Leasing, buying or selling retail space in Ottawa? From main-street storefronts to plaza units and freestanding buildings, we help landlords, tenants and investors make the right move.
Retail Real Estate in Ottawa
Ottawa retail real estate broker
Retail space for lease and sale in Ottawa
The right tenant mix can make or break a plaza, and the right location can make or break a business. My Ottawa Agent helps landlords and owners lease, sell and reposition retail property, and helps retailers, restaurants, cafés, pharmacies, clinics and service businesses find and negotiate retail space across Ottawa.
We look past the asking rent to what really matters: foot and vehicle traffic, visibility, co-tenancy, parking, signage, exclusive use clauses, additional rent (TMI), tenant inducements and the zoning that allows your use. For landlords, we price and market space to reach the operators most likely to sign and stay.
Local to your community. Beyond the city, we work with clients in Arnprior, Carleton Place, Perth, Smiths Falls, Kemptville, Rockland, Embrun, Hawkesbury, Brockville and the towns in between, with the same marketing reach and experience.
From storefronts on Bank Street and in the ByWard Market to plazas in Orléans, Kanata, Barrhaven and the towns around Ottawa, we cover the full regional retail market.
21 years
dedicated commercial real estate experience
Tenants + landlords
leasing, buying and selling retail property
6,000+
newsletter subscribers, plus marketing well beyond MLS
Ottawa + 19 towns
serving communities across Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley
Explore retail real estate
Ottawa retail property by type
Leasing a storefront, buying a plaza or leasing your units: start with the guide that fits.
Retail space for lease
Storefronts, plaza units and street retail across Ottawa.
Restaurant space
Restaurant, café and food service locations.
Retail plazas for sale
Plazas, strip centres and retail investment properties.
Selling a retail property
How we help owners prepare, evaluate and sell.
Leasing your retail space
How we help landlords lease vacant units.
Custom Market Watch
Ask Mitch for a personal search for the space you want.
Live MLS® listings
Retail listings in Ottawa
Updated automatically from MLS®. Many of the best opportunities trade in the pre-market, so tell us what you need.
How we market your property
How we market retail space and retail property
Whether you are leasing a unit or selling a plaza, we go beyond the listing to reach the operators and investors most likely to act. For retail plazas and investment buildings, we help you prepare a professional investment pro forma, so prospective buyers can see the opportunity analytically: rents, lease terms, net operating income and cap rate.
Conventional inbound advertising
The essentials every listing should have, done properly: professional visuals, a detailed feature sheet and broad online exposure.
- An investment pro forma prepared with you, so buyers can evaluate the numbers
- Professional photography and drone aerial photography
- Floor plans, if you don't already have them
- A virtual tour, when the property calls for one
- MLS® and REALTOR.ca
- LoopNet and Spacelist commercial platforms
- Royal LePage Commercial network
- Featured on myottawaagent.com
- Our 6,000+ subscriber newsletter
Proactive marketing beyond the listing
A listing on its own waits for buyers to find it. We go further to put your property in front of the people most likely to act.
- Pre-market positioning, so serious buyers can act before the property goes public
- Matching your property with the buyers, tenants and investors we are working with
- Promotion to our 6,000+ subscriber commercial real estate newsletter
- Promotion in business and investor networks and social media groups
- Custom marketing campaigns, available when a property calls for them
Independent appraisals
When expectations differ, an independent appraisal helps
Our pro forma shows a property the way buyers and lenders will look at it. Sometimes a seller's expectations are different, and that's understandable. Our goal is to help you, not to argue about value.
When expectations and the pro forma don't line up, we recommend an independent appraisal by an accredited appraiser. An appraisal gives you an unbiased, third-party opinion of value, and it gives everyone involved the same set of facts to work from before the property goes to market.
It is especially valuable when more than one person makes the decision. For companies, non-profits and organizations with an executive team and a board of directors, we highly recommend it as the best way to build consensus among the decision makers.
When we recommend an appraisal
- Your price expectations differ from the pro forma
- There is more than one owner, partner or family member involved
- A board, executive team or committee must approve the sale
- Non-profits, charities and organizations that need an independent valuation on record
- Estates and any situation where an unbiased, defensible value protects everyone
RETAIL LEASING FOR LANDLORDS
Lease Your
Retail Space
Vacant retail space costs you every month it sits empty. We position your Ottawa storefront or plaza unit for the right tenants with professional marketing on MLS, LoopNet and Spacelist, targeted outreach to retailers and franchise groups, and promotion to more than 6,000 newsletter subscribers.
We qualify every prospect, compare offers on rent, term, incentives and covenant strength, and negotiate a lease that protects your income for the long term.
RETAIL LEASING FOR TENANTS
Leasing a
Retail Space
Opening a new location, relocating or right-sizing? We start with your budget, customers and must-haves like visibility, parking, signage and co-tenancy, then search available retail space across Ottawa.
We tour the best options with you, compare total occupancy costs, and negotiate rent, free rent, improvement allowances and renewal options so you open with the right deal.
Forecasting for buyers
Forecast performance before you buy
For retail investors, we forecast how each property can perform, weighing the upside against the improvement costs needed to unlock it, so you can compare options and project returns more accurately.
Upside analysis
Where is the value?
- Leases rolling to market rent
- Vacant units leased up
- Pad sites, intensification or added density
- Better tenant mix and co-tenancy
Improvement and capital costs
What will it cost?
- Tenant improvements and leasing commissions
- Roof, parking lot and facade work
- Vacancy and free rent during lease-up
- Capital reserves for common areas
Side-by-side comparisons
We model each option on the same basis so you can compare them fairly and choose the one that best fits your goals.
