The 12-Month Runway
A practice sale doesn't happen overnight. Dentists spend months preparing their financials, legal entities, and staffing before ever speaking to a buyer.
Leading Indicators of a Sale
- Converting a Sole Proprietorship or PA into an LLC to facilitate an asset sale.
- Hiring a young associate to ensure clinical continuity post-transition.
- Resolving outstanding OSHA citations or board actions to clean up due diligence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first step a dentist takes before selling?
Dentists typically clean up their corporate structure, update their financials, and resolve any outstanding compliance or lease issues 6 to 12 months before selling.
How can brokers use lease data?
If a dentist is 65 and their 10-year commercial lease expires next year, they are highly likely to sell rather than sign a new decade-long commitment.