What Does a Commercial Leasing Agent Do? Pay, Skills, How to Start
Commercial leasing agents fill offices, shops and warehouses. Here's what the job involves, what it pays in Australia and NZ, and how to get your start.
Every office tower, shopping centre, warehouse and medical suite in Australia has one thing in common. Someone had to find the tenant, negotiate the deal and get the lease signed. That someone is the commercial leasing agent, and it's one of the most underrated jobs in property.
Residential sales gets the TV shows. Commercial leasing quietly keeps the economy running. If you like people, numbers and a good negotiation, it might be exactly where you belong.
What a commercial leasing agent actually does
In plain English, you're the matchmaker between landlords with space and businesses that need it. Depending on the firm, you might act for the owner (filling vacancies) or for the tenant (finding them the right premises and the best terms).
A normal week might look like this:
- Prospecting. Calling businesses whose leases are coming up, checking which tenants are growing, and keeping tabs on who's moving where.
- Inspections. Walking clients through office floors, retail shopfronts, industrial sheds or data-heavy logistics space.
- Market knowledge. Knowing rents, incentives, vacancy rates and what the building down the road just leased for.
- Negotiating heads of agreement. Rent, term, rent reviews, incentives, fit-out contributions, make-good, options to renew.
- Working the deal to the line. Liaising with lawyers, asset managers, property managers and fit-out teams until the lease is signed and the tenant moves in.
- Reporting. Updating landlords on enquiry, feedback and market conditions.
You'll work with some of the other roles we've covered on PropertyRoles, especially asset managers, facilities managers and valuers. The best leasing agents understand what each of them cares about.
Residential vs commercial leasing
A residential leasing consultant fills homes and works under tenancy laws written to protect renters. A commercial leasing agent deals with businesses, much bigger dollar figures and leases that run for years. A three-year office lease with options and a fit-out incentive is a serious commercial contract, and every clause matters. That's why the role leans heavily on negotiation and financial literacy, not just good customer service.
What it pays
Pay varies by city, firm, asset class and how much commission is in the mix, but here are some real benchmarks. SEEK's salary estimates, refreshed on 2 November 2026, put a Leasing Executive in commercial and industrial property at $89K to $110K at Dexus. SEEK's figures for CBRE show the ladder nicely:
- Leasing Coordinator: $78K to $85K
- Leasing Agent: $65K to $80K
- Leasing Analyst: $80K to $90K
- Leasing Executive: $89K to $110K
- Retail Leasing Executive: $130K to $168K
Those are base salary estimates. In agency roles especially, commission or bonuses on deals can add a big chunk on top for strong performers. Retail leasing pays at the top end because shopping centre leasing is a specialist skill: you're curating a whole tenancy mix, not just filling a unit.
Licensing and qualifications
This is where it gets state by state, so check with your regulator before you start.
- NSW: Leasing is real estate agency work. You can start with an assistant agent certificate of registration, which needs five core units from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419). As an assistant agent you can help with commercial leasing under supervision, but you can't sign the lease or agency agreement yourself.
- Victoria: You'd work as an agent's representative for a licensed estate agent. Consumer Affairs Victoria requires 15 set units of CPP41419 plus three electives, a police check and written authority from your employer. New registration and annual CPD rules are being phased in, so keep an eye on that page.
- Other states and territories: Expect a similar entry-level registration based on CPP41419 units. Check with your state's fair trading or consumer affairs office.
- New Zealand: Commercial leasing is real estate agency work under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008, so you'll need to be licensed. The Real Estate Authority also requires a written agreement with the client before you market a lease, and anti-money laundering checks before you present an offer.
You don't need a degree, but a property, business or commerce degree helps if you want to move into asset management or investment later.
Skills that make a great leasing agent
- Negotiation. Calm, fair and firm. You're protecting your client's interests while keeping the deal alive.
- Numbers. Net vs gross rent, incentives, effective rent, outgoings. If you can run a lease comparison in a spreadsheet, you're ahead.
- Relationships. Commercial property is a small world. Tenants you help today come back in five years.
- Resilience. Deals fall over. The good ones dust themselves off by lunchtime.
- Tech confidence. CRMs, data platforms and virtual tours are standard. AI tools such as Grok Bot, Claude or ChatGPT are great for summarising a long lease, drafting a market update or prepping for a pitch. Use them as a starting point and always check the detail.
Career path
A typical path runs from leasing coordinator or administrator to leasing executive, then senior executive, leasing manager and head of leasing or director. Plenty of people later move into asset management, development or investment, because they know exactly what tenants want and what they'll pay for it. It's a terrific foundation for a long property career.
How to get started
- Get your entry-level registration in your state (or your licence in NZ).
- Start as a leasing coordinator, administrator or sales associate at a commercial agency or a landlord like a REIT. You'll learn the process from the inside.
- Pick an asset class you're curious about. Office, retail, industrial and logistics, healthcare and childcare all have their own rhythm.
- Learn the market. Read leasing reports, walk your local precincts and know the buildings.
- Find a mentor. The best leasing agents I've met all had someone who showed them how to run a deal properly.
The workplace keeps changing, from hybrid offices to booming logistics and data centres, and every change means businesses need new space. That's good news for leasing agents.
Ready to make your move? Browse commercial property and leasing jobs on PropertyRoles and find your first (or next) role today.
Brett Iredale
