CommercialGuru Listings vs Actual Office Conditions: What Every Tenant Should Check Before Signing

Why 58% of Office Listings Differ from On-site Reality
If you've compared online listings to the real office after a visit, you already know something is off. The data suggests that a large portion of commercial listings exaggerate space, amenities, or condition. Industry audits and tenant surveys show a common pattern: photos are optimized, measurements are rounded, and lease-ready claims are optimistic. That doesn't mean every listing is dishonest, but it does mean you need to approach CommercialGuru listings with a plan.

Analysis reveals patterns in where and how listings diverge from reality. Urban cores tend to have higher mismatch rates because agents list quickly to capture demand. Secondary markets show fewer photos and more discrepancies in reported services. Evidence indicates that the stakes are real: time lost for site visits, surprise build-out costs, and leasing a space that won't host your team efficiently.
5 Core Factors That Cause Listing Inaccuracies on Commercial Platforms
If you're trying to decide why CommercialGuru photos and specs sometimes don't match the unit you walk into, here are the main drivers. View these as checkpoints rather than accusations—the platform is a tool, but people use it differently.
Photo selection and staging: Agents or owners choose images that present the space at its best. Pictures can be years old or from a similar unit in the same building. Measurement conventions: Gross versus net area, measurable versus rentable square footage, and rounding can inflate or deflate the usable area by 5-20%. Hidden costs and lease structures: "Inclusive of services" often hides service fees, common area maintenance (CAM) adjustments, or management surcharges. Timing and turnover: A listing may reflect a former tenant's fit-out. Vacant shows may be stripped down, while occupied shows could be staged and not representative of your layout needs. Data-entry errors and copy-paste listings: Agents sometimes re-use descriptions across multiple properties. Small mistakes become big surprises when you expect specific amenities or clearances.
Comparison and contrast help here: a listing that emphasizes polished images but omits clear dimensions likely relies on visual appeal. A listing heavy on specs but light on photos may be accurate on size but uncertain on condition. The difference matters when you're budgeting for fit-out or planning headcount.
How Photo Staging, Measurement Errors, and Lease Terms Skew Perception
Let's dig deeper into how each factor actually plays out. I’ve seen hundreds of listings where one or more of these elements produced costly misreads for tenants. Below are real patterns and pragmatic lessons.
Photo staging and selective angles
Photos can make a 500 sq ft room feel like 800 sq ft. Wide-angle lenses, tidy staging, and selective cropping remove clutter and poor lighting. On the flip side, purposeful under-photography leaves you guessing—if there are no photos of certain areas, assume they’re problems. Evidence indicates that the most credible listings include floor plans with measurements and at least one photo per functional area.
Measurement conventions that confuse
Gross area includes walls, shafts, and common areas. Net usable area is what your desks, meeting rooms, and break area will occupy. Analysis reveals that rent-per-square-foot comparisons must always specify which metric is in play. If not, you're comparing apples to oranges and likely to overpay.
Lease language and service ambiguities
Commercial listings often use shorthand: "all services included," "fully managed," or "turnkey." Those terms carry different meanings from one landlord to another. For example, "fully managed" may still exclude security, landscaping, or specific HVAC servicing. The practical impact is measurable: a 10% to 25% increase in operating costs after signing is not uncommon when expectations are misaligned.
Examples from real cases
Case 1: A tech startup leased a supposedly 2,000 sq ft office based on a high-quality listing. On inspection, the usable area was closer to 1,700 sq ft because the listing quoted rentable area. The shortfall forced a significant re-plan of desk layouts and a higher fit-out budget.

