A Lower Rent Without Moving
A renewal negotiation turns a 3% rent increase into a 2.6% reduction, without the tenant moving an inch.
The situation
A custom suit tailor in the Flatiron District engaged Davada Advisors as their lease approached expiration. They were bracing for a big rent increase, and the landlord came in with the opening move: a 3% bump, framed as routine and presented as take-it-or-leave-it. In a rising market, most tenants in their position simply sign. They didn't.
Our approach
We built a market survey of comparable spaces in the immediate submarket, giving our client real alternatives and real leverage. Faced with the data, the landlord's position shifted. We pushed for a reduction, and secured a final renewal rate below what the tenant was already paying.
The result
The numbers
Why it mattered
The tenant came in expecting a rent increase. They left with their renewal locked in at 2.6% below what they were already paying, in a market where landlords routinely open at 3 to 5% above.
No disruption. No move. No new address to communicate to clients whose suits have brought them back year after year. Just a better lease, in the same space, because the negotiation was built on real market data rather than a handshake and a hope.
In a market where rents are climbing, they'll pay less next year than they did last year, without moving a single fitting mirror.
The takeaway
Most tenants who handle a renewal on their own assume they are saving money by skipping a broker. But without a clear read on how their lease compares to the market, they are negotiating blind, and they usually settle for an increase, even when the market is flat or falling. Landlords open high because they expect exactly that. Having a broker on your side creates leverage: the landlord knows you understand the market and have real options, and that changes the conversation.