Navigating the complexities of veterinary lease spaces in Northern California with ease.
Why work with a tenant broker and not the listing agent?A listing agent represents the owner’s interests and might not take your interests into account. A tenant broker has your back and your back only!
Working with someone who understands veterinary real estate makes the process smoother, faster, and a whole lot less stressful. Working with someone who understands the business and what it needs beyond the four walls is a sound investment.
No Fear
Not every property works for a veterinary practice. Boarding, surgery, and even basic care can all have different zoning requirements. Permits take time—and sometimes a lot of it. Having a broker that can find spaces that are zoned before you tour them is well worth it.
You want to be easy to find, easy parking and convenient for your clients and their furry family members to get to. Proximity to neighborhoods, signage, and pet friendly access matters. A good tenant broker will prioritize these features to set you up for long-term success.
Veterinary practices aren’t just “medical offices.” You’ll need soundproofing, HVAC that can handle the workload, reinforced plumbing, and more. You will want a spot where pets can “take care of business” before coming inside—without creating problems for neighboring tenants. Power upgrades? Might not be needed if the broker knows your business incredibly well.
Square footage is one thing—functionality is another. Exam rooms, surgery, dental, pharmacy, kennels, storage: the flow has to work. A broker who “gets” veterinary medicine knows how the puzzle pieces fit together and can help you spot whether a building will works for your practice. And a broker with experience has contractors that also know veterinary build outs because not all contractors understand your business.
Kirsten Johnsen, Associate with Lee & Associates –
East Bay, Inc., is a 30 year resident of the East Bay
area, a UC Davis graduate and an experienced sales
professional. Prior to entering real estate, Kirsten
dedicated three decades to being a top producing
sales professional in animal health pharmaceutical
sales, supporting clients with drugs to treat patients
but also helping them with their business goals to
include locating real estate to expand, grow or even
start up their business in their desired geography. As
such, contractors have recommended to clients that
they work with Kirsten due to her attention to detail,
experience and reliable follow through. Kirsten
enjoys meeting people and learning about their
lives, their desires and needs so that she can help
them achieve their goals.
Thank you so much for being proactive and for keeping us posted on your actions. It is very much appreciated!
Tina K.
Thank you Kirsten! We so appreciated your feedback and advice throughout this process. We’re very excited to move into our new work home. I’ll be sure to pass along your information to my colleagues. Take care!
Emily W.
I wanted to send a personal note to the two of you and say THANK YOU, sincerely, for all your help during this process. Particularly your patience with my endless questions! Hard to believe that I have been in business for over 2 decades and still feel like such a newbie with this stuff.
Your willingness to be available and communicative during this process was terrific and it was so nice to feel like I wasn’t going through all this alone. I know ultimately it was my decision, but having someone to bounce options off of and talk through possible concerns was immensely helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Naomi L.
Thank you for today!!
You turned what was supposed to be a “work” day into such a fun day.
Really appreciated water and a delicious protein bar and most of all your company.
It was so refreshing to spend time with such a fun and interesting person like you.
Thank you again and yes.. I will hit you up for coffee of lunch when in the area!
Soo K.
Veterinary medicine has changed dramatically over the past decade. Today’s practices offer advanced diagnostics, expanded dentistry, technician-driven services, and rehabilitation—all while operating inside buildings that were often designed back when the pharmacy paid the bills {sigh} and X-ray machines looked like they belonged in a museum! That’s why space planning for a veterinary practice isn’t…
For many veterinary practice owners, leasing space is the natural—and often necessary—first step when starting or expanding a clinic. Let’s be real: when one is starting, there often isn’t a backyard ATM to fund a new practice and all it entails AND construction. Leasing offers flexibility and lower start up costs. But as a practice…
Veterinary Space for Lease! Cool but what do I need to know? Many veterinarians make crucial mistakes when leasing property for their clinics, often because they underestimate the complexity and long-term implications of lease agreements. One of the most common pitfalls is not fully understanding all that is tied to a lease agreement. Beyond the…
Many veterinarians make crucial mistakes when leasing property for their clinics, often because they underestimate the complexity and long-term implications of lease agreements. One of the most common pitfalls is not fully understanding all that is tied to a lease agreement. Beyond the base rent, leases for veterinary practices can and often include additional rent…
The construction process for a veterinary lease space involves collaborating with architects and contractors experienced in veterinary facilities to design a functional, safe, and efficient clinic environment tailored to both animal care and workflow needs. Critical considerations include planning for proper mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems but beyond that, there are other factors. Not all…
I plan to add content specific to veterinary buildouts to this site including of course leasing but also construction and financing considerations; purchasing property, leases and tenant improvements, equipment considerations and more.
We service the following communities in Northern California:
East Bay, San Francisco, Peninsula, South Bay, Sacramento, Central Valley, North Bay, Coastal, Northern California, and more….
Navigating veterinary leasing and purchasing with a broker that knows your business inside and out!
