Selling
Selling a building or a business.
Selling usually starts with something changing in your life or your business. I help you work out the right time, find the right buyers and get it closed cleanly. Typically, marketing takes 4 to 12 weeks and completion follows 30 to 90 days after conditions come off. Get tax advice before you list.
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Where should we start?
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Selling
- I’m ready to sell my business
- I’m planning to sell in a few years
- I want to sell my building
- Should I sell, hold or refinance?
- I want to sell my building and stay put
- I’ve inherited a commercial property
- How do vendor take-back mortgages work?
- I want to sell and retire
- My partners and I want to split up
- I need to sell under pressure
- I want to sell a building with tenants
- I want to plan the tax before I sell
Start here
What are you thinking of selling?
Each page covers the options, the traps and the first steps.
- 01
I want to sell my building.
Pricing, marketing, buyers and getting it to completion.
See the plan - 02
I’m ready to sell my business.
What buyers look for, how long it takes, and where the lease or property fits in.
See the plan - 03
I’m not sure whether to sell or hold.
A plain way to think it through before you decide.
See the plan - 04
I own my building and want to free up cash.
How a sale-leaseback frees up cash while your business stays.
See the plan - 05
I’ve inherited a commercial property.
Keep it, sell it or buy out family. What to sort out first.
See the plan - 06
I want to sell in a few years.
What happens on the first call, realistic timing, what to gather and your options.
See the plan - 07
I want to sell and retire.
Timing, tax and income after the sale.
See the plan - 08
My partners and I want to split up.
Buyouts, buy-sell clauses and selling to a third party.
See the plan - 09
I need to sell under pressure.
Debt coming due, vacancy or cash flow trouble.
See the plan - 10
I want to sell a building with tenants.
Leases, tenant rights and showings during a sale.
See the plan - 11
I want to plan the tax before I sell.
Questions to settle with your accountant before you list.
See the plan - +
A bit of everything
Most leases are a bit of a few of these. Tell me what’s going on and I can help you sort it out.
Give me a shout
By property type
Office, industrial, retail, multifamily or land.
- 01
Selling office property
Strata offices and office buildings.
See the plan - 02
Selling industrial property
Strata units, warehouses and yards.
See the plan - 03
Selling retail and mixed-use property
Street-front shops and buildings with homes above.
See the plan - 04
Selling multifamily property
Rental apartment buildings.
See the plan - 05
Selling land
Development sites, yards and acreage.
See the plan - 06
Selling an RV park or campground
Zoning, water and septic, and resident sites.
See the plan - +
A bit of everything
Most leases are a bit of a few of these. Tell me what’s going on and I can help you sort it out.
Give me a shout
Selling
Why do owners sell?
Every sale starts with a reason. Knowing yours, and being honest about it, shapes the timing, the buyer and the deal.
- Problem
Something is forcing a decision.
Debt, management, cash flow, rising expenses or the condition of the property.
- Change
Something in the owner’s life has changed.
An estate, a move, a new portfolio strategy or a change in life circumstances.
- Opportunity
Selling opens a door somewhere else.
Another investment, a need for capital, or repositioning what they own.
- Price
The offer is too good to pass up.
An exceptional price, the chance to turn it into cash, or simply “I can’t pass this up.”
The takeaway: owners sell when their circumstances, priorities or opportunities change.
How I sell
Five steps to a good sale.
A buyer decides what they’ll pay. My job is to make sure the right buyers see it, and that they compete.
- 01
Know the property
Rents, leases, expenses, the building and the market around it, plus what it could be worth to the right owner later.
- 02
Present it well
A clear package that shows a buyer why this property makes sense, backed by real numbers.
- 03
Reach the right buyers
Owner-users, private investors, family groups and larger buyers. More qualified buyers looking at once gives you more choice.
- 04
Negotiate
Price matters, and so do the deposit, the conditions, the timeline and how likely the buyer is to close.
- 05
Get it closed
Financing, inspections, the lease review, the lawyers and the lender, managed to a firm completion date.
Two prices
Why more buyers means a better price.
The same property can be worth different amounts to different buyers. One has cheaper financing, another wants the building for their own business, another sees a renovation nobody else has priced. Every buyer has two numbers in mind: the price they’d like to pay and the price they’ll pay to win it.
When several qualified buyers are looking at once, offers tend to move toward the second number.
Not sure yet?
Why owners hold, or refinance.
Sometimes the right answer is to wait.
- It works
The property does its job.
Steady rent, easy to look after, and a good place for the money.
- The math
Selling would cost too much.
Low equity, a big tax bill on the gain, or a mortgage that is expensive to break.
