What We Do for San Diego Tenants
- Lease Renewal Negotiation – Reset rent to today’s market, cap operating expenses/base-year changes, secure free rent, and increase TI allowances.
- Relocation & Expansion – Find better-fit space and use credible alternatives to improve price and terms, even if you decide to stay.
- Buy vs. Lease Analysis – Side-by-side cash flow and IRR to see when ownership beats leasing.
- Site Selection & Tours – Shortlists from live inventory (direct and sublease) filtered by parking ratios, power, loading, clear height, lab readiness, medical compliance, and commute access.
- Documentation & Move-In – LOIs, lease language redlines, TI milestone tracking, and vendor coordination until you’re operational.
Why Tenants Choose Shelton & Associates
- Tenant-only representation—no dual agency, no landlord listings, no conflicts.
- Data-driven negotiations—current comps, vacancy trends, sublease supply, TI benchmarks, and effective-rent modeling.
- Transparent numbers—every dollar shown: base rent, OPEX, parking, utilities, build-out, downtime.
- Local expertise—San Diego micro-market knowledge that moves the needle.
- Measurable results—free rent, higher TI, flexible options (termination/expansion/contraction), and removal of personal guarantees where possible.
Industries We Serve
- Office & Professional Services: law, finance, tech, marketing, non-profit.
- Industrial & Warehouse: distribution, manufacturing, e-commerce, R&D.
- Life Science: lab-ready space, utilities, ventilation, EHS.
- Medical Office: plumbing/shielding, ADA, patient flow, compliance.
Our Process
- Discovery & Goals – headcount, growth, timing, budget, build-out needs.
- Market Scan – on-and off market options plus subleases and backfills.
- Tours & Shortlist – score each space against your criteria.
- Financial Modeling – apples-to-apples total occupancy cost with scenarios.
- Negotiation – dual-track renewal vs. move to maximize leverage.
- Lease Redlines – protect downside and future flexibility.
- Build-Out & Move – TI oversight and vendor coordination to day-one readiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you charge tenants?
No. In nearly all cases, the landlord pays our fee as part of the transaction.
Is renewing always cheaper than moving?
Not always. We compare renewal vs. relocation using total cost models; credible move options often improve renewal terms dramatically.
When should we start if our lease expires next year?
Office: 9–12 months in advance. Industrial/life science: 12–18 months to allow for permitting and build-out.
What if we only want a quick second opinion?
We’ll review your proposal and flag savings opportunities in rent, OPEX/base-year, TI, free rent, and risk clauses.
Results You Can Expect
- Lower effective rent and capped escalations
- Larger TI packages and more free rent
- Flexibility rights (termination, expansion, contraction, sublease)
- Reduced personal guarantee exposure
- Clear, model-based decisions your CFO will trust
John Shelton - Broker
John is a commercial real estate industry veteran and market expert with extensive expertise in Tenant Representation. As one of San Diego’s top commercial real estate brokers, he works with users of all sizes, including national and global corporate clients, specializing in Strategic Real Estate Planning with a focus on reducing occupancy costs and enhancing operational efficiencies.
He has nearly 25 years of experience in the CRE industry representing Tenants and has completed in excess of $600M in purchase, sale, and lease transactions.
John has the unique ability to analyze and interpret complex market trends, growth rates and opportunities. By identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats among particular building owners John is able to provide his clients the most comprehensive market insights and tenant representation services possible.