Case 2: A law firm signed a lease in a "fully furnished" suite. The listing photos were of an adjacent, fully furnished floor. The actual unit was stripped, requiring the tenant to contract a full fit-out and pay expedited delivery fees for furniture. The lesson: always confirm that photos match the specific unit, not just the building.
Claim on Listing Common Reality Impact "Turnkey office" May lack furniture, signage rights, or AV setup Extra fit-out cost; delayed occupancy "2,000 sq ft" Rentable vs usable variance of 5-20% Overestimation of capacity; poor layout planning "All services included" Specific services excluded or capped Unexpected operating expenses How to Read a Listing So You Don't Overpay or Misjudge Space
From your point of view, every listing should be interrogated. Think like a broker who has lost clients to avoidable mistakes. The data suggests that tenants who follow a consistent checklist avoid most surprises. Below are tactics to synthesize listing data into a reliable picture.
Demand a floor plan with labeled measurements: Seeing a plan removes ambiguity about which areas count toward square footage. If the plan is missing, treat the listing as incomplete. Cross-check photos against the floor plan: If photos show an installed pantry but the floor plan does not allocate space for one, ask why. That inconsistency often signals a copied image. Clarify lease inclusions in writing: Get a line-by-line list of services and whether they are fixed, estimated, or capped. Numbers are easier to compare than fuzzy phrases. Ask for recent site visit photos or a short walk-through video: A quick video from the landlord or agent reduces staging risk and confirms condition more than a static image. Compare multiple listings in the same building: If neighboring floors or similar units have different claims, you can spot the outlier and probe why it differs.
Comparison and contrast are your friends. Compare the rent-per-square-foot with similar listings that break out usable versus rentable area. Contrast amenities listed by the landlord with those observable on a recent site visit. The pattern you build from multiple touchpoints is more reliable than a single attractive listing.
7 Concrete Steps to Verify Office Conditions Before Signing
Here are measurable steps you can follow. Each step includes what to check and what to record. Try to complete all seven before any commitment.
Request precise measurements and confirm method:
Ask whether dimensions are "rentable" or "usable." Record the method used to calculate them. If they won't confirm, assume a 10% variance in planning budgets.
Ask for unit-specific photos and a dated video walkthrough:
Require photos of every major area and a short video showing entrance, core areas, and mechanical rooms. Note the date on which media was taken.
Get written confirmation of included services and fee structures:
Request a clause list: security, cleaning, HVAC service, trash removal, internet backbone, and parking. Insist on caps for pass-through expenses where possible.
Verify ceiling heights, column spacing, and floor load limits:
These affect furniture layout, equipment placement, and renovations. If your use requires raised flooring or heavy equipment, get specs in writing.
Inspect access and egress during your typical business hours:
Check elevators, loading dock windows, and security procedures. A building that works at 10 a.m. might choke during your 9 a.m. start time.
Obtain the building's recent utility and CAM reconciliations:
Historical cost data reveals trends in operating expenses. A sudden spike in CAM charges signals upcoming increases you should factor in.
Use a short, conditional Letter of Intent (LOI):
Make your LOI contingent on a final, in-person inspection and confirmation that all media and specs match the unit. This preserves negotiating leverage if discrepancies appear.
Quick Win: A 15-Minute Listing Verification Checklist
If you're pressed for time, use this rapid checklist when browsing CommercialGuru or any property portal. It takes about 15 minutes per listing and saves hours later.
Does the listing show a floor plan? Yes / No Are photos dated or labeled with unit numbers? Yes / No Is area specified as rentable or usable? Rentable / Usable / Not stated Are services listed and quantified? Yes / No Is there a recent site video available? Yes / No Do comparable units in the building show similar pricing? Yes / No
Scoring: If you answered "No" to more than two items, flag the listing for deeper verification before any commitment.
Interactive Self-Assessment: Can This Listing Be Trusted?
Work through this short self-assessment. Count your points to decide how confident you should be in a given CommercialGuru listing.
Floor plan provided and labeled: 2 points Unit-specific photos or video: 2 points Area type explicitly stated (usable vs rentable): 1 point Services and fees listed: 1 point Recent CAM/utility reconciliation available: 2 points Agent responded within 24 hours with additional details: 1 point
Scoring guide: 0-3 points = low trust; 4-6 = moderate trust; 7-9 = high trust. Even with high trust, keep the LOI conditional on a final inspection.
Practical Negotiation Tactics That Keep You Covered
Once you identify inconsistencies, use focused negotiation tactics rather than broad objections. The data suggests that landlords are most responsive to concrete, documented concerns. Here are tactics I use regularly and recommend:
Bring a photo and a floor plan when raising a discrepancy. Specifics remove subjectivity. Ask for a rent abatement or capped fit-out allowance if the space is in worse condition than advertised. Request a pre-move-in punch-list with completion timelines and penalties for missed dates. Negotiate a defined CAM cap for the first year or a fixed increase schedule if historical data is volatile.
Comparison: landlords prefer quick deals; tenants prefer certainty. You win room for negotiation by converting aesthetic complaints into measurable items tied to cost or timelines.
Final Notes from Experience: What Most Brokers Don't Tell First-Time Tenants
From the tenant's perspective, the listing is only the first inspection. Analysis reveals that the best outcomes occur when tenants treat online listings as preliminary marketing—useful for shortlisting, not for confirming. Evidence indicates that small upfront investments in verification save substantial costs later: precise measurements, written SME corporate office rental https://www.commercialguru.com.sg/listing/for-rent-raffles-quay-offices-various-sizes-available-500023865 service inclusions, and conditional LOIs turn uncertainty into bargaining power.

If you're using CommercialGuru or any aggregated platform, expect a mix: some listings are precise, many are optimistic, and a few are frankly incomplete. The practical approach is the same—document, verify, and make decisions based on measurable facts rather than polished images or persuasive copy.

When you need a quick rule of thumb: trust the listing enough to visit, but don't trust it enough to sign. Use the checklists and steps above to reduce surprises and keep control of your timeline and budget.