.

What is the average size of a commercial property in San Francisco, CA?

The average size of a commercial property in San Francisco depends greatly on the property type and the location — geographical possibilities and zoning allowances have significant influence on how big developers can build. While there are outliers that break height or volume records in the city, we can look at some average sizes by property use: In San Francisco, the average size of an office property is 164,797 square feet. Retail properties here incorporate an average of 490,023 square feet. Industrial space in San Francisco is in buildings that are, on average 101,481 square feet in size.

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1,565 Commercial Real Estate Listings in San Francisco, CA

CRE Market Stats

CA, San Francisco - Spaces Levi's Plaza
Spaces
1160 Battery Street East Suite 100, San Francisco, CA
Services

Virtual Office

Open Workspace

Private Office

Dedicated Desk
Amenities

24/7 security

Access to global network

Business lounge

Catering

Cleaning services

Complimentary coffee & tea

High-speed internet

High-speed wifi

Kitchen

Mail services
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580 California
Regus
580 California Street 12th and 16th Floors, San Francisco, CA
Services

Virtual Office

Open Workspace

Private Office

Dedicated Desk
Amenities

24/7 security

Access to global network

Business lounge

Cleaning services

Complimentary coffee & tea

High-speed internet

High-speed wifi

Kitchen

Mail services

Money-back guarantee
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851 Howard Street

851 Howard Street, Yerba Buena, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$29.00/SF/YR
Property

Office

32,160 SF
Availability

1 Space

32,100 SF
Year Built

1924
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145-147 Bernard St

145 Bernard St, Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA
For Sale

$1,650,000
Property

Multi-Family

2,164 SF
Year Built

1924
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CSAA

150 Hayes Street, Van Ness - Civic Center, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

120,000 SF
Availability

4 Spaces

80,000 SF
Year Built

1959
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The Magic Factory

310 7th St, South of Market, San Francisco, CA
For Sale

$8,900,000
Property

Office

14,000 SF
Year Built

1908
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One Montgomery

1 Montgomery Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Retail

83,819 SF
Availability

4 Spaces

83,819 SF
Year Built

1982
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250 Sutter Street

250 Sutter Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

57,726 SF
Availability

7 Spaces

28,888 SF
Year Built

1909
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One Steuart Lane

75 Howard Street, South Beach, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Retail

4,910 SF
Availability

1 Space

4,910 SF
Year Built

2021
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580 California Street

580 California Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

340,000 SF
Availability

5 Spaces

2,650 SF
Year Built

1984
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1700 California

1700 California Street, Pacific Heights, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$70.00/SF/YR
Property

Office

86,214 SF
Availability

9 Spaces

39,888 SF
Year Built

1985
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100 Paul Avenue

100 Paul Avenue, Bayview, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Industrial

37,500 SF
Availability

1 Space

37,500 SF
Year Built

1957
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353 Sacramento Street

353 Sacramento Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

284,751 SF
Availability

6 Spaces

56,144 SF
Year Built

1982
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Merchants Exchange Building

465 California Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Retail

21,130 SF
Availability

1 Space

6,046 SF
Year Built

1903
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Owner-User or Investor Opportunity

The Commercial Condos @ 1288 Howard, South of Market, San Francisco, CA
For Sale

$5,800,000
Property

Retail

8,280 SF
Year Built

2021
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657 & 667 Mission Street

657 Mission Street, Yerba Buena, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

155,000 SF
Availability

1 Space

1,140 SF
Year Built

1907
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Embarcadero Center

Two Embarcadero Center, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$62.00 - $72.00/SF/YR
Property

