Learn more about what's new and important at FNBC Kansas City of Independence, MO.

Selling a business when real estate is involved

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:54:58 GMT

Around one-third of the businesses that we list for sale also involve the sale of the underlying real estate. As licensed real estate brokers and agents we can handle all of the details of that transaction too-from showing the property, guiding the process through a title company, ensuring that the buyers perform adequate due diligence, obtaining proper environmental reports and clearances, getting suitable financing for the transaction and more. In short, when you list your business with First National Business Corporation, there will be no worries about any aspect of completing the transaction to the satisfaction of all parties.

Always a concern when real estate is involved: what is the right price for the real estate? You can be sure that when bank financing will be involved there will be an appraisal required by the lender. An appraisal that is a year or two old won’t pass muster. Different lenders may vary on the degree of complexity required: obviously a two-million-dollar property will necessitate a more thorough examination than a one-hundred-thousand-dollar parcel.

Here is what we will make sure doesn’t happen: we won’t take the listing at some exorbitant price just for the sake of adding a listing to our books. That doesn’t do FNBC any good as the broker. It doesn’t do the business and property owner any good either. A listing priced too high will run off the serious, qualified buyers. The only lookers we will get for those kinds of listings will either be unqualified or eventually come to the realization that it is a bad business deal in the making.

Remember: we do want to list both your business and any underlying real estate for the maximum amount that can be substantiated. Not only does that provide you with greatest yield when the deal closes, but we are on commission on every deal. That is a win-win for both the client and the broker. But we need to remain realistic and keep the listing price very near the true value of the deal. We not only have to convince a buyer that the deal is worth the money-we have to convince a lender to provide the capital.

We have many resources at our disposal to help determine the value of underlying real estate. You may decide to hold on to the real estate and only sell the business. We are prepared to help you compare all the options; then you select the one that makes sense for your situation.

This week's Featured Broker

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 14:53:24 GMT

About Mike:

Mike was a small businesses owner in central Kansas for over 25 years. He sold the companies before moving to Kansas City in 2003. He has been a business broker for 10 years and worked as an SBA loan officer.

Mike understands the importance of running your business with an end game in mind. As a former SBA loan officer, he has the expertise to help you understand and prepare for the questions lenders will ask before funding a business acquisition. Having a broker and experienced lender on your side is crucial to successfully navigate the buying, selling and funding processes.

Mike has two children and four grandchildren. Mike enjoys traveling, music, movies, golf, watching the Chiefs and spending time with his family.

Mike's Featured Listing:
Thriving Multi-State Roofing & Exterior Contractor

This well-established exterior and roofing contractor operates across multiple states, delivering exceptional services to residential and commercial clients alike. They are a Preferred Vendor for over 50 insurance carriers in two networks!

Key Highlights:

Proven track record with strong revenue and profitability.
Diverse and loyal customer base, including repeat and referral clients.
Experienced team and streamlined operations in place.
Significant growth potential with untapped market opportunities.

Whether you’re expanding your portfolio or seeking a standalone business with a solid foundation and excellent reputation, this is a rare chance to acquire a proven leader in the industry.

The company just signed up for a government program with the GSA for all government buildings in the states they service. They will be the only exterior service company in those areas!

Call Mike today for more information!

Planning for the Sale of Your Business

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 17:05:48 GMT

Key considerations include:

*tax considerations. How can I minimize the taxable consequences that will follow from a sale?

*personal goals. What do I do with myself following the sale of my business? For many business owners, operating and growing their business has been the principal driving force and purpose of their everyday lives. Part of the sales process must include your transition into a new life and lifestyle. Don’t take this lightly or assume things will just take care of themselves.

*future financial requirements. Hopefully the sale of your business will mean financial security for you and your family. But often a sale is consummated under more difficult circumstances in which the sale will not result in complete financial freedom. What steps must be taken to insure a sale is a successful component of your financial plan? While keeping an eye on the “big picture” take time to consider the smaller details such as eliminating debt, putting money away from the proceeds of the sale, operating on a differently scaled budget, and more.

As you can see, there are lots of things to think through and insert into a successful sale. While a plan is just that-a plan- and will inevitably need to be altered, it is certainly preferable to have a plan in place than just to “wing it” and hope for the best.

Even if you don’t plan to sell for five years or more, now is the time to begin thinking about the various aspects and the components that will create a successful sale by all measures.

What Does a Business Broker Do?

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 17:45:12 GMT

Buying a business is a big deal. According to the Colorado Small Business Development Center Network, individuals who buy a business have a 90% chance of still being in business five years later. Businesses are usually a good investment, but what’s the best way to go about purchasing one? It’s helpful to use the services of a business broker. In general, a business broker is an individual who will work with you to assess your needs and help you through the process of buying a business. Here are some of the specific things a broker does.

Business Evaluation

When you first start working with a business broker, you'll discuss the type of business you're looking for and the budget you're working with. From here, the broker will then evaluate businesses on your behalf. This can be a huge benefit, as these professionals will have tools and resources available to them to help find businesses that really match up with your goals. You will not have these types of resources available, so your research might take much longer without the help of a broker.

