Sell Your Gym or Fitness Business in Melbourne and Victoria

By Michael White, Director and licensed estate agent · Updated November 2026

A gym or studio is sold on its members. A buyer is paying for the people who turn up and pay each week, the lease that keeps the doors open and the equipment on the floor. Since 2017, Vic Brokers has sold 24/7 gyms, class-based studios, fitness franchises including F45 studios, Pilates and wellness studios, sports centres and play centres across Melbourne and regional Victoria. This page explains what buyers check, what moves the price and what to get ready before you sell.

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Who buys gyms and studios

Buyers include trainers and instructors who want their own business, existing owners adding another site, franchisees buying a second studio in the same network, and investors who plan to put a manager in. What they can pay depends on how much of the business runs without the owner.

What buyers check

• Member numbers and trend. Active paying members today, and whether the number has been rising, steady or falling over the last one to two years.
• Retention. How long members stay, how many cancel each month and how many are on hold or suspended.
• Direct debit income. Weekly or fortnightly income from the billing system, matched against the bank statements and the profit and loss.
• The lease. Years remaining, options, rent and increases. Gyms need large floor space, parking and the right planning permit, so moving is expensive and buyers want security.
• Equipment. Age and condition, what's owned and what's leased or financed, and what will need replacing soon.
• Staff and instructors. Who runs classes and personal training, whether they're employees or contractors, and whether they're likely to stay.
• Competition. New gyms or studios that have opened nearby, and how the business held its members when they did.

What affects the price

Gyms and studios are usually priced on adjusted net profit: the profit a working owner would earn, with one-off and personal costs added back. Where a business sits in its range depends on:

• Membership quality. Long-standing members on regular direct debit are worth more than short intro offers, challenge sign-ups and casual visits.
• Owner reliance. If the owner takes most of the classes or personal training sessions, a buyer has to do that work or pay someone to. A studio with a team of instructors is easier to sell.
• Lease security. A long lease at a fair rent supports the price. A short lease with no options can stop a sale.
• Equipment. Equipment that's owned and in good condition adds to what a buyer will pay. Equipment under lease or finance has to be paid out or taken over by the buyer.
• Prepaid memberships. Upfront memberships, class packs and personal training sessions that members have paid for but not yet used are a cost to the new owner, so they're normally adjusted at settlement.
• Franchise terms. For franchised studios, royalties, the time left on the franchise agreement and any refit that's due.

To see what gyms and studios are asking right now, read What Victorian businesses are asking. For how adjusted net profit works, see how business valuations work in Victoria.

Selling a fitness franchise

F45, Pilates and 24/7 gym franchises are sold much like any other gym, with one extra step: the franchisor has to approve the buyer, and usually trains them before they take over. The time left on your franchise agreement and any refit or rebrand that's due will affect the price. Our guide to selling a franchise business explains how approval works under the Franchising Code.

Before you go to market

• Clean up the member list. Remove cancelled and long-suspended members so the numbers a buyer sees match the money coming in.
• Pull your billing reports. Monthly direct debit income, new joins and cancellations for the last two years.
• Check the lease. Know how many years and options are left. If the term is short, talk to the landlord before you list.
• List the equipment. What's owned, what's leased or financed, and the service records.
• Tidy staff and contractor agreements. Signed, current agreements for instructors and trainers.
• Reduce reliance on you. Hand some of your classes and client relationships to your team where you can.

If you're planning to sell in the next year, our 12-month preparation plan sets out what to do and when.

How we keep the sale confidential

Members and staff hearing too early can cost you memberships. We advertise without naming your gym, screen buyers before they see any details, and require a signed confidentiality agreement before releasing figures or your location. Inspections can be arranged outside class times.

Frequently asked questions

How is a gym or fitness studio valued?

Usually on adjusted net profit, with one-off and personal costs added back. Member numbers and retention, how much the business relies on the owner, the lease and the condition of the equipment move the price within its range.

What happens to memberships when a gym is sold?

Members normally carry on with the new owner, and the contract of sale sets out how membership agreements and direct debits move across. Memberships and sessions that were paid for upfront but not yet used are usually adjusted in the price at settlement.

Can you sell a fitness franchise such as F45?

Yes. We've sold F45 studios and other gyms. Franchised studios need the franchisor to approve the buyer, and the time left on the franchise agreement affects the price.

Do I have to tell members or staff before the sale?

Not while we're finding a buyer. The sale stays confidential until a buyer is committed, and then we plan with you when staff and members are told.

Can I sell a gym where I do most of the training myself?

Yes, but buyers will allow for the cost of replacing your work. Handing classes and clients to other instructors before you sell, or agreeing to stay on for a handover period, helps the price.

How long does it take to sell a gym?

Most businesses receive an acceptable offer within 2 to 6 months. Lease transfer, and franchisor approval for franchised studios, can add time before settlement, so we plan the timeline with you from the start.

Thinking of selling?

Start with a free, confidential appraisal. You'll get a realistic price range and a clear picture of what's helping or holding back your business's value.

Call (03) 9918 6739 or request your free appraisal. You can also read about selling your business with Vic Brokers.