Childcare Business & Real Estate Sold by Serafin Real Estate in Northern Virginia

Confidential Early Education Center Project Overview:

• Property Type: Montessori School Business and Real Estate
• Sale Price: $2,950,000
• Building Size: 4,970 SF
• Sold Price per SF:  $593.56
• Year Built: 2016
• Location: Loudoun County, Northern Virginia
• Key Challenge: Size and price point limited interest from national childcare brands; many prospects were startups lacking financial capability.

The Challenge and Serafin Real Estate’s Unique Marketing Strategy

This sale required a highly customized approach due to its unique challenges and confidentiality requirements. Key factors that defined the transaction include:

• The property’s smaller footprint made it less appealing to large national childcare brands.
• Most inquiries came from start-ups or home-based providers who lacked the financial capacity or experience to complete the deal.
• Confidentiality limited traditional marketing avenues such as LoopNet, MLS, and mass email campaigns.
• Serafin Real Estate activated a proprietary database of 3,000+ childcare operators nationwide, focusing on those with operational experience.
• Targeted phone outreach and discreet mailers were used to attract serious, local prospects.
• Exposure on confidential listing platforms helped reach buyers without jeopardizing the school’s ongoing operations.
  The buyer was a local operator with prior childcare experience who saw the site as the ideal launchpad for their first commercial center.

The Ideal Buyer Emerges

After years of targeted marketing, several contracts that fell through, and countless tours, Serafin Real Estate found the right fit: a financially capable local operator with prior experience in early education. For them, this was the ideal “first” commercial childcare property—a space that didn’t require renovation, was in an affluent, family-dense community, and provided the perfect stepping stone for growth.

Thanks to Serafin Real Estate’s steady leadership, the transaction was handled smoothly and professionally, benefiting both buyer and seller.

Northern Virginia Early Education Market: Limited Inventory, Strong Demand, High-Value Deals

The early education and childcare real estate market in Northern Virginia remains a highly specialized and competitive niche within commercial real estate. With a total of 999 licensed commercial early education centers across Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William Counties, opportunities to buy or sell are limited and highly sought after. On average, only 2.17% of these centers transact per year, based on historical data dating back to 2000. This figure includes a wide range of deals—NNN lease investment sales, vacant owner-user buildings, and combined business and real estate transactions like the one recently completed by Serafin Real Estate.

Market Highlights:

• Scarcity of Inventory: Fewer than 25 early education centers trade hands annually across the entire Northern Virginia region.
• High Barriers to Entry: Purpose-built facilities with licensing, zoning, and infrastructure already in place are difficult and expensive to replicate.
• Reliable Cash Flow: These centers often operate with long-term stability and are seen as safe assets for investors and operators.
• Strong Demographics: Median household incomes exceed $180,000 in top submarkets, fueling consistent demand for quality childcare options.

Your Northern Virginia Experts in Selling Preschools, Montessori Schools & Childcare Centers

Serafin Real Estate has quietly become the top brokerage in Virginia for early education centers. With nearly two decades of experience, Joe Serafin and his team know how to market, position, and sell early education businesses with or without real estate attached.

Whether you’re planning an exit from a private preschool business or looking to buy your first daycare center, Serafin Real Estate brings unmatched market knowledge, financial acumen, and strategic relationships.