How do I find a language school or ESL school for sale?

Some owners are teachers who started the school themselves, and may want to hand it to someone they trust. Ask whether a school is for sale even when no listing exists. This page covers where to look and what to read once you find one. It is about schools for adults and visiting students, not after-school tutoring.

Search under every name

Owners use different words for the same thing. Try language school, language centre, English language school, ESL school, English academy and French school, then add “for sale” or “business for sale”. Save the searches on the listing sites you use so new ads reach you. Read each ad for what the school actually teaches and to whom. A “centre” may run evening classes for newcomers, while an “academy” may host short summer programs for visiting students.

Ask the people who hear first

Ask education agents who place students, experienced teachers and the landlords of schools whether they know an owner who wants out. Tell them plainly what you are looking for and that you can show proof of funds. Brokers who work for sellers are partners in this too, so give them a clear profile. If you want a different kind of school, the tutoring search page covers that market.

What a listing should show

• Who the students are: adults, newcomers, visiting students or a mix, and where they come from.
• The programs offered, who teaches them, and whether the school depends on a few teachers.
• How students find the school, and which agents or partners send them.
• The premises: lease terms, classroom count and whether the space can be reused.

Questions to settle early

Ask which approvals the school holds to enrol certain students, who issued them, and ask your lawyer whether they carry over to a new owner. Ask how much of the enrolment depends on a single agent or a single country. Then follow the usual steps in how to find a business to buy, including a close look at the books.