7 Practical Tips for Selling Your Church Property (Without Regret)
Author: Aaron Mills and Heather Gapik
December 03, 2025
Selling a church building is never just a real estate transaction—it’s emotional, spiritual, and often
complicated. After guiding dozens of congregations through the sale of their sacred spaces, here are
the seven most important tips we wish every church knew before listing their property.
1. Start with the End in Mind: Who Is the Most Likely Buyer?
Churches are “special-purpose” properties. The highest and best offers almost always come from:
- Another church, synagogue, temple, or religious organization
- Private Christian or faith-based school
- Performing arts or community theater group
- Developer who can repurpose (apartments, event venue, offices, medical, etc.)
Price and speed differ dramatically depending on the buyer type. A growing megachurch may pay a
premium to move in quickly. A developer may offer less but close with zero contingencies, or offer
more but have a very lengthy escrow. Know your priority—highest price or fastest/simplest
closing—and market accordingly.
2. Get a Realistic Appraisal from Someone Who Understands Church Properties
A standard residential appraiser will almost always undervalue your building because they compare
it to warehouses or closed retail. Insist on an appraiser (or broker’s opinion of value) with actual
church-sale experience. We’ve seen generic appraisals come in 30–60% below what the market will
actually pay to another congregation.
3. Depersonalize (But Don’t Desecrate)
Buyers need to envision their own ministry in the space. Yes, remove the 40-year-old portrait of
Pastor Bob and pack up the dated hymnals, but don’t strip the soul out of the building. Leave the
stained glass, pews (if movable), and baptismal unless a buyer specifically asks for them gone.
Many purchasing churches want to feel the Holy Spirit already present.
4. Budget for Carrying Costs During the Sale
Most church sales take 6–18 months from list to close. Plan for:
- Utilities (often $4,000–$12,000/month for a 20,000 sq ft building)
- Insurance (many policies change or increase when the building is vacant)
- Lawn care and landscaping maintenance
- Security (cameras, boarding windows if needed)
5. Understand (and Fix) Zoning Before You List
Buyers hate surprises. The two biggest zoning headaches we see:
- Loss of the religious-use exemption when the property is sold (future buyer may need a new special-use permit)
- Parking and occupancy restrictions written into old permits
Consider the upfront expense of working with a land-use attorney to confirm exactly what a new
owner can (and cannot) do. Fixing issues before marketing can add hundreds of thousands to your
final price.
6. Consider a Lease-Back if You’re Relocating
If you haven’t already found or built your new campus, negotiate a 6–24 month lease-back at
closing. This gives you time to transition and often lets the buyer close faster because they’re
collecting rent immediately. We’ve structured deals where the selling church receives their sale price
at close of escrow allowing them to make strong offers on properties due to financial strength, all
while still holding services on their sold campus.
7. Use a Broker Who ONLY Works with Churches
General commercial brokers rarely understand:
- Tax-exempt financing
- The emotional timeline of a congregation
- Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) implications
- How to market to 10,000+ churches quietly and effectively
A specialist will net you significantly more money and dramatically less stress. (And yes, their
commission is almost always paid by the buyer, not you.)
One Bonus Tip
Pray over the sale, but also pray for the next steward of the building. We’ve watched God
orchestrate sales where the buyer turned out to be the perfect answer to a prayer the selling church
never even knew to pray.
Selling your church property is bittersweet, but it doesn’t have to be burdensome. Done well, it
becomes the seed money for the next chapter of ministry God has for your people.
If your congregation is even whispering about “maybe it’s time,” let’s talk. We’ve helped churches
from 75 members to 5,000 sell gracefully and fund bold new visions
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
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