Ready for a new chapter, but not for the offers they had seen
Stephen and Mariela were ready to move on. Their daughter was leaving for college, and Mariela wanted more time with aging parents in Chile. The school ran smoothly without them, and they wanted to hand it to someone who would preserve what they had built.
The offers they had seen so far weren’t encouraging. One school chain, a PE‑backed roll‑up, wanted to pay a third up front and the rest over two years, with escape clauses if the school missed targets after the chain took over. Another offer was so low that the founders could earn the same amount by keeping the school for a few more years. Local brokers wanted fees up front, whether or not they had buyers.
Chains tended to force their own model onto a school, but this was a premium, bilingual program that families chose specifically because it was different. Stephen went looking for a better option, and found OffDeal.
Create competition, then get the cash up front
Rather than going back to the roll‑ups, which had called the school too small or offered unfavorable terms, OffDeal took a targeted, two‑part approach. Its AI system identified operators of similar Montessori schools across the U.S., prioritizing those in the region, and OffDeal reached out to individual investors on its platform who were interested in the space. This produced 71 signed NDAs and about a dozen buyer meetings with the founders.
The first offer looked fine on paper, but only about a fifth of the price would be paid at closing. The rest would trickle in over seven years with no interest. OffDeal pushed for the school to be valued on everything it earned for its owners, and for buyers to use an SBA loan to pay the founders up front instead of asking them to wait.
As OffDeal created a competitive auction among several buyers, the offers improved quickly. Within weeks, one bidder with SBA approval was ready to pay nearly the entire price in cash at closing.
Competition also gave the founders something most sellers never get: a real choice. Their favorite buyers were a young family with children of their own, whose first offer was lower and relied on a seller note. OffDeal was candid with the family. The founders wanted to sell to them, but there was a competing offer with stronger terms, and OffDeal walked them through what it would take to close the gap. The family raised their offer. With a higher bid still on the table, the founders were free to choose the buyer who best fit their values, and they chose the family.
All cash at closing, and the buyer they chose
The founders signed the LOI in early May, and the deal closed on Sept 17, 2025. The full price was paid in cash at closing, compared with about a fifth in the first offer. When the buyers’ SBA loan took longer than expected, OffDeal and the founders’ attorney kept the deal moving until it closed.
Where they are now
Stephen and Mariela now split their time between Florida and Chile, where Mariela is building an eco‑lodge in Patagonia. The school they built is now in the hands of a young family who shares their vision for it. At closing, Stephen said he was “very happy it all came together.”