TRENDING: Bank Of Canada Holds Interest Rate At 2.25% In July

Anchor Tenant

Learn what an anchor tenant is in Canadian commercial real estate and how these key retailers affect leasing, traffic, and property value.

Anchor Tenant

June 09, 2025


What is an Anchor Tenant?

An anchor tenant is a large, well-known retailer or business that occupies a significant portion of a shopping centre or commercial development and attracts customer traffic to the area.

Why Anchor Tenants Matter in Real Estate

In Canadian commercial real estate, anchor tenants increase the visibility, stability, and desirability of retail plazas or malls for both consumers and other businesses.



Characteristics of anchor tenants:
  • National or multinational chains (e.g., grocery stores, department stores)
  • Long-term lease agreements
  • Preferential lease rates or build-to-suit arrangements



Anchor tenants help drive foot traffic, making it easier to lease adjacent smaller retail units. Their presence may also boost property values and financing opportunities for landlords.



Understanding anchor tenants is key to evaluating retail site viability and investment potential.

Example of an Anchor Tenant in Action

A major grocery store serves as the anchor tenant in a suburban plaza, drawing shoppers to smaller retail stores in the same complex.

Key Takeaways

  • Drives traffic to commercial developments
  • Typically a large, well-known retailer
  • Often receives lease incentives
  • Increases leasing success for smaller tenants
  • *Boosts property valuation and stability

Related Terms

Additional Terms

Public Realm Improvements

Public realm improvements are enhancements to public spaces such as sidewalks, parks, plazas, and streetscapes, often funded or contributed by. more

Mortgagee in Possession

A mortgagee in possession is a lender who takes control of a property after borrower default, but before foreclosure or power of sale. The lender. more

Lease Surrender Agreement

A lease surrender agreement is a negotiated contract between a landlord and tenant that ends a lease before its scheduled expiration. Terms may. more

Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure refers to natural or engineered systems that manage stormwater, reduce heat, and improve sustainability in developments.. more

Escrow Holdback

An escrow holdback is a portion of funds withheld at closing and held in escrow until specific conditions are met, such as completion of repairs,. more

Underused Housing Tax

The Underused Housing Tax (UHT) is a federal annual 1% tax on the value of vacant or underused residential property owned by non-resident,. more

More For You

Delta Golf & Country Club Re-Opens After Refinancing Ends Receivership

Delta Golf & Country Club Re-Opens After Refinancing Ends Receivership

The Delta Golf & Country Club at 11550 Ladner Truck Road in Delta in January 2021. (Google Maps)

The receivership proceedings pertaining to the Delta Golf & Country Club have ended, and the court-appointed Receiver has been discharged, according to filings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Located at 11550 Ladner Truck Road along the eastern side of the Annacis Highway near the boundary between Delta and Surrey, the Delta Golf & Country Club spans 64.8 acres, and is home to an 18-hole golf course supported by a 6,357 sq. ft clubhouse with a banquet hall and cafeteria.

Keep ReadingShow less

Expert: 6 Priorities That Should Guide Ontario's Housing Reform

Expert: 6 Priorities That Should Guide Ontario's Housing Reform

For years, the housing crisis was treated as an unfortunate byproduct of growth rather than the defining economic challenge of our time. That is finally changing.

Governments have begun to recognize that housing affordability is not merely a social issue but a fundamental economic one. Reforms have been introduced, taxes have been cut and regulatory barriers are under scrutiny. Progress is being made. But progress is not the same as success.

Keep ReadingShow less

26-Storey Condo Tower Proposed Near Oakridge Park In Vancouver

26-Storey Condo Tower Proposed Near Oakridge Park In Vancouver

The 26-storey tower proposed for 5680 Oak Street in Vancouver. (MCMP Architects)

A proposal for a new condo tower in the Oakridge neighbourhood of Vancouver is now in the pipeline, according to a new rezoning application published by the City this week.

The subject site is 5680 Oak Street, a square site at the northeast corner of the intersection with West 41st Avenue, directly adjacent to the Oakridge Transit Centre site that Grosvenor is redeveloping into the Mayfair West master-planned community.

Keep ReadingShow less

Insider: The GTA's Industrial Vacancy Just Hit A Wall

Insider: The GTA's Industrial Vacancy Just Hit A Wall

theblowup/Unsplash

By: Harjaap Singh Makkar, Colliers

For the better part of two years, the smartest move for a tenant with an industrial lease coming due in the GTA was to do nothing. Every quarter brought more space, softer rents, and a landlord more willing to deal than the one before. That calculus has broken.

Keep ReadingShow less

$92M Federal-Municipal Deal Bringing 183 Family Rentals To Burnaby

$92M Federal-Municipal Deal Bringing 183 Family Rentals To Burnaby

Located at 6203 Marine Drive, the project will bring 183 townhomes to Burnaby for families.

On September 2, the federal government, the City of Burnaby, and the Burnaby Housing Authority announced nearly $92 million in combined funding to build 183 secure rental homes.

The new builds are set to rise at 6203 Marine Drive in the South Slope neighbourhood, near the Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre, schools, and childcare.

Keep ReadingShow less

Bank Of Canada Holds Interest Rate At 2.25% In September

Bank Of Canada Holds Interest Rate At 2.25% In September

The Bank of Canada left its target for the overnight rate untouched at 2.25% on September 2, keeping the Bank Rate at 2.5% and the deposit rate at 2.20%.

Governing Council held, with the economy and inflation evolving broadly as forecast in July. The backdrop, though, has moved: long-term bond yields are up both globally and in Canada, financial conditions have tightened, and the Canadian dollar has ticked up slightly on US-dollar weakness.

Keep ReadingShow less
TRENDING: Bank Of Canada Holds Interest Rate At 2.25% In July

Moving Day: August 2026 Industry Hires And Promotions

Moving Day: August 2026 Industry Hires And Promotions

From left: Matthew Warzecha, Activia; Dazle Gumabao, Marcon; Josh Kirles, CMHC; Jerry Nguyen, JD, Concert Properties; David Gu, GWL Realty Advisors; Marie Gillespie, Cushman & Wakefield

We know you like to know what's up.

For your information, reference, and networking needs, here are the moves, hires, and promotions the real estate and development sector saw in August 2026:

Keep ReadingShow less

CLV Group Buys Ashcroft’s ReStays Hotel, Unsold Condos Under Receivership

CLV Group Buys Ashcroft’s ReStays Hotel, Unsold Condos Under Receivership

The reStays and reResidences at 101 Queen Street and 108-116 Sparks Street in Ottawa. (TD Cornerstone and Cushman & Wakefield)

The ReStays Ottawa boutique luxury hotel in downtown Ottawa and a block of unsold ReResidences condos have officially been sold as part of a court-ordered sale, according to filings in Ontario Superior Court.

The ReStays Ottawa and ReResidences are located at 101 Queen Street and 108-116 Sparks Street, and consists of 111 hotel suites, 91 condo units, and just over 21,000 square feet of retail space across a six- and 17-storey building, all above an underground parkade.

Keep ReadingShow less
Privacy PolicyAbout UsTerms of UseAdvertise with UsJobsContact UsRSS Feed
All rights reserved SiteMedia © 2026.