How to Sell Your USPS - Leased Post Office
The Complete 2025 Guide
Thinking About Selling Your Post Office? Here’s What You Need to Know.
Selling a USPS - leased property isn’t like selling a house or even a regular commercial building. The lease, the buyer pool, and even the timing are different — and understanding those differences can save you a lot of time, money, and frustration.
At Sell My Post Office, we specialize in helping property owners sell their post office property for top dollar and pay no broker fees, ever.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know before you sell.
Understanding the USPS Lease
Before you can sell, you need to understand what you’re actually selling. It’s not just a building — it’s an investment backed by the U.S. government.
Key Lease Terms Buyers Care About:
Remaining Lease Term: Generally, the more years left on the lease, the more valuable your property is.
Renewal Options: Does the USPS have the right to renew? Buyers love long-term stability however, are the rates at, above or below market?
Rent Amount: Higher rents are better — especially higher rent per interior square feet.
Tax Reimbursement: Does the USPS reimburse you for property taxes?
Maintenance Responsibilities: Is USPS responsible for repairs? Or is it your burden?
USPS Purchase Option: If there is one a buyer can only pay up to that amount.
USPS Termination Clause: Can the USPS easily get out of the lease?
Not all USPS leases are created equal. A well-structured USPS lease can be a huge asset — but missing small details can cost you thousands when you sell.
How to Value Your Post Office Property
Pricing your post office isn’t as simple as pulling comparable sales like you would with a house.
Factors That Determine Value:
Current lease and remaining term. For better or worse the current lease rent and terms drive the majority of your USPS property value.
Rent relative to market rate. Ideally rent should be at market rate. Rent below market is not great for sellers; conversely above market rent is actually a risk for buyers.
Location and market demand. As is the case with all real estate, location is very important. A small rural location is worth a lot less than a large suburban location on a hard corner with lots of traffic.
Building condition and age, particularly the roof and parking lot. Typically the owner, and not the USPS, is responsible for maintaining the roof and building structure (walls, windows, facade, etc.). Roofs typically last from 20 to 40 years (depending on type) but eventually need to be replaced — which is a significant cost.
Maintenance obligations under the lease. Typically when the USPS takes care of all the maintenance (except for roof and structure) the property is worth a lot more than when the owner needs to take care of most or all the maintenance.
Tax clause. Who pays the property taxes? Leases where the USPS reimburses the owner for property taxes are worth considerably more than leases where the owner is responsible for paying property taxes.
Cap Rates Matter
Most investors use what’s called a cap rate (capitalization rate) to determine how much to pay for a post office property.
Lately, cap rates for USPS leased properties are typically between 6.5% and 8.5% — depending on size, location, rent per interior square feet, tax and maintenance riders.
The cap rate is applied to the properties net operating income (NOI) which is effectively current annual rent less operating expenses like property taxes, insurance and maintenance.
An example of a 6.5% cap rate post office property:
A large post office (+3,000 interior square feet) in a high rent (+$25 per sq ft) suburban location (with a dozen mail routes) with a new roof and USPS tax and maintenance rider (i.e. USPS reimburses for property taxes and is responsible for all maintenance — except roof and structure). The lease contains no USPS termination clause or purchase option.
An example of an 8.5% cap rate post office property:
A small post office (800 interior square feet) in a low rent ($10 per sq ft) rural location (with one mail route and limited hours of operation) in an old building that needs work where the owner is responsible for all maintenance and property tax. The lease contains a USPS termination clause.
Important:
Using a regular residential appraiser or broker who doesn’t understand USPS leases often results in incorrect valuations — either too low or too high.
Want a professional, free valuation of your post office?
Common Mistakes Owners Make When Selling
Over the years, we’ve seen the same avoidable mistakes over and over:
Overpricing the property based on emotional value rather than true market value.
Underpricing it because they don’t understand the lease’s full strength.
Letting leases expire or get too close to renewal without taking action.
Hiring the wrong broker — many residential or general commercial brokers don’t specialize in USPS-leased buildings.
Not preparing documents (lease agreements, renewal agreements, maintenance records).
Avoiding these mistakes can mean the difference between a fast, profitable sale… and a property that sits unsold for months.
Your Options for Selling Your Post Office
When you’re ready to sell, you generally have two paths:
List on the Open Market
Pros: Access to a broader pool of buyers.
Cons: Longer timeline, hefty commissions, uncertainty, inexperienced buyers.
Sell Direct to a Specialized Buyer (Through Us)
Pros: Fast cash offers, no commissions, no listings, and no waiting around for financing.
Cons: You might accept a slightly lower price — but you save months of holding costs and you pay no brokers fees. You probably walk away with more money in your pocket!
Most of our sellers choose the direct route to save time, avoid fees, and move on quickly with certainty.
Before you call a broker — see what offer we can get for you!
How Our Process Works
Step 1: Request Your Free Valuation
Fill out a simple form — no obligations, no pressure, confidential.
Step 2: Get Your Cash Offer
If you would like, we’ll then get you a top dollar offer within 48 hours. Oftentimes our buyer’s offer is more than our valuation estimate.
Step 3: Close In 45 Days or Less
Our buyer will provide you with a purchase and sale agreement (contract) to review. Due diligence is typically 30 days, then another 15 days (often less) to close.
And that’s it — no commissions, no hidden fees, and no games.
Ready to get started?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I sell my property if the lease is almost up?
A: Absolutely. While a longer lease generally increases value, buyers are still interested in short-term or expired leases — they just value them differently.
Q: What happens to the USPS lease if I sell?
A: Nothing changes. The USPS lease remains in place — they simply send rent checks to the new owner.
Q: How fast can I sell my post office?
A: Our buyers can usually close within 45 days or faster if needed.
Q: Once under contract, what documents do I need to provide?
A: The current lease agreement, any amendments or renewals, and a brief maintenance summary if available. Don’t worry — we’ll help guide you through it.
Q: Do you buy properties in all 50 states?
A: Yes! Our buyers specialize in buying USPS-leased properties nationwide.
Start with a FREE Property Valuation Today
Thinking about selling but not sure where to start?
Find out exactly what you post office property is worth — for free and with no obligations.