JMB Advisory Services | M&A & Commercial Real Estate Advisory

An advisor who has been on both sides of the table

Most M&A advisors come from finance. John Bush comes from operations — co-founding and selling businesses, leading national acquisition networks, and advising growth-stage companies across industries for over two decades.

That background matters. He understands what it took to build what you have, what a sophisticated buyer is really looking for, and where deals quietly fall apart. JMB works on both sell-side and buy-side engagements for businesses with $500K–$5M in EBITDA — where the owner has real choices and deserves real guidance.

Engagements begin with a confidential diagnostic — no obligation, no pressure. If there's a fit, we build a roadmap together.

John M. Bush

Founder & Principal

Co-founder of two businesses, successful exits for both. Founder of JMB Advisors, an M&A advisory practice with over two decades of sell-side transaction experience and dozens of professional value estimates conducted for business owners across multiple industries.

Former Vice President of Acquisitions at a private institutional real estate capital firm where he sourced and closed $430M+ in transactions across 20+ states. Industry experience spans nationally recognized brands in car wash, retail, and commercial real estate. Currently Executive Vice President at Kidder Mathews, the largest fully independent commercial real estate firm in the Western US — 510+ brokers averaging $9 billion in transactions annually. Active California Real Estate Broker, license #01363256.

Sell-side M&A Buy-side advisory Operator background National acquisitions QSR Real estate

Practice Areas

Two disciplines, one advisor

JMB operates across two distinct but complementary practice areas — business advisory for owners considering a sale, and real estate strategy for owners of commercial assets.

Practice Area I — Sell-Side Business Advisory

Value analysis & positioning

An honest, operator-grounded value estimate of what your business is worth and how to frame it for the strongest possible offers from the right buyers.

Buyer identification & outreach

Strategic, confidential outreach to qualified strategic and financial buyers — targeted by fit, not blasted to a database. We protect your identity until the right moment.

III

Deal structuring & negotiation

We negotiate every dimension of the deal on your behalf — purchase price, structure, earnouts, representations and warranties, and transition terms.

Due diligence management

Guiding you through buyer due diligence with discipline and preparation — so nothing falls apart at the finish line after months of work.

Practice Area II — Real Estate & Asset Strategy

Ground lease structuring & execution

For business owners who own their land — we structure long-term NNN ground leases that convert a static asset into significant, lasting passive income. One of the most underutilized wealth-creation tools available to business owners.

Sale-leaseback advisory

Helping owners unlock the capital tied up in their real estate while retaining operational control — structuring transactions that serve both the business and the long-term asset strategy.

VII

Distressed asset management & repositioning

Strategic advisory for owners of large, underperforming commercial assets in strong markets — particularly the SF Bay Area. We identify highest and best use, develop repositioning strategies, and manage the transformation process from concept to execution.

VIII

Tenant & buyer representation

Site selection and acquisition advisory for national retailers, retail developers, and investors — representing the buy side and tenant side of the transaction with the same rigor we bring to sell-side engagements.

Buy-side M&A advisory

Representing acquirers in the $5M–$50M market — identifying acquisition targets, evaluating fit, structuring offers, and negotiating on behalf of buyers who want an experienced operator's eye on both the business and the real estate underneath it.

Process

How we work together

Every engagement starts with a confidential conversation. No obligation, no pitch. From there, a straightforward five-stage process.

01 — Diagnostic

Understand your business

Two to four weeks of deep listening — your financials, your team, your goals, and your timeline. We don't recommend anything until we understand what you've built.

02 — Value Estimate

Establish what it's worth

Before any sale process begins, we must agree on value. We conduct a professional value estimate using comparable transactions for your industry sector, geographic market factors, and premiums or discounts based on established valuation metrics. This is the foundation everything else is built on.

03 — Prognosis

Assess the opportunity

An honest assessment of deal structure options, likely buyer profiles, and what a realistic transaction looks like — including the things most advisors won't tell you.

04 — Prescription

Build the roadmap

A specific, time-bound plan with clear milestones — go-to-market strategy, target buyer list, deal structure recommendation, and a realistic timeline to close.

05 — Execution

Run the process

We manage everything — confidential outreach, NDAs, management presentations, LOIs, due diligence, and closing. You focus on your business. We focus on your deal.

Selected Clients

A track record across industries

Over 25 years, JMB has advised and consulted across financial services, consumer brands, technology, agriculture, and industrial sectors. Selected transaction clients include business owners who not only received strong exits, but walked away with long-term NNN ground leases — turning a one-time sale into lasting passive income.

cannondale Bicycles

HermanMiller Furniture

Knoll Furniture

intero Real Estate Services

WINTERSTICK Snowboards · Est. 1972

milosport Skate · Snow · Surf

Outdoor Apparel

Barnes-Hind Vision Care

Quick Quack Express Car Wash · Don’t Drive Dirty

LUV Express Car Wash

TACO BELL QSR · Franchise Real Estate

UNITED PACIFIC Fuel & Convenience

American Seating Furniture · Est. 1886

alphagraphics. Print & Marketing

Fidelity Capital A Fidelity Investments Company

tumericALIVE Elixir of Life · Beverages

PICKLED PLANET Raw Organic Fermented Foods · Est. 2002

∟ ALTRACO Precision Measurement Tools

🌿 Grower's Secret Organic Soil Amendments

⚲ SILVER BACK Data Migration

⚡ FutureXpress Express Car Wash

★ American Canyon Car Wash

💧 La Cienega Car Wash

⚖ KINGSBARN Real Estate Capital

🌿 Good Earth Natural Foods Market

🏠 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties Commercial Real Estate

Select engagements listed. Additional client references available upon request under NDA.

Let's have a real conversation

Whether you're actively exploring a sale, just starting to think about it, or simply want an honest value estimate of what your business is worth — a confidential conversation costs nothing and obligates you to nothing.

📞415.444.6267

✉️john@jmbadvisors.com

📍San Francisco Bay Area, CA

You built something real.Let's make sure the exit reflects that.