Financing

A business broker will not provide financing, but they can definitely help you find financing for your goals. These professionals will have many contacts with lenders in the area that specialize in this type of financing. They will be able to make recommendations to you that will speed up your purchase process.

Protection

This is another important type of benefit the broker will provide for you. Because they understand the ins and outs of business purchasing, they will be able to protect you from being tricked or taken advantage of. They will be able to offer you informed professional advice concerning your purchase. They will also be able to advise you on steps you can take to ensure you're getting the best deal possible.

Purchasing Advice

The final thing a broker can do is provide purchasing advice. If you’ve never purchased a business before, you might feel a little lost concerning how much you should offer. The broker will be able to advise you on this to ensure you make competitive offers that increase your chances of closing a deal.

Brokers can help make the process of buying a business much easier. If you're looking for a business broker in your area, please contact First National Business Corp today. Our team of professionals is ready to help you.

Timing is NOT Everything

Mon, 22 May 2023 20:47:01 GMT

You have often heard the phrase “timing is everything” to emphasize the difference even a day can make in how life plays out.

“You should have been here yesterday. The fish were really biting”.

“Our vacation was ruined by the rain. Just the week before they said the weather had been absolutely perfect.”

“If I had known that the price of beans was going to plummet, I would have sold all my positions two weeks ago.”

Unfortunately, even the most astute among us doesn’t have perfect or complete knowledge. We can all cite instances in which timing has enhanced our lives or nearly ruined things.

What does this have to do with selling a business? Or buying one?

Many, if not most, business owners have spent years, perhaps their whole working lives, building a business. In the back of their mind, they knew that someday a decision would have to be made on what to do with that business. A fortunate few have groomed either a son or daughter or a key employee to one day take the reins. Congratulations to them, although they still face many difficult decisions regarding a successful transition.

But for most owners, the day draws ever more near when it is time to sell.

So how do you know when that exact right time may be?

Unfortunately, there is no “one size fits all” answer. But here are some things you do want to consider related to this key question:

· Health. Are you still fit to do the job of running a company? Not just get by, but to have the energy it takes to continue building the company. A company that is not growing is probably falling back and losing value daily.
· Attitude. Are you still excited to get to work every day? Is what you are doing interesting? Is it challenging (assuming you still enjoy a challenge)?
· Industry pressures or opportunity. Is your business sector still bright with possibility? Hopefully you aren’t selling buggy whips or operating a video rental store.
· Have your sales and profits grown over the past few years? (three years is most crucial). Or are you in a stagnant or declining pattern?
· Key employees. Are you well set with solid staff or are key people either in declining health or near retirement?
· Plans for the future. Is there something fulfilling and affordable that you would like to do next?

These are just a few of the considerations you should be putting into your equation as you decide a good time to sell.

And keep in mind that most successful sales are the product of planning and execution of some techniques and strategies that you may have been putting off for a while.

Plus, the fact that a business doesn’t sell overnight. It simply takes time to prepare a business for sale and to go through the process of identifying the best buyer.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get started on today. A good first step is to have an evaluation performed on your business so you know where you stand right now. Then you can follow up with specific steps to both enhance the value of your company and choose a time that works the best for you.

Seller Newsletter

Mon, 22 May 2023 18:24:31 GMT

Challenge: Selling a business for retiring owners who also own the underlying real estate.

In depth: One of our agents represented successful owners of a niche supplier of special event productions. The owners had enjoyed a long run in the business but were tired and ready to step back from the deadlines and travel that also came with success.

To further complicate (but also to make things interesting!) they also owned a very large warehouse facility that housed the business but probably would not be needed by a new owner of the business, if one could be found.

So we listed both the business and the real estate, we do it all the time, and began searching for the right buyer for each entity. As often happens, the owners provided us a short list of people already in the industry whom they knew and respected and whom they suggested might be the right buyers if presented a comprehensive package of what was available.

We began to canvass those prospects and more, and in remarkably short order, we identified what we believed to be the perfect buyer. Local to the market, very successful in his own right. And perhaps most important, both he and the owners had mutual respect for each other right from the start.

Negotiations were friendly from Day One and a deal was soon struck. As we anticipated, the buyer was not interested in the underlying real estate. So what do we do about that?

Fortunately, we had recently sold two businesses to another solid buyer. Someone we knew who was needing a larger facility in the same general area of the city. Again, after a brief round of introductions and a tour of the facility, it was quickly agreed that we had a great match.

Favorable financing was obtained and within 60 days we had a closing on the real estate as well. Terms were arranged for an orderly withdrawal of the seller’s furniture, fixtures and equipment, most of which was purchased by the first buyer, and the real estate buyers now had a super facility to continue the strong growth of their business.

A key factor in closing both these deals was our knowledge base of who in the marketplace is looking to expand, and where. You can always say there is some luck involved and that was true here as well. But we would like to think that the expertise and extensive database we maintain had a lot to do with putting these two deals together in short order.