WeCare Practice Advisors Research
Advisory Approach
WeCare Practice Advisors is a specialized dental and healthcare real estate advisory firm, not a traditional M&A investment bank. Founded in 2018 by Justin "J.J." Ditkofsky, the firm focuses on commercial real estate consulting, lease negotiations, and practice transitions for healthcare providers. Their thesis is that the office lease is one of the most critical documents affecting a healthcare practice's financial health, long-term stability, and future sale value. Unlike traditional M&A advisors who run competitive sale processes, WeCare's primary value proposition is helping dentists, physicians, optometrists, and veterinarians navigate commercial real estate decisions—from startup leases to practice acquisitions and transitions.
The firm operates as a tenant representation specialist, advising healthcare providers on lease negotiations, office relocations, practice startups, and real estate portfolio management. While they do facilitate practice transitions and acquisitions (which is adjacent to traditional M&A), their core business is real estate advisory rather than investment banking. They are an exclusive partner of Henry Schein, a leading dental healthcare products distributor, which speaks to their credibility and integration within the dental industry ecosystem.
Sector Focus
WeCare serves the dental and healthcare sectors with specialized real estate and advisory services. Their primary focus is dental practices across all specialties: general dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, and periodontics. They also work with medical clinics, optometry practices, and veterinary clinics. Their services are particularly valuable to solo practitioners and small group practices navigating the complexities of commercial real estate leases, where unfavorable terms can significantly impact practice valuation and profitability.
Within healthcare real estate, WeCare has developed particular expertise in identifying and negotiating against problematic lease clauses that can harm practice owners—such as assignment restrictions that impede practice sales, landlord profit-sharing provisions, and inadequate tenant improvement allowances. They also provide site selection and demographic analysis for startups, ensuring new practices are positioned in locations with optimal patient access and growth potential.
Deal Track Record
WeCare does not publish traditional M&A deal tombstones or press releases, as their work primarily consists of confidential lease negotiations and practice transitions rather than public competitive sale processes. However, the firm reports aggregate statistics: 15,000+ leases analyzed and reviewed, 3,500+ favorable lease terms negotiated, and 1,700+ successful startup practices supported. These figures reflect the high-volume, transactional nature of their real estate advisory practice.
Recent client work visible through public channels includes: Dr. Sidak Singh (Columbus Park Dental, Upper West Side NYC), Dr. Kosta Abate (Myconian-inspired Dental Spa in Toronto's Annex neighborhood), Dr. Alan Zhou (Level Orthodontics, Brooklyn NY), and Dr. Foroud Hakim (San Ramon Dental Excellence, San Ramon CA). These engagements typically involved multi-year lease negotiations with 15+ year terms, substantial tenant improvement allowances, and assignment provisions designed to preserve practice saleability.
Process & Fee Structure
WeCare's engagement model differs significantly from traditional M&A advisory. For lease negotiations, they typically offer complimentary initial lease reviews to identify red flags, then engage on a success-fee or retainer basis for full representation. Their process includes: comprehensive lease audit and risk assessment, market analysis and comparable lease terms, negotiation strategy development, landlord engagement, and final agreement review. The firm emphasizes that their representation is at no cost to the tenant in many lease renewal scenarios, as compensation is often paid by the landlord through standard tenant representation commissions in commercial real estate.
For practice transitions and acquisitions, WeCare provides practice valuation, buyer/seller matching, deal structuring, and transition planning services. Fee structures for these engagements are not explicitly disclosed but likely follow industry-standard success fee models common in dental practice brokerage (typically 5-10% of practice value depending on transaction size and complexity). Their approach to transitions emphasizes maintaining patient continuity, staff retention, and practice culture—critical considerations in healthcare business sales.
Buyer Network
Unlike traditional M&A advisors who maintain relationships with hundreds of private equity firms, WeCare's buyer network consists primarily of individual practitioners, dental support organizations (DSOs), and small healthcare practice groups. They are well-connected within the dental industry through their Henry Schein partnership and active participation in dental conferences (Thrive Live, Ontario Dental Association meetings). For real estate transactions, they work with landlords, developers, and healthcare-specific property owners. For practice sales, they connect sellers with local practitioners seeking acquisitions, often leveraging their extensive network of dentists they've advised on startup and real estate matters.
Competitive Positioning
WeCare differentiates from traditional M&A advisors through deep specialization in healthcare real estate rather than generalist investment banking. They compete not with bulge bracket banks or lower middle market M&A firms, but rather with commercial real estate brokers and generalist tenant representatives who lack healthcare industry expertise. Their competitive advantages include: exclusive Henry Schein partnership providing access to the dental ecosystem, 40+ years of collective team experience in healthcare real estate, deep understanding of dental practice operations and valuation drivers, and a track record of helping over 1,700 startups successfully launch.
The firm's thought leadership presence is strong—founder J.J. Ditkofsky is a frequent speaker at dental conferences, host of webinars on practice startup and real estate strategy, and guest on dental industry podcasts including the Dental Hacks Podcast and Medical Morons. They host live events for dentists including "The Plan, The Project, The Practice" startup workshops and "Dentistry Uncorked" networking events. This visibility and educational focus builds trust and positions them as the go-to resource for dental real estate guidance.
Not a Fit If
WeCare is not a fit for business owners seeking traditional M&A advisory services outside the healthcare/dental space. They do not run competitive sale processes for manufacturing, technology, or other non-healthcare businesses. They are also not a fit for healthcare providers looking for institutional private equity exits or public company M&A—their focus is on practice transitions to individual practitioners and small DSOs, not large-scale corporate divestitures. For dentists seeking purely clinical consulting (operations, marketing, staffing) rather than real estate guidance, other specialized dental consultants would be more appropriate.
Team
WeCare's leadership team brings complementary expertise in real estate, law, finance, and healthcare industry operations. Founder & CEO Justin "J.J." Ditkofsky has over a decade of experience spanning real estate private equity, development, venture capital, and commercial real estate. He founded WeCare in 2018 and has grown it to become one of North America's largest dental-specialized real estate advisory firms. Vice President Jas Banga graduated from Queen's University (Economics) in 2010, served as Global Vice President for a dental product supplier, and brings marketing and sales expertise along with a background as a senior advisor at a healthcare commercial real estate consultancy. He is a recognized speaker at dental seminars across North America.
Vice President – Leasing & Corporate Counsel Ryan Eichler brings extensive real estate and commercial law experience, having negotiated hundreds of leases nationwide. Vice President – Real Estate Asset Management Kaz Jaffer leads the asset management practice with over 20 years of finance experience; he is a CPA with an Executive MBA from Ivey Business School and has held senior roles at Forum Asset Management, Cushman & Wakefield, Venterra Realty, and Brookfield. Operations Manager Dudley Julien oversees daily operations and social media, bringing expertise from NYCHA and a decade in management and marketing. The firm is small (2-10 employees per LinkedIn) but leverages partnerships with Henry Schein, Provide (dental financing), Catapult Education, and other industry players to deliver comprehensive services.
Geographic Coverage
WeCare is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario (159 Avenue Rd. Toronto, ON M5R 2H7) but operates across both Canada and the United States. Their client work spans major North American metro areas including New York City (Brooklyn, Manhattan Upper West Side), Toronto (downtown, Annex neighborhood), San Francisco Bay Area (San Ramon), Scottsdale/Phoenix Arizona, and other markets with active dental practice communities. They serve clients in both urban and suburban markets, with particular depth in competitive real estate markets like NYC where lease terms significantly impact practice economics. The firm's borderless capabilities reflect the reality that dental practice economics and real estate principles are consistent across Canada and the US.