Retirement / Business Wind-Down

Retiring? Sell the Real Estate Behind Your Business

When an owner-operator retires and there is no one to take over, the real estate the business sits on becomes its own question. You want a clean, discreet exit that does not alarm your staff, customers, or competitors, and you may need time to finish winding operations down. We buy the property directly and off-market, and we can structure the sale around the way you actually plan to leave.

Off-Market & Confidential
A Direct Principal Buyer
No Listing Commissions
Flexible Deal Structures

The Situation

Leaving the Business, Not Just the Building

Owner-operators often hold the building in one entity and run the business in another. When retirement arrives without a successor, the two need to be separated, and the real estate has to be sold in a way that does not put the business itself at risk. Discretion matters, because word that the owner is leaving can unsettle staff, customers, and suppliers before you are ready.

  • No succession in place

    There is no next generation or partner to take over, so the business is winding down or being sold, and the property has to come with a plan of its own.

  • Separating property from business

    The building sits in a holding company while the operating company runs the trade. Retirement means untangling the two and turning the real estate into capital.

  • Discretion is the priority

    You do not want a sign on the building or a listing that tells your staff, customers, and competitors you are leaving before the timing is right.

  • You need time to wind down

    Finishing orders, running down inventory, and relocating or closing operations takes time, and a hard closing date that forces you out is the last thing you need.

A Direct, Off-Market Sale

A Clean Exit, On Your Terms

A retirement sale is as much about how you leave as what you sell. Because we are a principal buyer, we can keep the process quiet and shape the deal around your wind-down, including a sale-leaseback that lets you stay on as tenant or a longer possession that gives you room to close out operations on your terms.

  • Off-market and confidential

    No listing, no sign, no marketing that reaches your staff, customers, or competitors. You control who knows and when.

  • Flexible deal structures

    A straight purchase, a sale-leaseback so you sell and stay on as tenant, a vendor take-back, or a longer possession that lets you wind down. Built around your exit.

  • A direct principal buyer

    You deal with the decision-maker who holds the capital, not a broker running a process with no guaranteed buyer at the end of it.

  • No listing commissions or broker fees

    A marketed sale carries brokerage commissions and a marketing process. A direct sale to us does not, which keeps more of the value in your hands.

  • Certainty and speed

    We control our own capital, so there is no financing condition tied to a lender's approval. We close on a timeline that fits your retirement plan.

  • Any condition, any situation

    Years of operations, deferred maintenance, or an ageing building are underwritten as they are. You do not have to fix or dress up the property to sell it.

Ontario & Alberta

Structuring the Exit by Province

Separating owner-occupied real estate from a retiring business works in both provinces, and the structure can be tailored to how you want to leave. The mechanics of a sale-leaseback, a vendor take-back, and the title transfer are broadly the same, with each province's system handling the registration.

Ontario

In Ontario, an owner-occupier can sell the building and, through a sale-leaseback, sign a commercial lease to stay in place while operations wind down; commercial tenancies are governed by the Commercial Tenancies Act, not the residential regime. The property is assessed by MPAC in the industrial or commercial class, and title transfers through the provincial land registration system. A vendor take-back can also form part of the structure. How the operating company and the real estate are separated on retirement is a matter for your own tax and legal advisers.

Alberta

In Alberta, the same approach applies: a sale-leaseback lets you sell and remain as a commercial tenant, and title transfers through the Alberta Land Titles system. The building sits in a municipal industrial zoning district, and municipal property tax continues until closing. A vendor take-back or an extended possession can be built into the deal to match your wind-down. As always, the tax treatment of separating the property from the operating business is for your own advisers to confirm.

References: Commercial Tenancies Act (Ontario), MPAC, Alberta Land Titles.

Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or accounting advice. How to separate real estate from an operating business, and the tax outcome of doing so, depends on your structure. Confirm the specifics with your own advisers.

How It Works

A Direct Sale in Three Steps

  1. 1

    Tell us about the property

    Send the address, the building details, how the property and business are held, and how you would like to wind down. We keep it confidential from the first conversation. No obligation.

  2. 2

    We review and make an offer

    We assess the property as a principal buyer and come back with a clear offer, along with the structure options, whether that is a straight purchase, a sale-leaseback, or a longer possession.

  3. 3

    Close on your timeline

    We agree the structure and possession, complete our diligence, and close through a lawyer on a schedule that fits your retirement plan.

Common Questions

Retirement & Wind-Down FAQ

Can I sell the building but keep operating for a while?

Yes. A sale-leaseback lets you sell the property and stay on as a tenant under an agreed lease, and an extended possession can give you time to finish winding down before you hand over the keys. Tell us how much time you need and we can build it into the deal.

Will the sale stay confidential from my staff and customers?

Yes. A direct, off-market sale means no listing, no sign, and no marketing process. You decide who is told and when, so word does not get out to your staff, customers, suppliers, or competitors before you are ready.

Can I sell the real estate separately from the business?

Yes. Many owner-operators hold the property in one entity and run the business in another. We are buying the real estate, so it can be sold on its own while the business is wound down or sold separately. How you separate them for tax purposes is a question for your own advisers.

What is a sale-leaseback and why would I use one?

In a sale-leaseback you sell the building and immediately lease it back, becoming the tenant on agreed terms. It turns the equity in your real estate into capital while keeping you in the building, which is useful if you want to free up money at retirement but still need the space for a period.

Do I have to clean up or repair the building first?

No. Years of operations, deferred maintenance, and an ageing building are underwritten as part of the offer. We buy the property as it stands, so there is no need to fix or dress it up before selling.

Related Situations

Other Situations We Handle

Get an Offer

Retire on your own terms.

Tell us about the property and how you want to wind down, and we will come back with a clear, off-market offer and the structure options that fit your exit. Discreet from the first conversation, no obligation.

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