Manhattan Beach is the premium address of the South Bay. Its commercial market is small, tightly held, and consistently in demand: boutique office space that doubles as a recruiting tool, downtown retail with some of the strongest sales-per-square-foot performance in the region, and a media and entertainment presence anchored by the Manhattan Beach Studios campus, home to major streaming productions. Supply is the defining constraint. Very little new commercial space gets built here, and existing owners rarely sell.
Lee & Associates West LA helps tenants, buyers, and investors compete for that scarce inventory, and helps owners capitalize on it.
Manhattan Beach’s Commercial Real Estate Market
Manhattan Beach’s commercial landscape concentrates in a few high-value pockets.
Downtown Manhattan Beach is the crown jewel: walkable blocks of retail, restaurants, and small office around Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Highland Avenue, steps from the pier. Retail vacancies here are rare and contested, with restaurant and boutique operators competing for every opening.
The Sepulveda Boulevard corridor carries the city’s larger-format commercial: office buildings, medical office, fitness and service retail, and the businesses that serve the beach cities’ affluent trade area.
The Manhattan Beach Studios and Marine Avenue corridor near the 405 anchors the media and corporate presence. The studio campus and nearby office product draw entertainment, tech, and professional tenants who want beach-cities quality of life with freeway access. Skechers’ headquarters presence underscores the corporate side of this market.
The North End and Rosecrans corridor shared with El Segundo includes some of the South Bay’s strongest dining and retail draws, benefiting from the daytime population of the Rosecrans office spine.
Who Leases Commercial Space in Manhattan Beach
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Manhattan Beach tenants pay for location, and know exactly why. Entertainment and media companies working around the studio campus. Wealth management, real estate, and professional services firms whose principals live in the beach cities and want the office nearby. Medical, dental, and wellness practices serving one of the most affluent demographics in LA County. Restaurants and boutique retailers competing for downtown foot traffic. And corporate users along Sepulveda and Rosecrans who use the address to recruit.
The Insider’s Guide To Leasing Commercial Space In Los Angeles (Free Guide)
Property Types in Manhattan Beach
Office space skews small and boutique: suites from 500 to 5,000 SF downtown and along Sepulveda, with limited larger blocks near the 405. Creative finishes and ocean proximity command the premium.
Retail and restaurant space centers on downtown and the Rosecrans corridor. Downtown spaces are typically under 3,000 SF, and demand consistently outruns supply.
Medical and wellness space performs strongly along Sepulveda, where dental, dermatology, and boutique health practices cluster.
Investment properties in Manhattan Beach are generational assets. Mixed-use and retail buildings downtown trade infrequently and at low cap rates, because owners treat them as long-term family holdings. When one comes to market, speed and preparation decide who wins it.
Lease Terms and Pricing in Manhattan Beach
The Insider’s Guide To Leasing Commercial Space In Los Angeles (Free Guide)
Manhattan Beach is the South Bay’s premium market, with pricing to match.
- Office space typically ranges from $3.50 to $5.50/SF full service, with downtown and ocean-view suites at the top.
- Retail downtown commonly runs $5.00 to $8.00+/SF NNN, among the highest rates in the South Bay.
- Medical and service space along Sepulveda typically ranges from $3.00 to $4.50/SF.
Leases typically run 3-5 years for office and 5-10 years for retail and restaurant deals, where operators are amortizing significant build-out. With vacancy this low, off-market intelligence matters more here than almost anywhere else on our map. Many of the best spaces are spoken for before they’re ever listed.
The Insider’s Guide To Leasing Commercial Space In Los Angeles (Free Guide)
Why Work with Lee & Associates West LA in Manhattan Beach
Tight, relationship-driven markets are where broker quality shows. Lee West LA brings Westside-caliber deal experience and the platform of one of North America’s largest commercial real estate firms to the beach cities, with the comps and landlord relationships to know what’s actually achievable in a market this competitive.
Our services in Manhattan Beach include tenant representation for office, retail, and medical leases. Landlord representation and property marketing. Investment sales and advisory for mixed-use and retail assets. Off-market acquisition searches for owner-users and investors. And fair market value analysis and lease renewal negotiation.
Explore more markets: Santa Monica · Marina Del Rey · Beverly Hills · Long Beach
Ready to Find the Right Space in Manhattan Beach?
The Insider’s Guide To Leasing Commercial Space In Los Angeles (Free Guide)
Talk to a Lee West LA broker who knows the beach cities market. We’ll brief you on current availability, recent comps, and the off-market opportunities worth watching.
Contact us:
Phone: +1.310.899.2700
Email: [email protected]
Office: 1508 17th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404