Sale-Leaseback

Free Up Capital With an Industrial Sale-Leaseback

If your business owns the building it operates from, a large amount of capital is sitting in the walls and the floor rather than in the business. A sale-leaseback frees that capital: you sell the property and lease it straight back on agreed terms, so you keep the location and the operations while the equity becomes cash you can use. We are a principal buyer set up to do exactly this.

Unlock Trapped Equity
Stay in Your Building
A Direct Principal Buyer
No Listing Commissions

The Situation

Capital in the Walls, Not in the Business

Owning your premises can be a source of pride, but it also locks up capital that might do more inside the business. A sale-leaseback is the tool owner-occupiers use to release that value without disrupting operations. It suits a company that wants to fund growth, recapitalise, buy out a partner, or simply hold less of its balance sheet in real estate.

  • Capital trapped in the real estate

    The equity in an owned building is not working for the business. A sale-leaseback converts it into cash you can deploy where it earns a better return.

  • Funding growth or a transition

    Expansion, new equipment, an acquisition, or buying out a partner all need capital. Releasing the value of the building is often cheaper and cleaner than other options.

  • You need to stay put

    The location works for you. A sale-leaseback keeps you in the same building, running the same operations, now as a tenant on terms agreed up front.

  • Rebalancing the balance sheet

    Some owners simply want less of their net worth tied up in a single property and prefer to hold cash or reinvest it in the business they know best.

A Direct, Off-Market Sale

Sell the Building, Keep the Location

A sale-leaseback works because the buyer wants the building as an investment and you want it as premises, so both sides get what they need. You sell the property to us and, at the same closing, sign a lease that keeps you in place. Because we are a principal buyer, we can agree the price and the lease terms directly with you and commit.

  • The sale-leaseback structure

    You sell the building and lease it back on terms agreed up front, so the equity becomes capital while your operations continue in the same place without a move.

  • A direct principal buyer

    You negotiate the price and the lease with the party that holds the capital and will be your landlord, not a broker running a process with no certain buyer.

  • Certainty and speed

    We control our own capital, so there is no financing condition tied to a lender's approval. Once terms are agreed, we can commit and close on a timeline that suits you.

  • No listing commissions or broker fees

    A marketed sale carries brokerage commissions and a marketing process. A direct sale-leaseback with us does not, which means more of the value stays with you.

  • Off-market and confidential

    No listing and no sign. To your staff, customers, and competitors, nothing about the building or your operations changes.

  • Any condition, any situation

    We underwrite the building as it is, so you do not have to renovate or repair it to complete a sale-leaseback.

Ontario & Alberta

How the Leaseback Works by Province

A sale-leaseback is a well-established structure in both provinces. The building sells like any industrial property, and the lease that keeps you in place is a commercial lease negotiated between us. The main differences are in how each province handles the lease framework and the title transfer.

Ontario

In Ontario, the leaseback is a commercial lease governed by the Commercial Tenancies Act, so the terms, the length, and the renewal options are what you and the buyer agree, not a fixed statutory regime. Title transfers through the provincial land registration system on closing, and MPAC continues to assess the property in the industrial or commercial class. A vendor take-back can be layered in if it suits the structure. The accounting and tax treatment of a sale-leaseback is a matter for your own advisers.

Alberta

In Alberta, the leaseback is likewise a commercial lease agreed between the parties, and title transfers through the Alberta Land Titles system on closing. The building sits in a municipal industrial zoning district, and municipal property tax continues under the new ownership. As in Ontario, the lease length, options, and responsibilities are negotiated up front, and the accounting and tax effects of the structure are 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. The accounting and tax treatment of a sale-leaseback depends on your circumstances. Confirm the specifics with your own advisers before proceeding.

How It Works

A Sale-Leaseback in Three Steps

  1. 1

    Tell us about the property

    Send the address, the building details, how you use the space, and the lease term you would want after a sale. No listing, 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 together with proposed lease terms, so you can see the price and the leaseback side by side.

  3. 3

    Close on your timeline

    We finalise the purchase and the lease together, complete our diligence, and close through a lawyer. You stay in the building and the capital is released to you.

Common Questions

Sale-Leaseback FAQ

What is a sale-leaseback?

A sale-leaseback is a transaction where you sell your building and lease it back at the same time, becoming the tenant on terms agreed up front. You get the capital that was tied up in the real estate while your operations continue in the same location. It is a common way for owner-occupiers to release value without moving.

Can I set the lease term I want?

The lease term, renewal options, and responsibilities are negotiated between us up front, before anything is committed. Because we are the principal buyer and your future landlord, you are agreeing those terms directly with the decision-maker rather than through an intermediary.

Do I really get to stay in the building?

Yes. Staying in place is the point of a sale-leaseback. You continue to run the same operations from the same location, now as a tenant under the lease agreed at closing. Nothing about your day-to-day operations has to change.

What can I use the proceeds for?

The capital released is yours to use. Owners commonly reinvest in the business, fund an expansion or new equipment, complete an acquisition, buy out a partner, or reduce other debt. How you deploy it is entirely up to you.

How is a sale-leaseback different from refinancing?

Refinancing borrows against the building and adds debt you have to service, and the amount available depends on a lender. A sale-leaseback releases the value through a sale and replaces ownership cost with a lease, which can free up more of the equity. Which is better for you depends on your goals and is worth discussing with your own advisers.

Related Situations

Other Situations We Handle

Get an Offer

Put the capital in your building to work.

Tell us about the property and the lease term you would want, and we will come back with a clear, off-market offer and proposed leaseback terms. No listing, no broker fees, no obligation.

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