Testimonials

“My wife and I have worked with Mr. Olufs for over 3 years now and cannot speak highly enough about our experiences. Mr. Olufs has successfully assisted us in a multitude of endeavors including but not limited to navigating the bureaucracy of our local municipality, purchasing real estate and hospitality businesses, negotiating real estate leases, and to working with our local liquor license agency. Mr. Olufs has maintained his friendly yet professional demeanor throughout our collaborations, and would recommend him to anyone in need of a lawyer, liquor license broker, commercial real estate expert, and/or hospitality business expert.” – Brandon Ristaino, Good Lion Cocktails
“I have worked with Matt for a number of years now and continue to be amazed by his ability to make the most difficult transactions appear easy. He works very well with bankers and the finance teams, but his ability to negotiate with difficult landlords on business transfers makes selecting Matt from a buyer or seller perspective a sound business choice.” – Patrick H, Accountant
“I have been using Matt with multiple business scenarios of mine for almost a year now. He is a consummate professional and goes above and beyond his fiduciary duties to me as his client. I would highly recommend his brokerage and legal services for any of your business needs whether big or small. He is the broker and lawyer who becomes part of your family to protect and nourish all of your business endeavors.” – Wayne Rich, Business Owner / Investor
“I have purchased two businesses from Compass First in the last three years and have had a great experience both times. The office is extremely professional and very patient with beginning business owners. Matt helped me immensely with my diligence and loan process. I probably wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the purchases without him.” – Kourtney Wright, Owner, Bar 29
“I first worked with Matt Olufs while acquiring Milk & Honey. I wanted this location, but ran into a number of roadblocks, including the lease transfer from the Seller, and the upgrade to a new ABC license. Matt was calm and professional through the entire process. He negotiated a below market rent for the space, and then moved a new liquor license into the downtown area for me, with full approval from the local PD. Milk & Honey would not have happened without him, and I will continue my working relationship with Compass for many years to come.” – Alvaro Rojas, Red Star Restaurants
“Matt Olufs has been with me through a number of transactions, from the sale of a business and the purchase of my first nightclub, to the transfer of several ABC Licenses, Lease Negotiations, and Dance Permit Hearings. Through all of these dealings, Compass First has shown themselves to be educated in today’s marketplace and diligent in completing each process, with my interests always at heart.” – Mark Lawrence, Tonic Nightclub, Blush Restaurant & Lounge
“We were thinking about putting our building on the market, and reached out to Compass First for some guidance. Matt Olufs put together a comprehensive valuation of our property, mapping out a realistic range of what we could expect to see in offers. Like the other transactions he helped us complete (ABC Transfers, Lease Negotiations, Business Sales) he came to the table well informed and offered us valuable industry information, ultimately leading us to a better decision.” – Lisa Lee, China Pavilion, Honhai, Inc.
“We found a business that would support our family, and hired Compass First to complete the transaction. During the due diligence process, I was amazed at the amount of time and effort the Compass team put into a full financial audit of the business books, as well as the proposed lease terms. After finding numerous discrepancies, I was thankful this was not something that we had moved forward with, and Matt Olufs proved that he is here to help us find a business that will work for us, now and for the future.” – Greg Andreoli, formerly Boars Head, Inc.
“Matt has been helping me buy and sell businesses in the Santa Barbara area for close to 10 years now. He has represented me in purchasing 3 businesses and selling 3 businesses. Matt goes above and beyond as a broker. I had trouble with the city regarding one of my businesses and Matt came to my rescue and went to several meetings, speaking on my behalf, and helped me navigate through the bureaucracy. When it came time to sell that business, Matt worked with a buyer to get approved for an SBA loan to get the deal done. I am telling you its way ‘above and beyond’ the service he offers his clients. Since I have known Matt he has accomplished receiving his law degree at night while running his successful and busy brokerage. We would not want to be represented by anyone other than Matt. It you read this Matt, I truly can not THANK YOU enough.” – Bill Clayton, Pour House, Inc.
“If you are in need of a commercial real estate agent, Matt is your guy! He has great knowledege and understanding of the market place. He has brokered numerous deals and leases for me over the years and has always gotten the Job done!” – Phillip Wright, Sportsman Lounge, LLC
“Impressed by the intense work ethic and personal attention. I thank Matt for sticking with us through a not-so-easy transaction. We had a challenging landlord and a former partner making trouble. Matt stayed calm and cleaned up any issues one at a time. Even calmed me down once or twice. The new business owners are happy and we are moving out of state. Highly recommend this company for anyone starting a new life!” – Roy C, Business Owner / Investor