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Task guide

Build a Retail document

Market a shopping center or retail building with traffic counts, anchors, a tenant-by-tenant rent roll with NNN recoveries, and Price/SF.

20 to 60 minutes depending on tenant countFor brokers selling and leasing retail propertiesIntermediateLast verified October 5, 2026

Outcome

Your Retail document shows site facts, every tenant and vacancy, recoveries kept separate from base rent, and Price/SF.

Navigation path

Create New > Retail > Document wizard

Access

Document creation access

On this page

Before you start

Data, sources, and access to prepare

  • Retail address and physical facts
  • Tenant and vacancy schedule when financials are included

Use the retail data model

Suggested Retail property data

Traffic Count (VPD) Optional

Vehicle volume supporting location context.

Format
Whole-number Property Data value, optionally with source-year context
Units
Vehicles per day (VPD)
Save behavior
Property Data autosaves two seconds after the value stops changing.
Downstream effect
Displays traffic context in the property-data presentation; it does not alter rent-roll economics.

Parking Ratio Optional

Parking supply relative to building area.

Format
Decimal Property Data value with the ratio basis stated
Units
Parking spaces per 1,000 square feet
Save behavior
Property Data autosaves two seconds after the value stops changing.
Downstream effect
Displays parking capacity in Retail property facts for reader comparison.

Frontage Optional

Street or access exposure.

Format
Numeric length plus the relevant street or access description
Units
Feet or the source unit
Save behavior
Property Data autosaves two seconds after the value stops changing.
Downstream effect
Adds visibility and access context to the Retail property-data table.

Anchor Tenants Optional

Major retailers driving center identity.

Format
Plain-text tenant names
Units
Not applicable
Save behavior
Property Data autosaves two seconds after the value stops changing.
Downstream effect
Lists the anchor identities in Retail property facts without creating rent-roll rows.

GLA Recommended

Gross leasable area.

Format
Nonnegative numeric Property Data value
Units
Square feet
Save behavior
Property Data autosaves two seconds after the value stops changing.
Downstream effect
Displays GLA for physical-property context and reconciliation; financial calculations continue to use their saved source fields.

Required means the field is needed to complete or support this workflow. Some screens allow a draft to save before every required item is complete. The steps and troubleshooting call out controls the product actively blocks.

Use commercial tenant economics

Use commercial tenant economics
AreaRetail behavior
OccupancyCalculated by square footage
Price metricPrice/SF
Rent basesSF/Yr, SF/Mo, Annual, Monthly
Lease typesNNN, Modified Gross, Gross, Net, Ground Lease, Custom
VacanciesSupported
ReimbursementsSupported
Suggested other incomePercentage rent, parking, antenna or billboard, late fees

Separate rent and recoveries

Enter base rent in the rent field and CAM, tax, and insurance recoveries in each tenant's Reimbursements. Use Additional Income only for property-level non-rental income. Skip the CAM Reimbursements suggestion in Additional Income when recoveries are already entered per tenant.

Complete the Retail workflow

Retail steps

  1. 1

    Select Retail

    Create New, Select Property Type

    Choose Retail.

    Expected result: Retail-specific fields and commercial financial controls are activated.

    If this step does not work

    Change the property type in Property Details if selected incorrectly.

  2. 2

    Verify physical details

    Property Details

    Compare the address and building facts with your source.

    Expected result: The property identity and physical facts are ready for use.

    If this step does not work

    Correct the first conflicting field before continuing.

  3. 3

    Add Retail property facts

    Property Data

    Add the relevant Retail suggested fields.

    Expected result: The property description and tables have complete site context.

    If this step does not work

    Remove unused empty suggested rows instead of leaving placeholders.

    Populated retail editor showing the property-specific fields used in this example.
    Review the populated retail example and verify the units, property facts, and applicable model before preparing your own document.
  4. 4

    Choose the Retail rent-roll model

    Rent Roll > model selector

    Select the model that matches the source schedule.

    Expected result: The corresponding occupied and vacant row editor appears.

    If this step does not work

    Return to the model selector before entering rows if the table structure is wrong.

  5. 5

    Enter tenant and vacancy rows

    Rent Roll

    Enter each occupied and vacant space with SF, rent basis, lease type, dates, and recoveries.

    Expected result: Rent and occupancy totals reconcile by SF.

    If this step does not work

    Correct rent basis or area if annual totals are off.

  6. 6

    Enter property-level income and expenses

    Income & Expenses

    Add retail non-rental income and operating expenses without duplicating tenant reimbursements.

    Expected result: EGI and NOI reconcile.

    If this step does not work

    Trace the first difference through rent, reimbursement, other income, and expense totals.

  7. 7

    Verify the presentation

    Review & Customize

    Check Price/SF, occupancy, tenant names, lease labels, maps, and financial pages.

    Expected result: The final document reads as a Retail asset.

    If this step does not work

    Return to the source step for any generic or incorrect terminology.

Resolve Retail-specific issues

CAM appears twice

Likely cause: A tenant reimbursement and property-level Additional Income row may duplicate the same recovery.

  1. Identify whether CAM is tenant-level or property-level in the source.
  2. Keep it in one intended location.
  3. Recalculate EGI.
Occupancy does not match tenant count

Likely cause: Retail occupancy is area-based, not tenant-count based.

  1. Reconcile occupied SF and total rentable SF.
  2. Use tenant count only as a separate descriptive metric.
  • Retail selected
  • GLA and site facts entered
  • Occupied and vacant SF reconcile
  • Recoveries entered once, in tenant Reimbursements
  • Price/SF checked
  • Output labels reviewed

Related guides

Build a commercial rent roll

Build a tenant-by-tenant rent roll for retail, office, or industrial, and CREBuilder annualizes rent and recoveries from whatever basis your lease uses.

Open guide

Model rent escalations and reimbursements

Model fixed bumps, step-ups, and expense recoveries per tenant so every projected year matches the lease.

Open guide

Build a Mixed-Use document

Market one property with several uses, such as retail below apartments, and present each component with its own fields and subtotals.

Open guide

Your next OM, done this afternoon

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