The landlord has a broker. You should too.
JMEC represents industrial tenants. One side of the table. Yours.
Every lease has two sides. Only one has been advised.
Landlords lease space every year. They know the market, the comparables and the concessions on offer. The broker who brings you the lease to renew works for them. Not you.
Most tenants lease a handful of times in a career. The landlord's broker is not paid to protect your position. A tenant representative is. JMEC is that representative. Yours.
Market knowledge
Rents, concessions and availability across San Antonio, Selma and Schertz, read against your size, timing and use.
Leverage you can use
Competing buildings create negotiating position. I find the options and put them in front of the landlord.
Terms read closely
Renewal rights, expansion options, restoration, operating expenses and holdover. The details that cost money later get handled before you sign.
Time protected
You run a business. I run the search, the tours, the proposals and the lease review process.
A renewal is a negotiation. Treat it like one.
Many tenants treat a renewal as paperwork. The landlord sends a proposal. You sign, or you move. That is the landlord's frame, not yours.
Rent, free rent, improvements, expansion rights and term are all open for discussion. The landlord's broker works for the landlord. At a renewal, nobody at the table works for you unless you bring someone.
Start early
A tenant with options negotiates better than a tenant with a deadline. Notice dates and option deadlines in your lease can pass quietly.
Know the alternatives
Competing buildings give you something to negotiate with, even when you plan to stay.
Test the proposal
Rent, concessions and terms measured against what comparable space is leasing for today.
Read the renewal clause
Option rent, notice windows, holdover, restoration and expansion rights. I review them before you answer the landlord.
Eight questions to answer 18 months before your lease expires.
Read your lease with these in hand. If you cannot answer one, that is the place to start.
- When does my lease expire?And what is the last date I can give notice of renewal or termination?
- Do I have a renewal option?If so, how is the renewal rent set, and by when must I exercise it?
- What are my expansion and termination rights?Do I have any, and what do they cost?
- What must I restore at move-out?Racking, offices, dock equipment and yard work can carry real cost.
- What happens if I stay past expiration?Holdover rent can be higher than your current rent.
- How much space will I need in five years?Renew for the business you will have, not the one you have today.
- What is comparable space leasing for today?Rent, concessions and improvement allowances in your submarket.
- What would it cost to move, and how long would it take?Moving costs, downtime, build-out and permitting time.
Get the printable checklist
The eight questions plus a renewal timeline, as a two-page PDF. Free. Sent to your inbox.
Want help answering them? Call 210.771.4779 or book 30 minutes.
No cost to you.
In most commercial lease transactions, the landlord pays the tenant's broker through a commission agreement. That is how I am paid.
If the landlord does not cover my fee, you owe nothing.
Terms are set in a written tenant representation agreement before I begin work. You will see them first.
How an engagement runs.
- Define the requirementSize, clear height, docks, power, location, timing and budget.
- Survey the marketAvailable space, including options that are not heavily marketed. A shortlist, with notes.
- Tour and compareBuildings side by side on cost, fit and risk, not on rate alone.
- NegotiateProposals out to competing landlords. Terms countered line by line.
- Lease and move-inLease reviewed with your attorney. Deadlines tracked through possession.
Renewing instead of moving? The same process applies. Begin early. A tenant with options negotiates better than a tenant with a deadline.
San Antonio Industrial Market Brief, Q3 2026
Two pages. What is moving the market, where the space is, and five questions to answer before your lease expires. Sourced from published brokerage research.
Jana Edwards
Licensed Texas real estate broker with about thirty years in the industry. Dual degrees in Real Estate and Economics from Baylor University. Based in San Antonio.
JMEC is a tenant-only practice. I do not represent landlords. The advice you receive has one client.
FocusIndustrial tenants
MarketsSan Antonio, Selma, Schertz
Start with a conversation.
Tell me when your lease expires and how much space you use. I will tell you what the market looks like. No obligation.