Businesses for sale in York Region and the GTA

Going concerns sold with the real estate, with the lease, or on their own.

The short version

A building sale and a business sale are not the same deal

Selling a business is not selling a building. Most of the deals in this category are asset sales where the buyer takes the equipment, the goodwill, and the lease, and everything hinges on one thing the seller does not control: whether the landlord will consent to the lease assignment.

The second thing that decides these deals is whether the income can be demonstrated. A business priced on what the owner says it earns will not finance and usually will not sell. One with clean financial statements sells for more, faster.

Do this first

Where these deals succeed or fail

Six things that decide whether the deal works. Every one of them is cheaper to check now than to discover later.

Lease assignment and landlord consent The single most common reason a business sale collapses. Start it early, and know how much term is left and whether there is a renewal option.

Asset sale or share sale Asset sales are more common and cleaner for the buyer. Share sales carry the company's history with them, including its liabilities.

Verifiable income Financial statements and filed returns, not a notebook. Unreported income is not something a buyer can pay for or a lender can finance.

Equipment list and chattels Written down item by item, with what is owned, what is leased, and what is coming to the end of its life.

Staff and training Who stays, what they are owed, and how long the seller will train the buyer. Put the training period in the agreement.

Non-compete Scope, distance, and duration. Without one, the seller can reopen down the road and take the goodwill back.

Live from the MLS®

Amir’s listings

Every property Amir has on the market, homes first, then commercial. Active only, straight from the board feed.

Know the range

How these deals are usually structured

Structure	What transfers	Main issue
Business only, leased premises	Equipment, goodwill, the lease	Landlord consent to the assignment.
Business with the real estate	Everything, including the building	Two valuations in one deal, and two sets of due diligence.
Asset sale	Selected assets, not the company	Cleanest for the buyer; allocation affects both sides' tax.
Share sale	The company itself	Buyer inherits the history. Needs deeper legal review.
Franchise resale	The unit and the franchise rights	Franchisor approval and training requirements on top.

Where to look

Submarkets for business for sale

Rates and supply change block to block. These are the pockets worth knowing for this category.

Yonge corridor retail and foodThe deepest supply of small businesses in the region.

Thornhill and Richmond Hill plazasService businesses, clinics, and specialty food.

Highway 7 and MarkhamRestaurants and franchises with strong foot traffic.

Vaughan and Concord industrialTrades, manufacturing, and distribution businesses.

Newmarket and AuroraOwner-operator businesses, often with the building included.

North York C14 and C07High-density retail and professional practices.

Questions people actually ask

Business for sale FAQ

How is a small business priced?

Usually as a multiple of normalised earnings, adjusted for what the owner takes out personally, plus the value of the equipment. The multiple depends on how transferable the income is without the current owner.

Will the landlord definitely approve me?

Not automatically. They will look at your covenant and experience, and they can usually require a personal guarantee. This is why we approach them early rather than at closing.

Can I finance a business purchase?

Often yes, through a small business loan programme, but only against verifiable financial statements. Equipment and real estate finance more easily than goodwill does.

Tell us the requirement

Looking for business for sale?

Send the size, area, and timing. You get a shortlist back, including space that has not been listed yet.

Other categories

Not quite what you need?

OfficeProfessional suites, medical space, and whole floors along the Yonge and Highway 7 corridors. RetailPlaza units, street-front stores, end-caps with parking, and pad sites across the Yonge corridor. IndustrialWarehouse, flex, and shop units with truck-level or drive-in shipping across York and Durham. LandDevelopment parcels, serviced lots, and assembly opportunities from Richmond Hill to East Gwillimbury. InvestmentMulti-residential, mixed-use, and net-leased property, valued on income that has actually been verified.

Listings are provided under the Internet Data Exchange (IDX) programme of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. Information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate. Listings held by brokerages other than Nave Real Estate, Brokerage Inc. are identified with the name of the listing brokerage. Lease and operating cost figures on this page are general guidance, not an offer, and must be verified for any specific property.