Here’s a move most business owners never hear from a traditional business broker, because it lives at the intersection of two worlds: sell your company, but keep the building and lease it back to the buyer. It’s called a sale-leaseback, and at exit it often nets you more total value than bundling the property into the business sale.
How it works
You sell the operating business. You keep the real estate. The buyer signs a long-term lease with you at market rent. Now you have two things instead of one: the business sale proceeds today, and a building that pays you rent and that you can sell later or hold for income.
Model it: the free business + real estate value tool shows the business value, the leased-building value, and the combined total.
Why the numbers often favor it
A leased building is valued on its income: roughly annual rent ÷ cap rate. Lease your space to the buyer for $120,000/year at a 7% cap and that property is worth about $1.7M — an asset you keep on top of the business sale. Bundle the same building into the business sale and it often gets absorbed at a softer number, because the buyer is pricing the company, not the real estate. In South Florida, where recorded commercial values are strong (see the price index), that gap is real money.
Why buyers like it too
A sale-leaseback isn’t a concession you extract — buyers often prefer it. Leasing instead of buying the building means less cash at closing and more capital left in the business, which can even raise what they’ll pay for the company. A clean market-rate lease with them as the tenant is attractive on both sides.
When it wins — and when it doesn’t
Sale-leaseback shines when the real estate is valuable, the location is core to the business, and you’d be happy holding an income property. It’s less compelling if you want a clean full exit with no ongoing ties, or if the building is functionally tied to a use only you would run. That’s exactly the call to model before you list — and the reason to value the business and the real estate together.
If you’re thinking about selling, it’s worth knowing this option exists before a buyer (or a business broker who doesn’t do real estate) prices your building into the deal for you. Start with a free combined value estimate or a confidential conversation.