- Waiting
The owner expects a better time.
Higher values, better rents or a stronger market down the road.
- Personal
It means more than the money.
A family building, estate plans, or the place their own business runs from.
The takeaway: Owners hold when keeping the property makes more sense to them than selling it. If that is you, a refinance or a plan for later may suit you better than a sale today.
Selling a business
Selling a business, by size.
Size changes who buys and where the real estate matters.
- 01
Small and owner-operated
You are the business. Buyers are usually individuals.
See the plan - 02
Established, mid-size
A team in place and steady profit. More kinds of buyers look.
See the plan - 03
Larger, or with real estate
Several leases or a building you own.
See the plan
Or see selling your business and succession planning.
Learn
Guides and checklists
Plain-language explainers with BC examples. Read them before you sign anything.
- Guide
How a commercial sale works, step by step
From the first conversation to completion, here is what happens on a typical BC commercial sale and what you’ll be asked for at each step.
Read more - Guide
What is my commercial property worth?
Commercial property is mostly valued on its income and on what similar properties sell for. The final price depends on which buyers are looking.
Read more - Guide
Property Transfer Tax and share sales, in plain words
Property Transfer Tax is one of the biggest closing costs on a BC commercial purchase, and it’s a big reason some deals are done as share sales.
Read more - Guide
Assignment and sublease: why your name can stay on the lease
Handing your lease to someone else doesn’t always hand over the responsibility. Here’s the difference between assigning and subletting, and how to…
Read more
Working with me
Why work with me
I go and find buyers
I talk regularly with buyers who are looking for BC businesses, and I go out looking for the right fit.
I learn the business first
How it makes money, what it needs from its space and what the next five years look like. The real estate should fit the business.
Advertising and communications since 2010
I’ve worked in advertising and communications since 2010. Your requirement, or your business, gets presented with real strategy.
Calm when things heat up
Over 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and first responder. When a deal starts to feel like it’s on fire, I’m the steady one in the room.
Confidential by default
Nothing about you or your business gets shared without your say-so.
You can trust me
I tell you the truth about your deal, even when it isn’t what you hoped to hear. If I say I’ll do something, I do it.
Quick answers
Questions people ask me
Short answers to the things I get asked most. If yours isn’t here, give me a shout.
How long does it take to sell a commercial property?
It depends on the property, the price and the market. Plan for preparation, a few months of marketing, then a conditional period and completion. I can give you a realistic timeline once I’ve seen the property and the leases.
Can I sell confidentially?
Yes. We can approach selected buyers first, with a confidentiality agreement before they see the details. Tenants and staff don’t need to know until you decide they should.
What will I owe in tax when I sell?
That depends on how you own the property, what you paid, what you claimed over the years and how the sale is structured. Ask your accountant before you list.
Should I sell my business and my building together?
Sometimes. Some buyers want both, some only want the business with a lease from you. Each changes the price and who is interested, so think it through early.
What should I gather, ask and watch for?
Documents to gather
- Title and property tax notices
- Leases and operating statements
- Mortgage statement and terms, including prepayment penalties
- Wills, partnership or shareholder agreements, if they apply
Questions to ask
- What is the property worth today, roughly?
- What tax does a sale trigger, and can timing help? (ask your accountant)
- What does it cost to break the mortgage?
- Who has to sign, and do they all agree?
Common mistakes
- Waiting until you have to sell
- Making the decision without tax advice
- Not checking who has authority to sign
- Underpricing to sell fast without testing the market
Typical timeline
- NowValue range and tax advice
- Months 1 to 3Decide and prepare
- Marketing to offerOften 1 to 3 months
- Completion30 to 90 days after conditions
Typical ranges. Your lease, lender and the City set the real dates.
Go deeper
If you’re looking for more details
The selling process
- A valuation and a frank talk about price
- Getting the documents ready
- Marketing, or a quiet approach to likely buyers
- Offers and negotiation
- Due diligence and conditions
- Completion
Documents buyers will ask for
- Title and any charges
- Leases and rent roll
- Operating statements and property tax
- Building and environmental reports
- Permits and any work done
Run the numbers
- Cap rate, NOI and valueCap rate is net operating income divided by price.
- GST on commercial property and leasesCommercial property sales and commercial rent in Canada are usually taxable for GST at 5%.
- BC Property Transfer Tax calculatorProperty transfer tax in BC is 1% on the first $200,000, 2% up to $2 million and 3% above that, plus another 2% on residential value over $3 million.
Next step
Thinking of selling? Start with a confidential call.
Tell me about the property or the business and your timing. Nothing goes anywhere without your say-so.