the terms and conditions on your lease paperwork will tell you what needs to be done to sell the car, but basically yes, you have to buy it first, once you have the title you can do whatever you want with it. Hopefully your buyer is patient, cause the process can be drawn out. Call your leasing company for a payoff quote. You might also consider transferring your lease to the buyer (they would have to qualify), in addition to some cash. That can save some steps. The buyer would pay you some cash, then takeover the remainder of your lease. You can do that through a third party, like "Swap A Lease" or "Lease Quit".
2 people found this helpful.