The portals that need an agent
The two biggest names in UK property - Rightmove Commercial and Zoopla Commercial - are built for agents. They sell membership to letting and estate agencies and take listings through those agencies' software feeds; they are not generally set up for a private landlord to walk in and list one unit. The same is true of most of the agent-facing commercial portals that sit alongside them. Their reach is real, but for a landlord the practical route onto them is to instruct an agent and pay the agent's fee - see what commercial letting agents charge for what that involves.
That is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon trying to sign up. If a site's pricing page talks about "branches", "offices" or "feeds", it is talking to agents, not to you.
The portals landlords can use directly
A second group of sites lets the property owner list without an agent. They vary in how commercial they are, what they charge and whom they reach:
- Boxpod - a UK commercial-only marketplace where landlords, agents and councils list directly. Plans from £12 a month for one unit, no commission, enquiries straight to you. This is us, so weigh that accordingly - but it is exactly the gap we were built for.
- Larger international marketplaces that accept owner listings as well as agents, usually on a paid plan; strong for bigger investment-grade property, less so for a single small unit.
- General classifieds and social marketplaces - free, but not where businesses searching for premises tend to start, and with no filtering by size, use or lease terms. Covered properly in the cheapest ways to advertise a commercial unit.
Whichever you choose, the listing itself is what does the work: a stated rent, accurate size, good photos and a plain description outperform a weak listing on a bigger site. Our guide on finding a tenant yourself covers how to present it.
What each route costs
There are really only three pricing models in UK commercial listing, and the differences are large:
- Agent-fed portals: you pay the agent, not the portal. A letting fee of around 10% of the first year's rent plus VAT is typical, often with marketing costs on top.
- Flat-fee direct listing: a subscription while the unit is advertised, nothing on success. Boxpod is £12 a month for one listing, £25 for up to five, £45 for up to ten - full plans here - and you cancel when it lets.
- Free classifieds: no cost, limited reach and no commercial filters; fine as an extra, weak as the only channel.
On a unit renting at £15,000 a year, route 1 is commonly a four-figure sum before the first rent arrives; route 2 is tens of pounds. The full comparison is in Boxpod vs Rightmove Commercial vs using an agent.
Which to pick for your unit
A practical rule of thumb:
- One ordinary unit - a workshop, small office, shop, storage unit or yard - list it directly on a flat-fee commercial site, add a board, and tell the neighbours. The agent fee is hard to justify against the saving.
- Several units or a portfolio - still list direct (a multi-listing plan costs less than one agent fee) unless you genuinely lack the time to handle enquiries.
- Large, unusual or high-value premises - an agent's network and advice can earn the fee, and you can still list direct alongside, provided the agency agreement allows it.
You are not choosing one channel for life. Most landlords who list direct also keep a board up and, for a difficult unit, add an agent later. The point is to start with the route that costs least and see what enquiries it brings.