Step 1: Document Your Operational Requirements
Effective industrial site selection starts with documented operational requirements, not real estate criteria. Document your space needs (size, clear height, loading, column spacing, floor specifications), power requirements (capacity, redundancy), process infrastructure (where applicable), yard or outdoor storage requirements, parking and vehicle access, growth horizon, and brand or image requirements. Translate operational requirements into building specifications used for site evaluation. Operators who skip this step routinely end up in buildings that don't quite fit, costing operational efficiency for the duration of the lease.
Step 2: Identify Target Submarkets
Metro Vancouver has 12+ distinct industrial submarkets with different operational profiles, labour catchment, transportation access, and lease economics. Identify the 2 to 4 submarkets that genuinely fit your operations before consuming time on site tours. The right submarket depends on customer geography (where you ship to), labour requirements (where your workforce lives), transportation needs (rail, marine, US border), and budget. Generalist submarket recommendations rarely fit specific tenants.
Step 3: Engage a Tenant Representation Broker
Tenant representation brokers work for you, are typically compensated by the landlord through standard commission structures, and provide access to off-market inventory that public listing platforms miss. In Metro Vancouver's tight industrial market, off-market access frequently makes the difference between finding the right building and accepting compromises. The broker should be industrial-focused — not a generalist commercial broker — and should have direct relationships with the major landlords and developers in your target submarkets.
Step 4: Source and Tour Sites
Your broker builds the comprehensive list of viable sites — on-market, off-market, and pre-marketed. Tour the shortlist with consistent evaluation criteria — operational fit, building condition, location, lease economics, growth optionality. Document each site against your requirements document. Avoid emotional decisions; structured evaluation produces better outcomes.
Step 5: Develop and Submit Offers
From the tour shortlist, develop offers (Letters of Intent) for the 2 to 4 sites you'd genuinely take. Offers should specify proposed rent, term, escalations, op-cost handling, TI requirements, free rent, options, and any conditions. Submitting offers to multiple sites creates competitive tension and surfaces the landlords most motivated to do a deal. The shortlist approach typically produces meaningfully better economics than single-site negotiation.
Step 6: Negotiate the Lease
Once you've identified the preferred site, the LOI is converted to a binding lease document. Lease negotiation covers rent and escalations, op-cost handling and caps, term and options, TI specifications and approvals, use clauses, assignment and sublease rights, exit provisions, and dozens of other terms. Engage commercial real estate counsel for the lease review — the document binds your business for 5 to 15 years and carries meaningful consequence if any clauses are misunderstood or unfavorable.
Step 7: Build Out and Occupy
Build-out begins after lease execution. Coordinate with your contractor, architect, and project manager to deliver the build-out on schedule and budget. Manage the landlord relationship through construction — TI funding, occupancy approvals, and any specification questions. Plan move-in well ahead of the occupancy date to minimize business disruption.