---
title: "Sale-leaseback — Class A Atlas glossary"
description: "Owner-occupier sells the building and leases it back from the buyer."
canonical: https://classa.info/glossary/sale-leaseback
pageType: glossary
lastUpdated: 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Owner-occupier sells the building and leases it back from the buyer.

## TL;DR

- Owner-occupier sells the building and leases it back from the buyer.
- Releases capital trapped in real estate while preserving operational use.

# Sale-leaseback

*Investment · Global*

## Short definition

Owner-occupier sells the building and leases it back from the buyer.

## Full definition

Releases capital trapped in real estate while preserving operational use. Common for large corporate occupiers seeking to optimise balance-sheet capital allocation. [Cap rate](/glossary/cap-rate) typically reflects covenant strength.

## Why this matters for Class A leasing

Sale-leaseback is part of the investment vocabulary that institutional [Class A](/glossary/class-a) occupiers, landlords, and advisers use across Global markets. Understanding it correctly affects how you read lease documents, model occupancy economics, and benchmark deal terms across cities. Class A Atlas tracks regional variation alongside the global standard so [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) occupiers can translate quickly.

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Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/glossary/sale-leaseback), updated 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z.