Fee Structure

What Operators Pay

Space operators — developers, property companies, landlords — pay Shilden a fee upon completion of a lease transaction in which Shilden represented the occupier. The fee is expressed as a percentage of the first year’s rent on the transacted space, at market-standard rates. These rates are disclosed to both parties.

The operator fee is not contingent on building selection. Our fee for any transaction, in any qualifying building, is consistent. There is no incremental financial benefit to recommending one building over another.

What Clients Pay

For transaction mandates, clients pay nothing. The first conversation, the brief development, the submarket assessment, the shortlist, the negotiation, the lease advisory, and the handover are all covered by the operator fee at transaction close.

For ongoing portfolio counsel engagements — where Shilden advises on a multi-site or multi-year portfolio on a retained basis — a separate retainer is agreed with the occupier. This fee covers advisory that extends beyond individual transactions: portfolio audits, market monitoring, renewal assessments, and lease renegotiation support.

What This Means in Practice

If you engage Shilden for a GCC entry mandate and the transaction is completed, you pay nothing. If we advise against a transaction — because the timing is wrong, the buildings available do not meet your brief, or the market is moving in a direction that warrants a hold — you still pay nothing. Our advice is not conditional on a transaction occurring.

This is the structural difference between an advisor and a broker. An advisor is paid for the quality of the counsel. A broker is paid for the volume of the transactions. The fee structure determines which one you are engaging.