Morgan & James Real Estate Agency assists foreign companies and investors with their commercial real estate projects in Morocco: searching for offices, commercial premises, warehouses, building land and agricultural farms, for rent or purchase.
Our teams cover the entire kingdom from our offices in Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat and Marrakech. From the first visit to the handover of keys, a single point of contact manages your entire setup.
Why set up your business in Morocco?
Morocco has become the leading gateway to Africa for European and American companies. Tanger Med is the largest container port in Africa and the Mediterranean. Casablanca Finance City is ranked as the top financial center on the African continent. The country has signed free trade agreements with the European Union, the United States, and many African countries.
In practical terms, for a company setting up, this means three things. Real estate costs two to four times lower than in Paris or Madrid. A workforce fluent in French, Spanish and English. And free zones with real tax advantages for industry and export services.
What types of properties do we source for businesses?
Offices
Commercial premises
Warehouses and industrial units
Building land
Agricultural farms
How does a foreign company set up in Morocco?
Setting up a foreign company in Morocco follows a two-track process: creating the legal structure (most often a Moroccan SARL, via the Regional Investment Centers) and finding the property that will house the business. Morgan & James manages the second track and coordinates the first with your lawyers and corporate service providers.
Our setup service covers:
Defining the brief: floor area, location, budget, lease or purchase, technical requirements (floor load capacity, ceiling height, electrical power, heavy vehicle access).
Shortlisting and visits, organized over one or two days if you are traveling from abroad. We prepare a comparative file before your arrival.
Negotiating the commercial lease or the purchase agreement. In Morocco, commercial leases are governed by Law 49-16. The sensitive points are the term, rent review, any key money (pas-de-porte) and exit clauses. We negotiate these for you.
Post-signature support: utility connections, operating permits, fit-out, and recruitment of a site manager if needed.
This service is designed both for large groups opening a regional subsidiary and for foreign startups looking for a first office of at least 500 sqm in Casablanca or Tangier.
How much does it cost to rent offices in Morocco?
Office rents in Morocco range, depending on the city and the grade of building, from 80 to 250 MAD per sqm per month, excluding charges and tax.
As a guide:
City | Business district | Indicative rent (MAD/sqm/month) |
Casablanca | Casablanca Finance City, Anfa | 160 to 250 |
Casablanca | Sidi Maarouf, Californie | 90 to 140 |
Rabat | Agdal, Hay Riad | 100 to 160 |
Tangier | City center, free zone | 80 to 130 |
Marrakech | Gueliz | 80 to 120 |
Three factors drive the price: the delivery condition (shell, ready to use or fitted floor plate), the availability of parking, and the standard of the building (central air conditioning, access control, certification). A shell-condition floor plate rents for less but requires 2,000 to 4,000 MAD/sqm in fit-out works.
For purchases, office prices in Casablanca range from 12,000 to 30,000 MAD/sqm depending on the district.
Sales and rentals: how does our transaction service work?
Our transaction team handles the sale and rental of commercial properties for two types of clients: companies looking for a property (tenant or buyer side) and owners looking to sell or let their asset (landlord or seller side).
For owners, we take care of the property valuation, the preparation of the technical and legal file, marketing to our database of companies actively searching, qualified visits and negotiation through to signing at the notary or concluding the lease.
For companies, each search mandate is assigned to a dedicated consultant who knows the local market in their city. Our four offices share their files, which means a multi-city search (for example, a head office in Casablanca and a warehouse in Tangier) can be handled through a single point of contact.
What is property finding for a business?
Property finding is an exclusive search mandate: instead of waiting for the right property to come onto the market, a property finder actively prospects on your behalf, including in the off-market segment (unlisted properties). In Morocco, a significant share of the best commercial assets changes hands without ever being publicly advertised.
It is the right format when the requirement is precise and rare. A 5,000 sqm warehouse with motorway access near Tanger Med. An entire office building in Rabat for an institution. A 200-hectare irrigable farm in the Gharb.
The property finder works under an exclusive mandate, with fees partly success-based. They visit and filter out properties on your behalf, verify land titles with the ANCFCC (the National Agency for Land Registration), and only present you with clean files.
How does property management work for investors?
Property management means entrusting an agent with the day-to-day operation of your asset: finding tenants, collecting rents, and handling technical and administrative follow-up. For a foreign investor who owns offices or premises in Morocco without living there, it is a condition for friction-free returns.
Our management mandate covers the selection and creditworthiness checks of corporate tenants, the drafting and renewal of commercial leases, invoicing and rent collection, works and insurance claims management, and quarterly reporting with a tenancy schedule and accounts.
Gross rental yields on office property in Morocco generally range between 6% and 9% depending on the location and the quality of the tenant.
We also assist investors upstream, on the acquisition of income-producing assets: let buildings, retail units, and logistics platforms with fixed-term leases.
Which cities do we cover?
Morgan & James Realty covers the entire kingdom, with four physical offices:
Casablanca
The economic capital and the country’s largest office market. Our consultants cover the central business district, Anfa, Casablanca Finance City, Sidi Maarouf, and the industrial zones of Bouskoura, Nouaceur and Ain Sebaa.
Tangier
The gateway to Europe, driven by Tanger Med and its industrial free zones. Strong demand for warehouses, storage facilities and logistics land.
Rabat
The administrative capital. Offices for institutions, embassies, NGOs and regional headquarters, in Agdal, Hay Riad and Technopolis.
Marrakech
The office and retail market of Gueliz, hospitality, and agricultural farms in the Haouz.
Beyond these four cities, our mandates regularly take us to Kenitra, Agadir, Fez, Oujda and Dakhla. A search in El Jadida or the Souss is handled with the same process.
Frequently asked questions about commercial real estate in Morocco
Can a foreign company buy property in Morocco?
Yes. A foreign company or its Moroccan subsidiary can freely acquire offices, premises and urban land. The acquisition of agricultural land is regulated, however: it generally requires a Moroccan structure and specific authorizations. We put these files together with our partner notaries and lawyers.
Do you need to create a Moroccan company before renting offices?
In most cases, yes: the commercial lease is signed by the Moroccan structure (often a SARL), and a registered address or a lease is in fact required to incorporate it. It is possible to start with a domiciliation or a flexible office, then switch to a standard commercial lease. We organize this transition.
How long does it take to find offices in Casablanca?
Allow 4 to 8 weeks between the brief and the lease signature for a standard floor area (100 to 500 sqm) in a Casablanca business district. Large floor areas (over 1,500 sqm) or highly specific requirements usually go through a property finding mandate, over 2 to 4 months.
How long is a commercial lease in Morocco?
Law 49-16 does not set a minimum term: the duration is freely negotiated, with 3, 6 or 9-year leases being common for offices and longer terms for logistics. The tenant acquires a right to renewal after two years of operation. The drafting of the rent review and exit clauses is the most important point of the negotiation.
Can a foreign investor repatriate rental income and sale proceeds?
Yes, provided the initial investment was made in foreign currency and declared to the Foreign Exchange Office (Office des Changes). This formality, completed at the time of purchase, then guarantees the transfer of rental income and sale proceeds. It is a point we systematically lock in for our investor clients.
Tell us about your project
Whether you are opening a subsidiary, looking for a warehouse near Tanger Med, or want to invest capital in Moroccan income-producing real estate, a Morgan & James consultant can call you back within 24 hours.
Contact our Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, or Marrakech office, or write to us through our contact form.
This article was written by Morgan Richez, a real estate expert in Morocco.
