Sale and Leaseback in Switzerland: Unlocking Capital from Your Operating Property
Free up capital, keep your location: how Swiss companies use a sale-leaseback to sell their owner-occupied property, lease it back long term and reinvest the capital in their core business.
5 min read | October 2026 | Commercial and Investment Properties
Key Takeaways
A sale-leaseback transaction is a strategic decision you don't have to make alone. As part of our sale-leaseback advisory, we show you what your property can achieve and whether this path fits your plans.
What is a Sale-Leaseback?
A sale-leaseback (also called a sale and leaseback) is a transaction in which a company sells a property it occupies and simultaneously leases it back on a long-term basis. The purchase agreement and the lease are negotiated as a package and signed on the same day; operationally, nothing changes.
What makes this transaction attractive:
Full Market Value Instead of a Loan-to-Value Ratio
A bank finances only part of the value; a sale realizes the full value, including any appreciation.
Capital Without New Debt
Available for machinery, innovation, acquisitions or succession planning.
A Stronger Balance Sheet
More liquidity and greater independence from banks.
Planning Certainty
A long-term lease with clearly defined rent.
How We Support You
We determine the market value of your property, calculate how much capital a sale-leaseback would free up and compare it with alternatives such as refinancing, so you can decide with a clear picture.
How Much Capital Is Freed Up? Example Based on a Market Value of CHF 15 Million
- Mortgage (example: 60% loan-to-value ratio)60%
- Sale-Leaseback (full market value)100%
With a 60% loan-to-value ratio, around CHF 9 million is freed up for you to use in your business.
With a sale-leaseback, you receive the full market value of CHF 15 million and can use it for investments in your core business, dividends and more.
How Do You Structure a Lease That Supports Your Growth?
The lease is the heart of every sale-leaseback. It determines how securely and flexibly you can operate for years to come. We carefully plan these points with our clients:
How We Support You
We translate your business planning into contract terms, negotiate them with the investor and make sure the lease and the purchase price are aligned.
How Do You Find the Right Investor?
The right investor is a long-term partner, not just a buyer. Pension funds, insurance companies, real estate funds and private investors have different priorities, whether in lease term, location, building type or sustainability.
Matching Investment Horizon
A horizon that matches your planned lease term.
Openness to Your Plans
In structuring the contract and in future expansions.
Reliable Partner
Professional and dependable for years to come.
A structured process with several qualified investors creates healthy competition, on price as well as on lease terms.
How We Support You
We prepare your property for the market, approach suitable investors regionally, nationally and internationally, and guide you through the offers to the partner who fits you best.
What Are the Benefits of a Sale-Leaseback for Your Company?
Use capital for what moves your company forward, without taking on new debt or giving up your location.
New Machinery and Equipment
Modernized production, automation, more capacity.
Financial Strength
Debt reduction and a liquidity reserve for uncertain times.
Innovation
Research and development, new products and processes, digitalization.
Succession
Before a company sale, separating the real estate can increase overall value.
Growth
Acquisitions, entering new markets, opening additional locations.
Stronger Balance Sheet
More liquid assets, fewer fixed assets: relevant for banks and other stakeholders.
What are the risks of a Sale-Leaseback?
- Giving Up Appreciation: future increases in the property's value go to the investor.
- Higher Running Costs: rent is usually higher than mortgage interest.
- Less Flexibility: an early exit is costly.
- Maintenance and Capex: under a triple-net lease, the tenant bears maintenance, insurance and capital replacements.
- Tax Realization: hidden reserves are taxed all at once.: hidden reserves are taxed all at once.
- End of Term: without renewal options, you negotiate from a weak position.
None of these risks is a deal-breaker; each can be negotiated in the lease before signing.
How We Work with You
A sale-leaseback is not an off-the-shelf product. What matters is that the purchase price and the lease align with your business goals. As real estate advisors, we guide you through the entire process, and your operations continue unchanged throughout.
Listen and Understand
Your goals, plans and time horizon.
Assess
Market value, appeal to investors, realistic combinations of price and rent.
Compare Options
Sale-leaseback, refinancing or retaining ownership.
Structure
Lease, coordinated with your accountants and attorneys.
Market and Negotiate
Structured investor process, offers, negotiation.
Signing, and Beyond
From due diligence to notarization, and in the years that follow.
Which Companies Is a Sale-Leaseback Suited For?
Five questions offer an initial orientation. If you answer yes to three or more, it is worth having the option analyzed. We are happy to assess with you, without obligation, whether a sale-leaseback makes financial sense for your commercial or investment property.
Please answer the questions to get an initial assessment.
Frequently asked questions about Sale-Leaseback
What Is the Difference Between (1) a Sale-Leaseback and (2) a Mortgage?
A mortgage finances only part of the property's value and must be refinanced periodically. A sale-leaseback realizes the full market value and replaces interest and amortization with contractually fixed rent.
What Can Companies Use the Freed-Up Capital For?
Typical uses include new machinery and equipment, automation, research and development, acquisitions, debt reduction or a liquidity reserve: investments in the core business rather than in the building.
What Changes for Operations After the Sale?
Nothing. The company stays at its location with the same employees and equipment. A long-term lease secures its use of the property, even if ownership changes later.
How Long Is the Lease Term in a Sale-Leaseback?
In Switzerland, fixed terms of 10 to 20 years are common, complemented by renewal options. However, the term is agreed between you and the buyer according to your needs.
How is the purchase price determined in a Sale-Leaseback?
The purchase price is usually derived from the capitalized rent: annual rent divided by the investor's target yield. The company's creditworthiness and the lease term have a significant influence on the price.
Can the Rent in a Sale-Leaseback Be Linked to Inflation?
Yes. For commercial premises, indexed rent based on the Swiss Consumer Price Index (CPI) is permitted if the lease runs for at least five years.
Which Properties Are Suited for a Sale-Leaseback?
Primarily production and logistics properties, headquarters and operational buildings
What Does a Sale-Leaseback Mean for Your Company?
We assess with you, without obligation, whether and how this option makes financial sense for your commercial or investment property.