SALE
LEASEBACK
It's the age old question: Should corporations own a significant percentage of their real estate? Over the years what has been clear is a tendency of public and private companies moving owned real estate off their balance sheets. Changes in tax law, strong valuations of real estate, and influence of shareholders or private equity investors all have fueled this trend.
Sale leaseback serves as a main option for real estate heavy companies to fund different operations and ventures. It's an efficient way to unlock equity, raise cash that's very cost-effective.
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SALE LEASEBACK
is a real estate transaction that acts as a financing tool in which an owner sells their real estate to a buyer and remains as the occupier of the real estate and operator of the business through a simultaneously executed lease.
The most common type of sale-leaseback is a commercial sale-leaseback. This type of transaction usually features an office building or warehouse, even though it could be just a piece of land. The lease terms and rental rates can be based on a variety of factors to include seller/tenant’s determination of ‘market value’, the new buyer/investor’s financing costs as well as the seller/tenant’s credit rating and market rates of return.
KEY SELLER ADVANTAGES
CONVERTS EQUITY INTO CASH The seller retains full control of the property with detailed terms spelled out in the lease agreement. At the same time seller benefits from a significant cash infusion that can be invested more efficiently in expansion and development of seller's business.
FLEXIBILITY Sale leaseback provides an opportunity to flexible lease terms with customized payments. In comparison to conventional financing (which doesn't offer guarantees on future refinancing terms ), options to arrange the lease terms or renewal choices make sale leaseback transaction very flexible and straightforward.
BALANCE SHEET ENHANCEMENT Replacing a fixed asset with current asset, such as cash from sale transaction, increases the ratio of owned assets to current liabilities within company. Well balanced sheets serve as a great measure of company's capability to satisfy debt commitments to banks and other lending sources.
KEY BUYER ADVANTAGES
CUSTOM LEASE Sale leaseback allows buyer to create fresh lease terms that can be customized to satisfy unique demands and requests generally not found in conventional leasing agreements. It allows buyers to create clauses ensuring optimized returns and high resell value in the future.
PREDICTABLE RETURNS Buyers engaged in a sale leaseback transaction tend to see higher revenue than conventional loan agreements without breaking usury laws that are limiting interest rates. The buyer will hold any appreciation in the value of the property over the length of the lease; also buyer can use regular financing to maximize return on investment. Because the lease terms spread over several decades, there is a consistent and predictable income for the buyer.
EASE OF USE By purchasing the property, buyer has a built-in leaseholder, typically with proven track record of running business at the location. In general tenants are willing to stay at location that support's their business model. In case of default, buyer can terminate the lease and evict the tenant.
BRANDS UTILIZING LEASEBACK
Sale leaseback has been introduced decades ago and it allowed corporations and investors interchangeably capitalize on both the advantages of real estate ownership and tax advantages affiliated with leasing/occupying real estate. This type of transaction mutually benefits both sides as an owner can take advantage if the value of an asset, and a buyer gets a property with a cash flow and predictable returns.
For more information about corporate sale leaseback, please contact one of RJ CAPITAL'S specialized agents: