Some of the best deals we close never make headlines. They’re the ones where a business owner decides it’s time to move on, calls us in, and we work together to make it happen on their terms.
This year, we handled two sales that tell the same essential story. Both involved owners are ready for the next chapter. They took planning, patience, and finding the right buyer. In the end, they both closed exactly the way they should have.
The Pattern We See
These deals follow a familiar story. An owner has been running a business for decades, and the operation works. The property serves its purpose. However, the owner is approaching retirement, and the real estate is part of that transition.
That’s when we step in. Our job is to help map out what a successful exit looks like. What’s the property worth in today’s market? How long will it take to find the right buyer? What’s realistic, and what’s wishful thinking?
47 Commerce Drive was a 43,000-square-foot industrial building that had housed a light manufacturing operation for 40 years. The owner was ready to retire and move on. We set a valuation target and a realistic timeline. It took a year from signing to closing, but the timing worked. He moved his remaining inventory, closed out operations cleanly, and sold for $9.8 million to a repeat buyer we’d worked with before on a development project.
68 Culver was a single-story, 57,000-square-foot office building with 20-foot clear ceilings and no loading docks. It was of specialized use, which meant a specialized buyer pool. That one sold for $10 million to an occupier who understood what value they were getting and envisioned where they could take it.
Why These Deals Work
The common thread in both transactions: realistic expectations from the start.
When an owner calls us, we don’t promise overnight results. We explain what the market looks like, what similar properties have sold for, and how long comparable deals have taken to close. Some properties move fast. Others take time to find the right fit.
Both sellers in these cases understood that good real estate transactions aren’t rushed. They take forethought, market insight, and some creativity. The owner, who was ready to move, learned that a year to close a $9.8 million deal is good timing. He was able to clear out his fall inventory, transition his operations, and hand over the keys without leaving loose ends.
The second seller understood that an office building with 20-foot ceilings and no loading creates a specific buyer profile. We didn’t waste time targeting buyers who needed traditional warehouse features. Instead, we focused on laboratory occupiers, the ones looking for precisely what the building offered: heavy power, high ceilings, and a corporate image.
The Buyer Side Matters Too
Both deals involved buyers we knew. One was a repeat client who had purchased a development site from us before and was actively growing. When this industrial property came up, it fit his portfolio and his timeline.
The other buyer was an occupier who saw value in a building most brokers would have called difficult to move. That’s the advantage of knowing your market and knowing your buyers. It’s not listing properties and crossing our fingers. We match opportunities with the right people.
What This Means for Owners Planning an Exit
If you’re a business owner thinking about retirement and wondering what to do with your real estate, these two sales show what works.
Start with clear goals. What’s your timeline? What valuation makes sense? What does a successful exit look like for you?
Work with someone who understands that your property isn’t just a building. It’s part of your business transition, your retirement plan, and the next phase of your life. Rushing that process doesn’t help anyone. Planning it correctly does.
We’ve been doing this for 40 years. We know the difference between a fast sale and a good sale. Sometimes they’re the same thing, but very often they’re not.
These two properties represent millions of dollars in transactions, decades of business operations, and two owners who trusted us to help them move forward. That’s the work we do. Not just selling buildings, but assisting people in transitioning to what comes next.
Ready to talk about your exit strategy? Contact Fennelly Associates, and we will tell you what’s realistic, what’s possible, and how to get there.
