Commercial property in Broward County changes hands for reasons that have little to do with the residential market: a restaurant owner wants to stop paying rent on Wilton Drive, a medical group needs a second office off Pines Boulevard, an investor is rolling a warehouse sale in Pompano Beach into a 1031 exchange, or a landlord in Dania Beach needs a lease that will survive the next tenant default. I’m Eric J. Goldman, and I represent buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and investors in commercial real estate transactions throughout Broward County from my Fort Lauderdale office.
My practice is deliberately small. You deal with me directly on the letter of intent, the purchase agreement or lease, the due diligence, and the closing. If the matter turns into a dispute, I handle that too. Call (954) 536-7557 to discuss a commercial property matter anywhere in Broward.
Commercial Purchases and Sales in Broward County
A commercial purchase agreement allocates risk in ways a residential FAR/BAR contract never does. The inspection period, the conditions to closing, the treatment of existing leases and security deposits, environmental representations, the survey requirement and the remedies on default are all negotiated, not printed on a form. I draft and negotiate those agreements for buyers and sellers, then run the transaction through closing.
Due diligence in Broward typically covers a title commitment and survey, a review of every lease and estoppel certificate, zoning and permitted-use confirmation with the municipality, a municipal lien search for open permits and code enforcement liens, a Phase I environmental site assessment where the use warrants it, and confirmation that the entity on the other side has the authority to sign. Broward recording fees and documentary stamp tax at $0.70 per $100 of consideration on the deed are paid at closing, and the Broward County Records Division records the deed and any mortgage. I coordinate with the title underwriter, the lender, the brokers and the other side so that the closing statement matches the contract you negotiated. For the mechanics of the closing itself, see my real estate closing attorney page.
Commercial Leases
Most of the commercial work I do in Broward involves leases rather than sales. Office, retail, restaurant, medical and industrial leases each carry their own pressure points: base rent escalations, common area maintenance charges and the right to audit them, build-out allowances and delivery conditions, exclusivity, assignment and subletting, personal guaranties, and what happens when the landlord sells the building. I represent both landlords and tenants, which means I know what the other side’s form is designed to do. The full scope of that work is described on my commercial lease attorney page, and my article on negotiating a commercial lease in Plantation walks through the terms tenants most often regret.
1031 Exchanges and Investment Property
Broward investors selling appreciated property frequently defer capital gains tax through a like-kind exchange under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code. The deadlines are unforgiving: replacement property must be identified in writing within 45 days of the sale and acquired within 180 days, and the sale proceeds must be held by a qualified intermediary rather than the seller. I build the exchange language into the purchase and sale contracts, coordinate with the intermediary and the accountant, and make sure the closing on each leg is structured so that the exchange is not accidentally broken.
Zoning, Permitted Use and Due Diligence in Broward
Broward County has 31 municipalities, and each one applies its own zoning code, parking ratios, sign ordinances and business tax requirements. A building that is perfectly legal for a bakery may not be approved for a medical clinic or a bar, and a use that requires a special exception can take months of hearings. Before a client signs a lease or goes hard on a deposit, I confirm the intended use with the city’s planning and zoning staff, check for open permits and unresolved code violations, and review the certificate of occupancy. That work is inexpensive compared with discovering the problem after the deposit becomes non-refundable.
Where I Work in Broward County
Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach has one of the largest industrial and flex inventories in the county along the I-95, Copans Road and Sample Road corridors, together with a rapidly redeveloping beachfront and downtown. Warehouse purchases, industrial leases with heavy-use maintenance provisions, and redevelopment parcels make up most of the commercial work I see there.
Wilton Manors
Wilton Drive is a dense restaurant, bar and retail corridor where the value of a location is tied to a specific space. Restaurant and hospitality leases in Wilton Manors need careful treatment of exclusivity, hours, liquor license contingencies, grease trap and hood obligations, outdoor seating and assignment rights when the business is eventually sold.
Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines is a retail and medical office market built around Pines Boulevard, Flamingo Road and the Interstate 75 corridor. Medical practices, franchise operators and professional firms are the typical clients, and their leases turn on build-out allowances, parking, co-tenancy and the landlord’s remedies if a practice relocates.
Dania Beach
Dania Beach sits between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades, which makes it a logistics and showroom market as much as a beach town. Dania Pointe, the Design Center of the Americas and the airport-adjacent industrial parks produce warehouse, showroom and mixed-use transactions that involve ground leases, airport height restrictions and port-related easements.
Hollywood
Hollywood’s commercial activity runs from the Young Circle and Hollywood Boulevard downtown through the Federal Highway and State Road 7 corridors to the industrial land near the port. Restaurant and entertainment leases downtown, multifamily and hotel acquisitions along the beach, and industrial sales near Port Everglades are common matters.
Plantation
Plantation is Broward’s suburban office market, anchored by the corporate campuses along Broward Boulevard, University Drive and the Plantation Walk redevelopment. Office leases here are negotiated documents with expansion, contraction and renewal rights that deserve the same attention as the rent.
I also handle commercial matters in Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Sunrise, Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Oakland Park, Lauderhill, Tamarac and the rest of Broward County. For residential matters and an overview of my Broward practice, see the Broward County real estate attorney page.
Broward Court and Recording Notes
Deeds, mortgages, memoranda of lease and lien releases are recorded with the Broward County Records, Taxes and Treasury Division at the Governmental Center in Fort Lauderdale. Commercial disputes that cannot be settled are litigated in the 17th Judicial Circuit at the Broward County Courthouse, with matters under $50,000 in county court. Commercial evictions follow the summary procedure in Chapter 83, Part I of the Florida Statutes, which is separate from and faster than the residential eviction process most people are familiar with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an attorney if the deal has a commercial broker?
A broker brings the parties together and negotiates business terms. The purchase agreement or lease is a legal document that governs your rights for years, and the broker cannot give you legal advice about it. The most expensive commercial disputes I see started with a signed document nobody reviewed.
How long does a commercial closing take in Broward County?
Most commercial purchases close 45 to 90 days after the contract is signed, depending on the length of the inspection period, whether financing is involved, and how quickly title, survey and environmental work come back. A cash purchase of a single-tenant building with clean title can close faster; a multi-tenant property with estoppel certificates and a lender rarely does.
Who pays for title insurance in a Broward commercial transaction?
Custom in Broward has the seller pay for the owner’s policy, but in commercial deals this is a negotiated term, and the buyer often chooses the title agent and pays for the lender’s policy and endorsements. I address it in the contract so there is no argument at the closing table.
Can you help if I already signed a lease that is not working?
Yes. I review the lease, the notices that have been sent, and the cure periods, and I explain the realistic options: negotiation, amendment, assignment or sublease, buyout, or litigation. Landlords facing a defaulting tenant get the same review before a notice goes out, because a defective notice restarts the clock.
Talk to a Broward County Commercial Real Estate Attorney
Whether you are buying, selling, leasing or investing in commercial property in Pompano Beach, Wilton Manors, Pembroke Pines, Dania Beach, Hollywood, Plantation or anywhere else in Broward County, call (954) 536-7557 or use the contact page. The consultation is free.