Office

779,386 SF
Availability

1 Space

25,023 SF
Year Built

1974
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350 Mission Street

350 Mission Street, Yerba Buena, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$60.00 - $69.00/SF/YR
Property

Office

450,732 SF
Availability

6 Spaces

103,772 SF
Year Built

2016
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MTC Building

375 Beale Street, South Beach, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$42.00/SF/YR
Property

Office

529,232 SF
Availability

4 Spaces

118,355 SF
Year Built

1965
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Townsend Center

650 Townsend Street, South of Market, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$58.00 - $60.00/SF/YR
Property

Office

641,234 SF
Availability

1 Space

58,893 SF
Year Built

1990
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351 California Street

351 California Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

140,000 SF
Availability

2 Spaces

15,058 SF
Year Built

1920
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101 Utah Street

101 Utah Street, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Unassigned

69,516 SF
Availability

1 Space

69,516 SF
Year Built

1957
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650 California Street

650 California Street, Financial District - Barbary Coast, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

470,237 SF
Availability

2 Spaces

22,964 SF
Year Built

1964
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650 California St
WeWork
650 California Street , San Francisco, CA
Services

Open Workspace

Meeting Room

Private Office

Dedicated Desk
Amenities

Cleaning services

High-speed wifi

Parking

Wellness room
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INDUSTRIAL SPACE FOR LEASE

1490 Armstrong Ave, Bayview, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

$1.60/SF/MO
Property

Industrial
Availability

1 Space

4,000 SF
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101 Montgomery Street

101 Montgomery Street, Presidio, San Francisco, CA
For Lease

Contact for pricing
Property

Office

43,406 SF
Availability

1 Space

9,065 SF
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Building Size Range	Total Square Feet	Share of Total Office
50k to 100k Sq. Ft.	13,102,910 Sq. Ft.	10.27%
100k to 500k Sq. Ft.	65,903,507 Sq. Ft.	51.67%
500k to 1M Sq. Ft.	30,522,580 Sq. Ft.	23.93%
> 1M Sq. Ft.	11,889,516 Sq. Ft.	9.32%

Class	Total Square Feet	Share of Total Office
Class A+	10,858,784 Sq. Ft.	8.51%
Class A	64,330,815 Sq. Ft.	50.43%
Class B	33,411,020 Sq. Ft.	26.19%
Class C	1,309,475 Sq. Ft.	1.03%

Building Size Range	Total Square Feet	Share of Total Industrial
50k to 100k Sq. Ft.	3,169,669 Sq. Ft.	22.55%
100k to 500k Sq. Ft.	4,119,818 Sq. Ft.	29.31%
500k to 1M Sq. Ft.	650,000 Sq. Ft.	4.62%
> 1M Sq. Ft.	2,160,000 Sq. Ft.	15.37%

Class	Total Square Feet	Share of Total Industrial
Class A	636,665 Sq. Ft.	4.53%
Class B	7,412,439 Sq. Ft.	52.73%
Class C	2,455,726 Sq. Ft.	17.47%

Building Size Range	Total Square Feet	Share of Total Retail
50k to 100k Sq. Ft.	2,335,605 Sq. Ft.	20.83%
100k to 500k Sq. Ft.	4,122,874 Sq. Ft.	36.78%
500k to 1M Sq. Ft.	937,000 Sq. Ft.	8.36%
> 1M Sq. Ft.	1,564,533 Sq. Ft.	13.96%

City	Property Type	Count of Listings	Total SF
San Francisco, CA	Office	607	25,994,747
San Francisco, CA	Retail	336	2,271,795
San Francisco, CA	Industrial	82	1,962,209
San Francisco, CA	Other	1,000	30,397,718

1,565 Commercial Real Estate Listings in San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA Commercial Real Estate Market Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of commercial real estate?

What types of commercial real estate are available in San Francisco, CA?

What factors affect the price of commercial real estate in San Francisco, CA?

What is the average rent for commercial space in San Francisco, CA?

What are the best areas for commercial real estate in San Francisco, CA?

How do I find a good commercial real estate broker?

What is the most profitable commercial real estate?

What is the average size of a commercial property in San Francisco, CA?

San Francisco, CA Commercial Real Estate Inventory Breakdown

Total Office Space in San Francisco: 127,552,954 Sq. Ft.

Total Industrial Space in San Francisco: 14,056,744 Sq. Ft.

Total Retail Space in San Francisco: 11,210,135 Sq. Ft.

San Francisco, CA Currently Available Listings

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