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Leasing can look cheaper on paper, but in child care real estate, the wrong move can cost you your business. Todd Harris, known as the Nursery Navigator, breaks down how directors and owners can protect their centers, negotiate smarter, and build real long-term value instead of pouring money into someone else’s building. Todd is a child care real estate specialist, broker, and owner who has opened multiple centers himself. He explains the real tradeoffs between leasing and owning, including when a lease gives you flexibility, when ownership gives you control, and why the most expensive mistake is signing a deal without understanding what’s at stake. In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why tenant improvement allowances can help cover major expenses like HVAC, plumbing, fire systems, and other buildout costs

• The differences between a turnkey space, an empty turnkey, and a going operation

• How to evaluate culture, standards, and parent expectations when taking over an existing child care business

• Why a lease can become vulnerable when a stronger buyer makes an offer to the property owner

• How ownership can help you control your business’s future and build generational wealth

• What Todd learned from owning and leasing multiple child care properties

Todd also shares candid lessons from operating large-scale centers, enforcing professional standards, and building a child care portfolio in Tennessee with his wife, Dr. Daphne Booker Harris. Whether you’re opening your first center, expanding your current operation, or considering a property purchase, this conversation offers valuable insight before you sign your next lease or mortgage.

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