Sell Your Childcare Centre with Confidence.
Selling a childcare centre isn’t just a transaction. It’s a big decision. After years of building your service, you deserve the best possible return, handled with care and professionalism.
At Mollard Advisory, We Specialise Exclusively in Childcare Sales, Giving You a Clear Advantage:
Whether you’re ready to sell now or simply exploring your options, our process is designed to protect your confidentiality and maximise your result.
Request a free appraisal. No obligation. Only pay on successful settlement.
Desktop Appraisal
Get a clear, accurate understanding of your childcare centre’s value without the hassle. Our Desktop Appraisal uses the latest market data and industry benchmarks to provide a detailed report tailored to your service. It’s quick, confidential, and completely obligation free.
Our Process
Business Appraisal
We begin by reviewing your financial performance, occupancy trends, location, local demand, lease terms, and the physical condition of the centre. This provides a strong indication of the likely market value in current conditions.
Business Sale Readiness
If you’re looking to exit in 12–24 months, we can assess areas where the business could be improved to enhance its eventual sale value. You may engage us or an external consultant to implement targeted improvements that boost performance and appeal.
Preparing to List
If you're ready to sell, we will formalise our engagement through an agency agreement, similar to a property listing agreement. From there, we collect all the necessary information to present the business credibly and comprehensively to qualified buyers.
Sales Strategy & Buyer Confidentiality
We’ll choose the best marketing approach, on or off market, with confidentiality as our top priority. Your centre’s identity is shared only with pre-qualified buyers under NDA, and you’ll be notified of every enquiry before any details are released.
Buyer Engagement & Offers
We’ll run a structured campaign and engage in detailed discussions with interested parties. Serious buyers will be invited for inspections. If the campaign is strong, we typically receive offers within four weeks, depending on location and overall appeal.
Contract Stage
Once headline terms are agreed, contracts begin. National groups may use their own templates, but usually your solicitor drafts the agreement. Engage a childcare lawyer for industry clauses. We can recommend experts. Negotiations often take two weeks or more.
Conditional Period
Most contracts include a due diligence period, typically 15–30 days. This allows the buyer to complete financial, regulatory, and lease-related investigations. There may also be a finance clause, depending on the buyer's structure.
Transfer of Service
We recommend initiating the service transfer process with the Department immediately upon signing the contract. This process takes 60 days. In the best-case scenario, settlement can occur on the Friday following the end of this 60-day period.
Notification of Sale
We recommend staff be informed about 10 business days before settlement (minimum 7 days per Department rules). This limits uncertainty and smooths the transition. On notification day, buyer and seller meet staff and start onboarding with new employment contracts.
Post-Sale Transition
While post-settlement handover periods are less common (especially when a director is in place), some contracts may include limited transitional support. Any such terms will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Our Results Speak for Themselves
Million
in childcare transactions
in the last 12 months
Providers
approved providers in our active buyer network
EDITDA
highest multiple achieved on a leasehold centre
Sold
licensed places sold in the last 6 months
Higher Offers
compared to prior brokers on challenging listings
Reach
offices in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne
Days
average time to sale from listing to contact
Confidential
every buyer signs an NDA before accessing details
Recent Sales
Brisbane, QLD
Brisbane, QLD
This small, owner-operated childcare centre, traditionally run with the owner actively involved as director, attracted five competitive offers and achieved a strong sale price despite the owner’s significant day-to-day involvement.
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South Gold Coast, QLD
South Gold Coast, QLD
This boutique Montessori childcare service in the Gold Coast Hinterland attracted several offers despite the owner’s active director role and ultimately sold to a first-time operator at a strong price, underscoring the strong demand for niche education models in regional areas.
Townsville, QLD
Townsville, QLD
This established childcare centre, in original condition and located in a lower socio-economic area, had been listed with two national brokers for more than two years without success. We secured a qualified buyer and completed the sale within six months, demonstrating our ability to deliver results where others could not.
Northern Rivers, NSW
Northern Rivers, NSW
This character filled childcare centre with recent refurbishments had previously been listed with a high-profile broker without traction. After we relaunched the campaign, it went under offer within five days and achieved a strong sale price with favourable lease terms, enabling the owner to successfully retain the freehold.
Far North Queensland, QLD
Far North Queensland, QLD
This established regional childcare centre, supported by a strong management team and experienced staff, attracted multiple offers during the campaign. Although the sale took longer due to location challenges, we successfully secured a strong outcome for the owner.
