
Honest Property Investment with Natasha Collins
The Commercial Tenants Thriving Right Now… and Those I Wouldn’t Let To
Are small businesses really being squeezed out of commercial property? And are only the biggest occupiers going to survive? That was the argument somebody made to me on Substack this week — but it simply isn't what we're seeing across the commercial properties we manage. In this episode, I'm sharing what's actually happening on the ground: the types of commercial tenants we're seeing thrive right now, the businesses I'm becoming increasingly cautious about, and what I look for before agreeing to a new tenant. We're seeing particularly strong demand from service-led businesses — including beauty, healthcare, counselling, care services, food-to-go and professional services — alongside continued demand for small workshops, storage and flexible business space. But there are other sectors where I'm asking considerably more questions before handing over the keys. I cover: The commercial tenants we're seeing perform well right now Why service-led businesses are proving resilient Why I love a boring 500 sq ft workshop or storage unit The tenant types I'm currently more wary of Why a successful business isn't necessarily a good tenant for your property What recent tenant failures across our own portfolio have looked like The due diligence we carry out on prospective tenants Why I want to see tenants thinking about business rates, utilities, grants and operating costs before they move in Why I'm increasingly interested in the person behind the business, not just the sector they're operating in The big takeaway? Commercial property isn't dying. Occupational demand is changing. As investors and landlords, our job isn't simply to find somebody willing to sign a lease. It's to understand who needs our space, why they need it and whether they've built a business capable of paying the rent for years to come.

