Three large companies in the Boulder Valley are looking for space as their leases come due, real estate sources say.

Boulder-based Webroot Software Inc., TransFirst in Louisville and Key Equipment Finance in Superior are exploring options that could result in a relocation.

Webroot is said to be in its last year of a lease at 2560 55th St. in Flatiron Park business park in East Boulder. The computer anti-virus and anti-spyware firm with nearly 200 local employees has told real estate brokers that is it looking for about 100,000 square feet of office space.

Boulder Economic Vitality Coordinator Liz Hanson and Boulder Economic Council Executive Director Francis Draper said they both have reached out to Webroot to see how they can keep the company within the city of Boulder. Some sources say Webroot is considering a deal in Broomfield, which could put it in the new Central Park Tower office building being constructed at the Interlocken Advanced Technology Environment business park.

Dallas-based TransFirst, which employs about 445 people in Louisville, is searching for office space, local brokers say. The payment-processing services company resides in about 75,000 square feet at 371 Centennial Parkway in the Centennial Valley business park and is looking to expand to about 90,000 square feet.

Superior-based Key Equipment Finance, which employs 285 people locally, is also on the lookout for space. The bank-held equipment finance company, an affiliate of KeyCorp, is looking to downsize from its current 95,000 square feet of office space at 1000 South McCaslin Blvd. in Superior to 50,000 square feet. Jones Lang LaSalle is representing the company.

Eric Brynestad, a vice president and broker for Jones Lang LaSalle, said while a couple of these big-name companies are looking for space, many others are staying put - trying to sign short-term leases and extensions in their existing space to wait out the economic downturn.

"The majority of companies are still reluctant to make any space decisions," he said.  "The reality is that more companies are being guarded than companies moving."

Other brokers say leasing activity has picked up in late 2009 and early 2010.

"I think a lot of companies are coming off the sidelines, and we're starting to see some pent-up demand," said Chris Boston, a vice president and broker at Gibbons-White Inc.

Part of that demand is being spurred by tenants looking for deals in a soft market, Boston said, but the deals aren't always as good as they expect.

"The vacancy rates, while up, are still nowhere near as bad as they were in 2003," Boston said. Landlords are willing to make some deals with free rent and concessions, he said, but they aren't drastically slashing lease rates.

Boston said the city of Louisville has seen the most interest activity as of late. He predicts several significant lease deals will be signed there in the next few months.