- Year-one and stabilized cash flow
- Cash-on-cash return, ROI and IRR
- Financing scenarios and equity required
Why work with Mitch Gauzas
Why retailers and landlords work with My Ottawa Agent
Retail deals are won on details: the right corner, the right clauses and the right tenant. That takes experience and a proactive search.
21 years in commercial real estate
Mitch brings 21 years of dedicated commercial real estate experience. That experience helps sellers prepare their properties, price them appropriately and structure deals that close.
Negotiating deals that close
We negotiate rent, free rent and tenant improvement allowances, exclusive use, renewal options and assignment rights, so the lease works for your business for years, not just on day one.
Royal LePage Commercial
Mitch is a Commercial Sales Representative with Royal LePage Integrity Realty and a member of the Royal LePage Commercial division, giving your property national brand reach to find buyers in other markets.
How we help clients succeed
Our retail leasing and sales process
Define the requirement
Size, budget, trade area, co-tenancy, parking and zoning needs, or for landlords, the ideal tenant profile.
Search the market
We canvass all listed space and new developments, and contact landlords directly when it helps.
Tour and compare
A clear shortlist with total occupancy cost, traffic and lease terms side by side.
Negotiate the deal
Offers to lease or purchase that protect your use, budget and future flexibility.
Open for business
We manage conditions, permit timing and fixturing dates through to possession.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS
Get in touch with My Ottawa Agent
With 21 years in Ottawa commercial real estate, Mitch Gauzas of Royal LePage Commercial pairs investor-grade analysis with proactive marketing that goes beyond online listings, a newsletter reaching more than 6,000 subscribers, and hands-on negotiation that gets deals closed. Whether you are leasing, buying, selling or investing, you will have an experienced advisor in your corner.
Areas we serve
Retail real estate across Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
You don't have to be in Ottawa to work with us. We serve owners, tenants and investors in communities across Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley, and know the local markets for storefronts, plazas, restaurants and medical retail in each one.
Ottawa neighbourhoods
Retail leasing and sales in Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven, Nepean and Stittsville and other growing suburban trade areas.
Ottawa Valley and Lanark County
Main-street storefronts, plazas and retail buildings in Arnprior, Carleton Place, Almonte, Perth, Smiths Falls, Renfrew, Pembroke and Calabogie, leased and sold to local operators and regional investors.
Prescott-Russell and Glengarry
Main-street storefronts, plazas and retail buildings in Rockland, Embrun, Russell, Casselman, Hawkesbury and Alexandria, leased and sold to local operators and regional investors.
Rideau and St. Lawrence
Main-street storefronts, plazas and retail buildings in Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville, Prescott and Cardinal, leased and sold to local operators and regional investors.
Retail Real Estate in Ottawa FAQs
How do I choose the right retail location?
Look at foot and vehicle traffic, visibility, parking, signage, nearby co-tenants, the local customer base, zoning for your use and the total cost of occupancy. We compare locations side by side so you can choose with confidence.
Should I buy or lease retail space for my business?
Buying builds equity, gives you control over the space and protects you from rent increases, but it requires a down payment and ties up capital. Leasing keeps cash free for your business and gives you flexibility. We help you compare both on real numbers.
How long does it take to lease a retail space in Ottawa?
It depends on the location, the size of the space and market conditions. Most tenant searches take a few weeks to a few months from first tour to signed lease. Starting early gives you more options and more negotiating leverage.
Do you provide retail real estate services outside Ottawa?
Yes. Along with the city of Ottawa, we serve Arnprior, Carleton Place, Almonte, Perth, Smiths Falls, Renfrew, Pembroke, Kemptville, Merrickville, Brockville, Prescott, Rockland, Embrun, Russell, Casselman, Hawkesbury and Alexandria and other communities in Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley. Every property gets the same inbound and outbound marketing, including our 6,000+ subscriber newsletter. Custom campaigns can be added when a property calls for them.
Should I get an appraisal before selling my property?
We recommend an independent appraisal when your expectations don’t line up with our pro forma, and whenever more than one person makes the decision. For companies, non-profits and organizations with an executive team and board of directors, an appraisal provides an unbiased, third-party value that helps build consensus among the decision makers. Our goal is to help, not to argue about value.
How do you help buyers compare investment options?
As part of every investment analysis, we model the upside of each property, such as rents moving to market or vacant space being leased, against the improvement and capital costs needed to get there. Comparing options on cash flow, cash-on-cash return, ROI and IRR helps you forecast investment performance more accurately.
What is My Ottawa Agent's experience with retail real estate?
Mitch Gauzas has 21 years of experience leasing and selling storefronts, plazas, restaurants, retail buildings and businesses across Ottawa and Eastern Ontario with Royal LePage Commercial.
How much does retail space cost to lease in Ottawa?
Retail rents in Ottawa vary widely by location, size and visibility. Most retail is leased on a net basis, so budget for base rent plus additional rent (TMI) covering property taxes, maintenance and insurance. We give you a full occupancy cost comparison for every site you consider.
What is TMI or additional rent?
TMI stands for taxes, maintenance and insurance. On a net lease, tenants pay their share of these costs on top of base rent. It can add significantly to your monthly cost, so we confirm it before you commit.
Do you help landlords lease vacant retail units?
Yes. We price the space, prepare marketing, match it with suitable retailers and franchise groups, promote it to our 6,000+ subscriber newsletter and handle negotiations through to a signed lease.
Can you help me buy a retail plaza or a building for my business?
Yes. We help owner-users and investors buy retail buildings and plazas, with underwriting based on best practices in the income approach for investment properties.
Do you work with restaurants, cafés and medical tenants?
Yes. These uses have specific needs such as venting, grease traps, zoning permissions, parking and accessibility, and we screen sites for them before you tour.
Mitch Gauzas, REALTOR®
