Occupiers

Our Occupier team provides a comprehensive service to clients. We have the ability to deliver all the advice that is required in the process - from agreeing heads of terms through to move in date. In fact, we have provided advice on almost every size and type of corporate relocation, expansion or first time acquisition and are as comfortable advising on large scale office HQ deals as we are on small space acquisitions.

As one of the leading real estate law firms, we have a deep understanding of occupational property including issues relating to the fabric of the building, its M&E systems and provision of landlord services.

What is a corporate occupier?

Corporate occupiers are commercial entities which occupy space for the purpose of their own business. While some corporate occupiers are tenants, others may own the freehold of land, or occupy other than as a tenant. In some circumstances a corporate occupier may also be a landlord, looking to sub-let space, but what differentiates them from commercial landlords is that they do not invest in real estate primarily to carry on a lettings business.

We recognise that not all of our occupier clients are the same; some make complex financial transactions, others make movies. While businesses need real estate, real estate is rarely their business. We make it our business to ensure that our clients’ premises work for them.

With experience in every kind of commercial property, we advise occupiers across a range of sectors including:

  • Tech Media and Telecoms
  • Banking and finance
  • Law and professional services
  • Publishing
  • Film, TV and streaming
  • FTSE 100 corporates

Our role is to act as trusted advisor throughout the process. We take time to understand our clients’ needs, including timescales, ensuring that they are made aware of any issues, risks or opportunities. We have excellent working relationships with the leading property agents and our experience shows that working collaboratively with existing teams on issues such as location, size of space and specification will help to ensure that the project runs on time, within budget and with minimal disruption to the client’s day-to-day business.


Corporate Occupiers - Key terminology guides

A list of key terminology and concepts relevant to corporate occupiers of UK real estate with their plain English explanations.

Quick Guides - Corporate Occupier


Sustainability in the built environment

The move to further sustainability within Real Estate is increasingly driven by the increased connection between sustainability and financial viability.

Sustainability in the built environment


‘The 2025 office: static, evolved or extinct?’: Glenn Dunn, Victoria Towers and Katherine Ekers deliver Lexology webinar

Forsters’ Head of Occupier Services, Glenn Dunn, and Commercial Real Estate Partners, Victoria Towers and Katherine Ekers, discuss what form the office could take in the future.

The future of office space


Podcast: A focus on Corporate Occupiers

Miri Stickland talks to Glenn Dunn, head of Forsters’ corporate occupiers sector group, about the current central London office market, key considerations when planning an office relocation and the recent move to agile working for the Forsters’ Commercial Real Estate team in our new offices at Berkeley Square House.

Podcast: A focus on Corporate Occupiers - a mobile phone and some earphones


The future of office space

Property Litigation Partner, Ben Barrison, and head of Forsters' corporate occupier practice, Glenn Dunn, have co-authored an article for EG entitled, ‘Office space: how to downsize for the new normal’.

Offices - exterior view of a glass office building.


Our Insights

"Exceptional, quality advice."
Chambers HNW, 2019
×