Moreton Bay, QLD
Moreton Bay, QLD
As part of a larger childcare group divestment, we were engaged to manage the sale of the more complex centres within the portfolio. This particular service was successfully sold to a highly respected operator on very favourable terms, ensuring a strong strategic outcome for the client.
Ipswich, QLD
Ipswich, QLD
This uniquely positioned childcare service in an industrial precinct had recently been renovated but faced low occupancy and staffing challenges due to its location. Despite these conditions, we achieved a solid result for the owner, demonstrating our ability to deliver strong outcomes even in more difficult market environments.
Northern Rivers, NSW
Northern Rivers, NSW
This character filled childcare centre with recent upgrades had attracted no offers under a major brokerage. After we relaunched the campaign, it went under offer within five days and achieved a strong sale price with secure lease terms, providing the owner with both financial certainty and long-term security.
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Greater Western Sydney, NSW
Greater Western Sydney, NSW
This recently acquired childcare service required the vendor to exit within six months. Previously listed with a large Sydney brokerage without success, it was sold within just two weeks of our appointment at a record price for a non-profitable service in the area.
Logan, QLD
Logan, QLD
This older childcare service requiring cosmetic upgrades was operating at breakeven or a slight loss. Despite its unprofitable state and challenging location, we sold it at a strong price to a mid-tier operator, highlighting sustained buyer demand across all service types.
Brisbane, QLD
Brisbane, QLD
This challenging childcare asset beside a railway faced multiple hurdles, including high staff ratios, a short lease term, and an inflexible not-for-profit owner unwilling to extend the lease. Despite being a loss making service with a looming lease expiry, we secured an excellent outcome under the circumstances, demonstrating our ability to manage even the toughest sales.
Cairns, QLD
Cairns, QLD
This established childcare service, operating for more than 30 years with minimal reinvestment, faced low occupancy and a heavily involved owner-director. Despite these challenges, we successfully completed the sale and secured a strong outcome for the vendor.
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Kingaroy, QLD
Kingaroy, QLD
This well managed childcare service in central Kingaroy was sold at a premium to an ASX-listed operator. The owner successfully retained the freehold with excellent lease terms, maximising both the sale price and the long-term value of the property.
Northern Rivers, NSW
Northern Rivers, NSW
This family run childcare centre, with the owner serving as director, attracted multiple offers during the campaign. We successfully secured a strong result, highlighting the continued demand for well-positioned regional services.
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Kingaroy, QLD
Kingaroy, QLD
This tightly run childcare centre attracted strong interest from major buyers and was ultimately sold to an ASX-listed group. The owner successfully retained the freehold with favourable lease terms, securing both a strong sale price and long-term property returns.
Current Listings
What People Say
"Hayden’s knowledge of the childcare sector is second to none. From the very first conversation, he made the entire process clear and stress-free. He understood the true value of our centre and negotiated a result well beyond our expectations. If you’re considering selling or expanding, Hayden is the person you want in your corner."
“Hayden made selling our childcare centre smooth and stress-free. His professionalism, market knowledge, and genuine care stood out from day one. He found the right buyer and guided us through every step with clarity and confidence. I highly recommend Hayden to anyone selling their business—he truly delivers exceptional results.
He found the right buyer and guided us through every step with clarity and confidence. I highly recommend Hayden to anyone selling their business—he truly delivers exceptional results”
"Hayden’s knowledge of the childcare sector is second to none. From the very first conversation, he made the entire process clear and stress-free. He understood the true value of our centre and negotiated a result well beyond our expectations. If you’re considering selling or expanding, Hayden is the person you want in your corner."
“Hayden made selling our childcare centre smooth and stress-free. His professionalism, market knowledge, and genuine care stood out from day one. He found the right buyer and guided us through every step with clarity and confidence. I highly recommend Hayden to anyone selling their business—he truly delivers exceptional results.
He found the right buyer and guided us through every step with clarity and confidence. I highly recommend Hayden to anyone selling their business—he truly delivers exceptional results”
“Hayden made selling our childcare centre smooth and stress-free. His professionalism, market knowledge, and genuine care stood out from day one. He found the right buyer and guided us through every step with clarity and confidence. I highly recommend Hayden to anyone selling their business—he truly delivers exceptional results.
He found the right buyer and guided us through every step with clarity and confidence. I highly recommend Hayden to anyone selling their business—he truly delivers exceptional results”
FAQs
Request Appraisal
Curious about what your service is worth? Complete this form and one of our brokers will contact you within 24 hours. Alternatively, if you would like a confidential chat, please call
0421 494 012