Question 1

What are the different types of commercial real estate?

Accepted Answer

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 Boston commercial real estate market incorporates 132,396,974 square feet of office space across 606 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 Boston, the coworking segment of the commercial real estate market incorporates about 47,405 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 Boston commercial real estate market includes 6,054,626 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 Boston market, there is a total of 7,401,042 square feet of industrial property.

Question 2

What types of commercial real estate are available in Boston, MA?

Accepted Answer

The largest share of commercial real estate space for lease in Boston is represented by Office space, which accounts for 8,436,100 square feet of available listings. Industrial space available in Boston adds up to 589,915 square feet.

Question 3

What factors affect the price of commercial real estate in Boston, MA?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

What is the average rent for commercial space in Boston, MA?

Accepted Answer

The average rent for commercial real estate space listed for lease in Boston is $44.99 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 Boston 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.

Question 5

What are the best areas for commercial real estate in Boston, MA?

Accepted Answer

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 Boston, depending on the property type you are interested in. The highest concentration of commercial space listings of any kind in Boston is in the Downtown - Financial District neighborhood. But if we look at each commercial property type, we find that for office space, the best location is the Downtown - Financial District area.

Meanwhile, retail space opportunities are most abundant in the Back Bay submarket. Alternatively, if you are looking for warehouse or other industrial space, consider looking at listings in East Boston.

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.

Question 6

How do I find a good commercial real estate broker?

Accepted Answer

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!

Question 7

What is the most profitable commercial real estate?

Accepted Answer

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 $81 per square foot. In particular, the property type commanding the highest lease rates in Boston was Office space.

Conversely, the highest sale price last year was $148,000,000 that is located at 535 Boylston Street.

Question 8

What is the average size of a commercial property in Boston, MA?

Accepted Answer

The average size of a commercial property in Boston 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 Boston, the average size of an office property is 231,869 square feet.
Retail properties here incorporate an average of 53,111 square feet.
Industrial space in Boston is in buildings that are, on average 164,468 square feet in size.

843 Commercial Real Estate Listings in Boston, MA

399 Wash

50 Congress Street

200 Clarendon Street

The Landmark

100 Summer Street

855 Boylston Street

Schrafft's City Center - 529 Main Street

155 Southampton Street

500 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA

519 Albany Street

75 State Street

The Andrew Dutton Building

21 Merchants Row

5 Washington Street

312-316 Stuart Street

Hood Business Park - 500 Rutherford Avenue

One Kenmore Square – Beacon Building

One Federal Street

581 Boylston Street

135 W 7th Street

One Post Office Square

260 Newbury Street

One Beacon Street

13,205 SF For Sublease Available through January 2026

239 Causeway Street

285 Summer Street

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