Episode overview

Scott Berriman met Steve Grace at a charity event sorting clothes, and the conversation sparked enough for an invitation onto Give It A Nudge. This episode covers what a tenant representative actually does (most people with commercial leases do not know this category exists), how 22 years in corporate real estate became the foundation for going solo, and what it was about turning 50 and coming out of COVID that made the leap feel not just possible but necessary.

What is a tenant rep and why do you need one?

Scott opens with a simple pitch: TenantX is to commercial leasing what a buyer’s agent is to residential property. The difference is that most businesses have never had one and do not know they exist. Traditional agents often represent both sides of a transaction, creating an inherent conflict. The tenant rep model, which has been around roughly 20 years, exists to give occupiers the same level of professional advocacy that landlords have had forever. Every organisation with a commercial lease in an office building or industrial facility is a potential client. Scott operates across Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne as a solo founder, with plans to grow over time.

Twenty-two years inside the big agencies

Scott’s career started at Knight Frank in retail leasing, covering seven or eight shopping centres from Wollongong to Gosford. After a DUI charge at 26 meant he needed to move out of a driving-heavy market, he pivoted to CBD office leasing, a shift he describes as accidental but formative. From Knight Frank he was poached to JLL, then CBRE, then back to Knight Frank for a second stint. Twenty-two years later, he was deep in tenant advisory at a smaller firm when he noticed something: his clients were ringing him directly, not the business. That was the moment he started asking the question he eventually answered on 5 June 2023.

COVID, turning 50, and the decision to go solo

Scott is among the cohort of mature-age founders whose leap came after a combination of COVID reflection and a significant birthday. At 50, he made a deliberate decision to get fit, think clearly, and assess the next 50 years. COVID had given him time to nurse clients through lease negotiations for free, help businesses navigate rent relief, and reconnect with people across the industry. When the fog lifted, the question of whose name was really on those client relationships had a clear answer. His partner and entrepreneur friends gave him the push to back that answer.

The realities of running solo

Scott is honest about what building a business alone looks like. He has invested in good portal and CRM systems to avoid dropping the ball on transactions. He gets strong support from industry contacts, agents, lawyers, and construction managers he has worked with across two decades. His first LinkedIn post as a solo operator drew an outpouring of encouragement from the industry. He expects to hire a university graduate at some point and eventually bring in a senior partner, but is not rushing it. Twelve months in, he is enjoying being in control of who he works with and how.