Clearer decisions in real estate.

Retail locations are often judged solely on visibility and footfall. Both matter, but neither alone tells you whether a space will work for a business. A well-chosen location fits customer habits, the nature of the service and the business’s ability to be present every day.

Consider the customer’s journey before they reach your door: are they visiting you deliberately, passing by, or combining the visit with another errand? The answer affects the entrance, parking, the role of the shop window and the layout.

When assessing a location, I always ask:

• who its natural visitors are and at what times they come;
• whether the premises are easy to find at first glance;
• what neighbouring businesses add for your customers;
• whether the space lets the product or service be clearly visible.

Good retail premises are more than an address. They are a place where a business and its customers meet as naturally as possible.

A lease is more than an agreement on price. It sets how flexibly a business can use its premises and whether both parties keep the same understanding of costs throughout the term. Most misunderstandings arise where an important detail has remained a verbal promise.

Before signing, clarify these five points:

• Total cost: rent, service charges, utilities, advertising fees and VAT must be clearly understood.
• Readiness of the premises: who carries out alterations, when will they be completed and who pays?
• Lease term and flexibility: what happens if the business grows, relocates or needs more or less space?
• Repairs and responsibility: where do the tenant’s obligations end and the landlord’s begin?
• Handover at the end of the lease: in what condition must the premises be returned, and what may stay?

A good lease does not mean fearing everything in advance. It means both parties have thought through the important situations beforehand, leaving more time to run the business instead of interpreting the lease.

The search for office space no longer begins with “How many square metres do we need?” The right starting point is how the business works: how often people are on site, how they collaborate, which clients visit and what the premises must support every working day.

Tallinn’s office market currently offers more choice than a few years ago. Tenants have time to compare, request tailored solutions and look beyond the space itself. A lower price does not automatically mean a better decision. Access, technical condition, parking, service charges and adaptability often affect daily operations more than the initial rent per square metre.

Before deciding, think through three scenarios:

• how employees, clients and goods arrive;
• whether the premises work on an ordinary day and for a growing team;
• the total cost over the whole lease, not just the first month.

An older building’s competitive advantage need not be the lowest price. It can be flexibility: moving in quickly, choosing a smaller unit, adapting the layout or starting with a more manageable total cost.

The owner should also be prepared to invest in the tenant’s space. A refresh, well-designed lighting, better finishes or a small interior change can give an older building a clear advantage. Well-prepared premises make it easier for a business to picture itself there and reach a decision.

Good office space quietly supports a business. Poor premises consume time, energy and money every day.

Market context: Colliers’ Q1 2026 overview reported vacancy of 9–9.5% in Tallinn’s speculative Class A office stock and 12–12.5% in Class B1.