HINGE Early Education Advisors Shares Top Tips for Childcare Owners Considering Selling Their Business and Real Estate

The nation's leading childcare transaction advisor outlines five key guidelines for early childhood education owners as demand from buyers and investors remains high

GREENVILLE, S.C., April 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Selling a childcare business is a big decision that requires a well-informed, thoughtful strategy to ensure it's the right move for everyone involved. HINGE Early Education Advisors, the nation's leading expert in growing and selling childcare businesses and real estate, shares key insights for owners who are considering exiting their centers.

"With strong buyer demand and changing market conditions, now is a smart time for many childcare owners to evaluate their options," says Kathy Ligon, Founder & CEO of HINGE Early Education Advisors. "Whether you're looking to retire, pivot to your next chapter, or take your school to the next level, it's important to know how to realize the full potential of your organization."

Top 5 Tips for Selling Your Childcare Business and Real Estate
If you're looking for direction on how to sell a childcare, early education, or daycare business, start with these steps:

1. Know What Your Business Is Worth
   If you're thinking about putting your childcare business or real estate on the market, considering an offer from a group that has approached you about buying your center, or bringing on an investment partner to fuel your growth, you need to know the true value of your business. An industry- and market-specific childcare valuation provides a clear understanding of what your business and real estate is worth and helps set realistic expectations.
   
   
2. Understand Your Real Estate's Role
   If you own both a business and its real estate, your options for maximizing your investment increase. The business and real estate should be valued separately, understanding the interplay between the two. With a holistic view of your assets, you can evaluate the benefits of selling your properties or leasing them to a business buyer.
   
   
3. Explore Your Options
   While it may be tempting to jump at a single offer directly from an industry buyer or large early education group, running a competitive process offers two primary benefits. First, considering offers from multiple buyers allows you to choose the best fit for your business. Ensuring your successor shares your vision and values provides peace of mind, knowing that your students, families, and team are in good hands. Second, healthy competition among buyers can help you maximize the value of the business you've worked so hard to build.
   
   "At HINGE Advisors, our competitive process helps childcare sellers receive 21% more value on average compared to considering a single buyer," adds Ligon.
   
   
4. Prioritize Confidentiality 
   When preparing for a transition, confidentiality is key. Allowing the word to spread about a potential sale can disrupt your school's operations in a major way and ultimately impact the quality of care for the children. To keep your school running smoothly until you're ready to make an announcement and support families and staff through the transition, make confidentiality a priority with an advisor who has direct access to buyers without publicly marketing and proven strategies for including stakeholders in the process in a positive and controlled manner.
   
   
5. Choose the Right Advisory Team
   Selling a childcare business and real estate is complex. From accurate valuations to confidential marketing to qualified buyers, negotiations, financial processes, legal agreements, due diligence, and more, a seasoned childcare advisory team can help you streamline the process and advocate on your behalf. Selling your school is more than a transaction — it's a transfer of the legacy you've built. A partner with extensive early education experience, a well-rounded team of experts, and a seller-friendly model that does not require upfront fees or long-term fee tails provides the most comprehensive value.

For more tips, download HINGE Advisors' free Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Early Education Business or visit hingeadvisors.com.

About HINGE Early Education Advisors
HINGE Early Education Advisors is the nation's leading expert in growing and selling childcare businesses. The HINGE team — comprised of former childcare business owners, financial experts, and commercial and real estate brokers — has more than 300 years of combined industry experience and proudly maintains strong relationships with more than 600 active early education business buyers and investors. Following a proven process, HINGE has closed more school transactions than any advisor in the nation, helping childcare owners gain maximum value for their businesses and real estate. Learn more at hingeadvisors.com.

SOURCE HINGE Advisors