Choosing Office Space for Your SaaS Business: LoopNet, Crexi, CoStar Compared
As a Software Publisher or SaaS startup, finding the right office space is key for your team's productivity and growth. You need to know where available office listings are and which tools actually help. LoopNet, Crexi, and CoStar all list commercial properties, but they show different things to free users versus paid customers. This guide helps you pick the best tool to find office space for your tech company and why.
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The Quick Answer
For most SaaS teams under 50 people, aiming for flexible office or traditional office space under 5,000 sq ft, start your search on LoopNet. It's free to search, covers a wide range of office listings, and uses data from CoStar. Use Crexi as a backup, especially to find office spaces in areas outside major tech hubs that might not be on LoopNet. CoStar is the most complete tool but is priced for large commercial brokers and investors ($400–$2,000+/month), not for small software companies looking to lease their first or second office.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
SaaS startups often manage tight budgets, balancing server costs and developer salaries. Paying $130–$300/month for a LoopNet paid plan or $400–$2,000+/month for CoStar might not make sense unless you're rapidly expanding or have very specific needs. LoopNet offers free basic search, showing available office properties, their size, and broker contacts. Paid plans offer full details. It has the largest public database for commercial listings in the US and is best for office searches by address or market. Crexi offers free search with contact info, is strong in western US markets, and is growing nationally. It has easy map-based search and some free data tools. CoStar's high cost makes it a tool for large commercial real estate firms and institutional investors. It has the most detailed data, including past lease prices and properties not publicly listed, but it's not made for software teams to find their own office space.
How to Use LoopNet as a Small Business Tenant
LoopNet's free level shows you available office properties, basic size, estimated pricing, and broker contact info. For most SaaS tenants looking for office space under 2,500 sq ft (enough for 10-25 team members), the free tier provides enough information to make an initial list. Use filters for property type (office, flex, coworking), size range, and price per square foot. For software companies, pay close attention to internet provider options in the building, available parking, and proximity to public transport for your team. Save your searches and set up email alerts for new office listings in your desired tech-friendly area.
When to Work Directly With a Broker
In most commercial office lease deals, the landlord pays your broker's fee, meaning you can get help from a tenant's broker at no cost to you. A good tenant broker knows about 'off-market' office spaces that never show up on LoopNet or Crexi. They have relationships with landlords in your target tech market and can negotiate for you. This is especially helpful if your SaaS team needs specific things like high-bandwidth internet wiring, a flexible lease with options to expand, or a location near key talent pools. If you are looking for an office space for more than 90 days or plan to grow, hiring a tenant's broker is worth it to save your team time and money.
The Verdict
For your SaaS startup or software publishing company, begin with LoopNet to quickly find and research available office spaces. Supplement this with Crexi, especially if you're looking in less saturated markets or specific sub-markets. This initial self-research helps you understand the market for tech-friendly office spaces (e.g., 1,500-3,000 sq ft office with good amenities). Once you have a shortlist of 3–5 properties you are serious about, contact a local tenant's broker. They can access CoStar data on your behalf, find better deals, and negotiate terms that suit an agile software business, such as tenant improvement allowances for custom workstations or meeting rooms. Always have a commercial real estate attorney review any commercial lease you decide to sign, paying close attention to tech infrastructure clauses.
How to Get Started
1. Go to loopnet.com, set your property type to 'office' or 'flex,' enter your target size range (e.g., 1,000-5,000 sq ft), and location filters (e.g., 'downtown tech district'). Save your search for email alerts. 2. Run the same search on crexi.com for extra office listings, focusing on areas with good internet access and employee amenities. 3. For each office property you are serious about, contact the listing broker to get full details and schedule a tour. Ask about internet providers, power backup, and building security. 4. After touring at least three spaces, decide whether to work with an independent tenant's broker for the negotiation phase, especially if you need specific lease terms for your tech business. 5. Before signing anything, have a commercial real estate attorney review the full office lease, including all exhibits and addenda, focusing on terms critical for your software operations.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is LoopNet free to use?
LoopNet offers a free search tier that shows listings, basic details, and broker contact information. Paid plans ($130–300/month) unlock full property details, demographics, traffic counts, and saved search alerts with more data. For most small business tenants building a shortlist, the free tier is sufficient.
Why do some commercial spaces not show up on LoopNet?
Some landlords, particularly smaller local owners, do not pay to list on LoopNet. Some spaces lease through word of mouth or tenant networks before hitting any listing platform. A local commercial broker has access to these off-market availabilities through CoStar and direct landlord relationships.
How do I know if the asking rent is fair?
Ask the listing broker for comparable lease data in the market. You can also search recent LoopNet and Crexi lease comparables in the same submarket. For a more rigorous analysis, a tenant's broker can pull CoStar lease comp data for free as part of their representation service.
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