Sell your government building
Federal, state, and local agency leases. Strong credit, a firm term shorter than it looks, and a building you operate.
Government Building at a glance
- Typical deal size
- $2M – $30M
- Lease structure
- Full-service gross, government lease
- Typical term
- 10–20 years, firm and soft term
- Escalations
- CPI on operating costs; shell rent typically flat
Overview
What government buildings are really worth
Our read
A government lease is excellent credit attached to terms that are more flexible for the tenant than most owners realize. The rent is about as reliable as rent gets while the lease is in force. The question is how long it is actually in force, and the answer is found in the termination provisions rather than the lease length on the cover page.
Federal leases commonly split a firm term from a soft term, after which the government may terminate on notice. State and local leases commonly carry non-appropriation clauses that allow an agency to leave if its budget does not fund the rent. Both are rarely exercised against an agency that needs the space, but both are real, and a buyer prices the income beyond the firm term differently from the income within it.
The other surprise is that these are not net leases. Agencies generally lease full-service, with the landlord operating the building and the rent split into a flat shell portion and an operating portion that adjusts. That makes a government building an office investment with a government tenant, and its value depends as much on how well the building is operated as on who is paying.
Valuation
How we underwrite it
The method
We underwrite the firm term first, because that is the income the government has committed to. Soft term and renewal income are valued on the agency's likelihood of staying — how central the location is to its mission, how much it invested in the buildout, and what relocating would cost it.
Termination and funding provisions are read word for word. Federal termination rights, state and local non-appropriation clauses, and any agency-specific language define what the credit actually covers.
Operating economics are underwritten like office. Gross rent, the adjustment mechanics on operating costs and taxes, and the building's actual expense history determine whether net income holds up across the term or erodes.
The building is valued for its use after the agency. A conventional office layout re-tenants like office in that market; heavy security, setbacks, and secure interiors narrow the field and raise conversion cost. We price that honestly rather than assuming the government stays forever.
What moves the number
- 01Firm term remaining, since federal leases commonly allow the government to terminate on notice once the firm term ends
- 02Non-appropriation and termination clauses in state and local leases, which let an agency leave if its rent is not funded
- 03Mission criticality of the agency and how expensive it would be to relocate — courts, field offices with specialized buildouts, and secure facilities stay put
- 04Security, setback, and specialized buildout that the agency paid for and the next tenant may not value
- 05Whether the building is a single-agency build-to-suit or multi-tenant office with government as one of several tenants
- 06Operating cost exposure under a gross lease, where the landlord carries expenses and recovers only part of their growth
Capital markets today
- 10-yr Treasury
- 5.24%
- 4.12% a year ago
- SOFR
- 3.87%
- 4.2% a year ago
- 30-yr mortgage
- 7.28%
- 6.3% a year ago
- CRE loan delinquency
- 1.53%
- 1.57% a year ago
- CRE prices, YoY
- 6.58%
- -2.7% a year ago
Sources: FRED DGS10, 2026-10-01 · FRED SOFR, 2026-10-01 · FRED MORTGAGE30US, 2026-10-01 · FRED DRCRELEXFACBS, 2026-04-01 · FRED COMREPUSQ159N, 2026-01-01
Diligence
What a buyer actually looks at in a government building
- Check 01
The full lease, including firm term, soft term, and termination rights
Federal leases typically distinguish a firm term from a soft term in which the government may terminate on notice. Income beyond the firm term is less certain than the headline lease length suggests.
- Check 02
Non-appropriation and funding clauses in state and local leases
Many state and local governments cannot commit future budgets, so their leases allow termination if the legislature or council does not fund the rent. Those clauses are rarely exercised, but they are real and they define the credit.
- Check 03
Operating cost and tax adjustment mechanics
Federal leases usually adjust the operating cost portion of rent by an index and taxes over a base year, while the shell rent stays flat. How well that tracks actual expenses decides whether net income holds up over the term.
- Check 04
Security requirements and specialized buildout
Agencies impose security standards — setbacks, controlled access, hardened areas — and often specialized interiors. Those can make the building hard to re-tenant and expensive to convert.
- Check 05
Change of ownership requirements
Federal leases require the government to recognize a new lessor, including registration and a novation or change-of-ownership process. Rent can be interrupted if that is not handled at closing.
- Check 06
Agency footprint plans and consolidation history
Agencies periodically consolidate and reduce space, and lease renewals are when that happens. An agency's stated direction is worth knowing before the renewal, not after.
Backfill risk
What happens if the tenant leaves
The tenant-goes-dark scenario
Government tenants tend to stay. Relocating an agency means a procurement process, a new buildout, security requirements, and disruption to services the public relies on, so agencies with functional space usually renew. That stickiness is a large part of why government-leased buildings are valued as they are.
When an agency does leave, it is usually because of consolidation — combining offices, reducing footprint, or moving into a government-owned building. Those decisions tend to surface at the end of the firm term or at renewal, and they are frequently signaled in advance.
The backfill depends on how much of the building was shaped by the agency. A conventional office building with a government tenant re-tenants like any office in that market, with all of that market's current challenges. A build-to-suit with blast setbacks, controlled access, hardened areas, and specialized interiors is a much narrower asset, and its most likely successor is another government user.
In smaller markets the government may be one of the largest office tenants in town, and replacing it at comparable rent can take a long time. Former government buildings are frequently better candidates for conversion or redevelopment than for a straight re-lease.
Why this matters to you
Every buyer prices the tenant-goes-dark scenario, whether or not they say so out loud. It is the largest hidden input into the cap rate you get offered.
Understanding it before you go to market is the difference between negotiating and being negotiated with.
