Most owners sell a center once. We sell them every year. Virginia’s #1 childcare brokerage by volume, serving Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties.
of reported childcare and school sales since 2019
more childcare and school sales than the next-closest firm
closed since 2019
Best of Loudoun Winner,
2022 to 2026
Serafin Real Estate, based in Leesburg, has represented the seller in 43% of childcare and school sales in Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties since 2019 where CoStar reports a listing broker. That is six times as many as the next-closest firm. Led by Principal Broker Joe Serafin, SRE has sold Goddard, Guidepost Montessori and independent centers, including a $15.3M Montessori portfolio and the $17M Arcola Elementary campus, and handles many operating-center sales confidentially to protect enrollment and staff.
Pricing a center like ordinary commercial space leaves money on the table. Buyers pay for four things a generalist broker doesn’t price.
A site that operated as a licensed center is far easier for the next operator to get approved.
Age-specific classrooms, child-sized restrooms, secured entries and fenced play areas are expensive to replicate.
Only about 28% of the 709 licensed centers in our three counties sit in a freestanding building, and roughly 2% change hands in a typical year.
Expanding operators, national brands and 1031 investors buy these assets. They don’t find them on a sign in the window.
There are three ways to sell a childcare center. The right one depends on your goals, your lease and your buyer pool.
Best for: owner-operators ready to retire or exit. One clean exit. We market to expanding operators who want to open and enroll on day one.
Best for: owners with a strong operator on a long-term lease, or one ready to sign. Leased investments average more per square foot than owner-user sales, and 1031 investors compete for them.
Best for: owners who want the highest total price. Sell the school to an operator and the leased building to an investor. At 46386 Logan Way in Sterling, this earned our client about $300,000 more than a combined sale.
Every option can be run confidentially, under NDA, with no public listing.
We track every childcare sale and lease CoStar records in Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties, plus our own closings. Here are today’s benchmarks.
| Metric | Current figure |
|---|---|
| Average sale price, 2024 to 2026 | $475 per SF |
| Average NNN cap rate, 2024 to 2026 | 6.96% |
| Average rent on leases signed since 2023 | $36.00 per SF, usually NNN |
| Licensed centers: Loudoun / Fairfax / Prince William | 121 / 417 / 171 |
| Share of centers that trade in a typical year | About 2% |
Source: CoStar sale and lease comps and SRE research, Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties. Data through September 30, 2026.
Your number depends on licensed capacity, lease terms, location and condition.
Many of our childcare sales close quietly and never appear online. Here are a few we can share.
$17M sale of a 14.63-acre school campus
$15.3M NNN portfolio at a 6.64% cap rate
$4.7M all-cash school sale
$4.34M NNN sale at a 7.02% cap rate
Split sale, about $300,000 more
Confidential sale of school and building
Off-market sale in 71 days
$3.66M NNN sale at a 7.14% cap rate
“This brokerage is refreshingly unique, in that they approach transactions as invested partners, rather than a disinterested intermediary only concerned with maximizing their fee.”
Mustaq H., Praxis Capital
Repeat childcare investor
Since 2019, 78% of recorded childcare buyers in our market were private individuals and families, including 1031 investors and operators. Investment sales made up 63% of transactions, and 2025 brought the region’s first private-equity childcare portfolio trade.
of buyers are private individuals and families
of childcare sales are investment sales
121 licensed centers
Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling, South Riding, Aldie, Purcellville, Brambleton
417 licensed centers
Chantilly, Herndon, Reston, Fairfax, Centreville, Clifton, Great Falls, McLean
171 licensed centers
Woodbridge, Manassas, Gainesville, Bristow, Haymarket, Lake Ridge
Beyond the 3 Counties
Arlington, Alexandria, Clarke County and Winchester
ABOUT THE BROKER
Owner and Principal Broker, Serafin Real Estate
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Joe has closed more than $1.3 billion in commercial real estate since 2005. He founded Serafin Real Estate in 2019 around this geography and a few specialties, led by childcare and education. Joe serves on the MAREMA board and writes SRE’s quarterly Commercial Real Estate Report and the annual Early Education & Childcare Report.
Northern Virginia childcare centers sold for an average of $475 per square foot from 2024 to 2026. Your value depends on licensed capacity, lease terms, location and condition. Leased investments usually sell for more per square foot than vacant or owner-occupied buildings. We provide a free, confidential valuation.
Recent NNN childcare sales traded between 6.75% and 7.14%, and the 2024 to 2026 average was 6.96%. National brands on long leases sell at the lower end; independents with shorter terms sell higher.
It depends on your goals and tax position. Selling both together is the simplest exit. Selling the school to an operator and the leased building to an investor can produce a higher total price, as it did at 46386 Logan Way, where a split sale earned about $300,000 more.
Yes. We market operating centers confidentially, directly to qualified operators and investors under NDA, with no public listing. Many of our childcare sales are never advertised.
Most close 90 to 180 days from launch. Timing depends on the buyer’s financing, any zoning questions, and the new operator’s licensing.
The license belongs to the operator, not the building, so a new operator applies for its own license through the Virginia Department of Education. A building with a history of licensed operation makes that approval much easier, which is a big part of its value.
Our focus is Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William Counties, plus Arlington, Alexandria, Clarke County and Winchester. For childcare and school properties elsewhere in Virginia, call us to discuss.
Yes. We represent landlords leasing childcare buildings and recently leased 248 Loudoun Street in Leesburg at $40.00 per SF NNN in 51 days. Childcare leases signed since 2023 averaged $36.00 per SF.
Start with a confidential conversation. We’ll tell you what your center is worth today, which sale structure fits your goals, and whether now is the right time. No obligation, and nobody else finds out.
Or email brokers@serafinre.com
