CREA’s Erik Stiebel Negotiates 28% Lease Savings and Free Early Access for Robotics Startup

Erik has been our advocate from the very beginning.... Now, as we scale, he negotiated our first long-term lease while ensuring our operations never missed a beat. That continuity has been invaluable.”
— Michael Trehan, Co-founder & CEO, HABIT

EL SEGUNDO, CA, UNITED STATES, November 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Commercial Real Estate Advisors (CREA), a boutique commercial real estate brokerage founded to provide tenants with a way to avoid the conflicts of interest that can be found at larger brokerages, is pleased to announce that it has helped its client, HABIT, lease its first space at 600 Lairport St, El Segundo, CA.

The 3,502 square foot flex space combines offices with an open work area, but what made it perfect for HABIT was a garage door large enough to accommodate trucks, a crucial feature for the robotics startup's business model.

CREA's Executive Vice President, Erik Stiebel, who represented HABIT, commented, "Hard tech companies have spatial requirements that can be hard to find. HABIT needed a truck-accessible garage door, but without the extra square footage and loading dock that typically come with that type of feature. El Segundo has some unique setups for hard tech companies if you know where to look.”

Stiebel delivered both the space and savings, negotiating 28% off the original asking rent plus free early access for HABIT to prevent double rent payments.

HABIT was founded in 2025 by Michael Trehan and Harish Palani, who met at UC Berkeley. After going through the Y Combinator program, they needed a place to continue to develop their startup, which is still in stealth.

Trehan, HABIT's CEO, commented, "Erik has been our advocate from the very beginning. When we were fresh out of Y Combinator and needed flexible arrangements, he secured us a month-to-month lease. Now, as we scale, he negotiated our first long-term lease while ensuring our operations never missed a beat. That continuity has been invaluable."

This marks the 10th hard tech startup Stiebel has represented in the past year, with five of those companies landing in El Segundo.

Stiebel commented, “The most rewarding part of my job is helping founders find the right home for their startup. In the hard tech world, that foundation creates an environment where innovation can thrive.”

About CREA
CREA is a global commercial real estate brokerage and investment firm dedicated to helping clients make informed real estate decisions. We offer our clients decades of big firm experience delivered with the personalized service of a boutique brokerage. We are headquartered in El Segundo, California. For more information, visit www.crea-la.com.

About HABIT
HABIT is reshaping neighborhood services with intelligent robotics. Founders Michael Trehan and Harish Palani are car enthusiasts who met at UC Berkeley. Harish was an AI/ML Applied Scientist at Twitch/Amazon, and Michael was a Senior SWE at Radiant Nuclear and an Investment Banker at J.P. Morgan. Together, they’re working on deploying HABIT robots nationwide. For more information, visit https://habitrobotics.com.

Ed Resetar
CREA
[email protected]
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Frankly and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact [email protected]