Who sells to us
Situations we see most often
- Developer selling a stabilized build-to-suit for a federal or state agency
- Owner whose federal lease is moving from firm term into soft term
- Owner facing a renewal negotiation with an agency that is consolidating space
- Municipality or county disposing of a surplus building
- Owner of a former government building whose agency has relocated
Buy box
What we buy
- 01Government-leased buildings, $2M to $30M
- 02Federal, state, and local agency tenants
- 03Leases in or approaching soft term
- 04Surplus and former government buildings
Process
How selling to Dizposition works
Day 0
01Send us the property
Address, asset type, and the lease if there is one. That is enough for us to start.
- 02
We underwrite it
Our underwriting runs the income against current market pricing and the cost of capital. No lowball anchor.
10 minutes
03You get a firm offer
In 10 minutes, with the math shown. You will know exactly how we got there.
As fast as 30 days
04Close on your timeline
As fast as 30 days, or as slow as you need. We are the principal, so the date is yours.
FAQ
Selling a government building
My federal lease says 20 years. Is that 20 years of guaranteed rent?
Not necessarily. Many federal leases have a firm term followed by a soft term in which the government can terminate on notice. The firm term is the guaranteed part. The soft term is often renewed in practice, but a buyer will price it as less certain, and so do we.
My state agency lease has a non-appropriation clause. Should I worry?
It is standard for state and local leases, because most governments cannot commit future budgets. It is rarely exercised against an agency that is actually using the space. What matters is how central the office is to the agency's work and how hard it would be to relocate.
The agency is leaving. What is the building worth without it?
That depends on how much of the building was built for the agency. A conventional office floor plate re-tenants like other office. A building with heavy security, setbacks, and secure interiors may need significant work to suit anyone else. We underwrite the building as it would be after the agency leaves.
Why is my government lease full-service when most net lease deals are NNN?
Government agencies typically lease on a gross basis and expect the landlord to operate the building. The rent is structured with a shell portion that stays flat and an operating portion that adjusts. The result is closer to an office investment than a net lease one, and it needs to be underwritten that way.
How long does it take to sell a commercial property to Dizposition?
You get a firm written offer within 10 minutes of sending us the property. If you accept, you can close in as little as 30 days — most of that is title work and your own timeline. There is no listing period, no marketing, and no waiting on a buyer's financing contingency.
Can I sell my property as-is?
Yes. We are the buyer, so there is no lender requiring repairs and no inspection contingency to renegotiate against you. Deferred maintenance, a failing roof, an aging tank system — we price it into the offer rather than asking you to fix it first.
Can I sell with a tenant in place?
Yes, and in most cases a tenant makes the property more valuable to us, not less. We will ask for the lease, a rent roll, and any estoppel certificates. You do not need to deliver the property vacant.
What if my lease is short-term or about to expire?
Short remaining term is one of the main reasons owners come to us. A conventional buyer needs lease term to get financing, which is why short-dated assets sit on the market. We underwrite the real estate and the backfill prospects rather than the remaining term alone.
Do I need a broker to sell to you?
No. We buy directly, and there is no commission because there is nothing to market. If you already have a broker, we will pay them. Selling without one saves the commission, but you should understand you are also giving up price discovery — a broker's job is to find out whether someone will pay more than we will.
What documents do I need to get an offer?
The address and the lease are enough to start. To finalize, we will want the rent roll, the last two years of operating statements, the title commitment, any existing survey, and any environmental reports you already have. You do not need an appraisal or a broker package.
How do you determine your offer?
We underwrite in-place income against what the space would re-lease for, adjust for capital needs and any environmental tail, and apply a cap rate supported by comparable transactions. We show you the inputs. If you disagree with an assumption, we would rather argue about the assumption than about the number.
What are typical seller closing costs?
Title and escrow fees, any transfer or recording tax owed in your state, prorated property taxes, and payoff of any existing debt. Because we are the buyer, there is no commission and no marketing cost. Transfer tax varies significantly by state and is often the largest single line.
Will I owe capital gains tax when I sell?
Usually yes, on the gain above your adjusted basis, and depreciation recapture is taxed separately from appreciation. State treatment varies. This is a question for your CPA before you sign, not after — the structure of the sale can change the answer.
Can I do a 1031 exchange?
Yes. A 1031 exchange lets you defer federal capital gains by reinvesting in like-kind property, subject to a 45-day identification window and a 180-day closing window from the date you sell. You must have a qualified intermediary in place before closing — it cannot be arranged afterward. Most states conform to federal treatment, but a few do not.
Can I sell if I am behind on payments or facing foreclosure?
Yes, and speed is the reason to move early rather than late. We can close on a defined date, which is what a lender or a receiver generally needs to see. Send us the payoff figure and any notices you have received.
Can I sell a property I inherited or that is in probate?
Yes. Probate sales take longer because the court timeline governs, not ours, and multiple heirs need to agree on the price before anything can close. We are used to working around both. Inherited property also generally receives a stepped-up basis, which can change the tax math substantially.
What if there is environmental contamination?
Send it anyway. Environmental history is one of the most common reasons a conventional sale falls apart, and it is one of the reasons owners call us. We price the remediation and the residual liability into the offer rather than walking away at the Phase II.
Is there any cost or obligation to get an offer?
None. There is no fee, no listing agreement, and no obligation to accept. If our number does not work for you, you keep the underwriting we showed you and we part ways.
Markets
Top markets we buy government buildings in
Browse by state
50 state markets
- Arizona
- Texas
- Florida
- Alabama
- Alaska
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- Delaware
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- Hawaii
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- Illinois
- Indiana
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- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
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- Utah
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- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
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10-minute offer
Ready to sell your government building?
Send us the property and the lease. You'll have a firm offer, with the math shown, in 10 minutes.


