Private Offices for Lease in NYC: The Steps, and How Long Each Takes

Steps one to three: brief, shortlist and tour

• Brief. One page: headcount now and a year and a half out, your target move-in date, what you can spend each month, and the neighborhoods you would consider. A broker reaches out within the hour during business hours.
• Shortlist. A first shortlist can be ready within 24 hours, with each candidate's size and, for nearly all of them, the asking rent.
• Tour. Three to five offices seen in one afternoon, then a second visit to the best two.

With a clear brief, this stage takes two to four weeks.

Steps four to six: proposal, letter of intent and lease

• Proposal. Each landlord puts its terms in writing: what it will charge and for how long, the free months, the money it will put toward the space, the yearly increases, the security it wants and the date it can hand over the keys.
• Letter of intent. One to two weeks. It fixes the business terms in a couple of pages, and it is the cheapest place to move a number.
• Lease. Three to six weeks. The landlord's attorney drafts, yours marks it up, and two or three rounds are normal.

A complete letter of intent is the best predictor of a quick lease. How long each phase takes is set out in our timeline guide.

Step seven: move-in, and what Nomad does after signing

When the office is furnished or pre-built, move-in comes two to four weeks after signing. When it needs a custom buildout, construction typically takes 10 to 16 weeks, and Nomad's construction management team runs it: design, filings, landlord approvals, contractors, furniture and cabling.

After move-in, facilities management keeps the office running, from cleaning to repairs and vendors. A team that wants neither a buildout nor an operations job can take a Flex by Nomad floor, which arrives furnished and serviced.

Comparing private offices on more than the asking rent

Two offices at the same asking rent can cost very different amounts. Before choosing, line each one up on:

• Free rent and the improvement allowance, counted across the whole term.
• Condition: furnished, pre-built or needing work, and the weeks each adds.
• The term, and any right to renew, expand or sublet.
• Usable area: how much of the rentable figure you can actually furnish.
• The commute for the people already on the team.

Which teams suit a private office, and why Penn Plaza is shown

A private office starts to make sense on cost at around 15 to 20 people, and earlier for a team that hosts clients or handles confidential work. Smaller teams often do better with desks in a shared space.

Penn Plaza is a single hub among the Manhattan submarkets we cover. It surrounds Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall, where the 1/2/3 and A/C/E subway lines meet LIRR and NJ Transit trains, and much of its stock is garment-era loft buildings with high ceilings and large windows. The block on this page shows those floors. The Penn Plaza guide describes the district, and all available floors covers every other hub.