Real Estate

Transforming Educational Spaces, One Community at a Time

From first concept to final walkthrough, our real estate team builds mission-aligned learning environments for K–12 schools, microschools, higher education, and community partners. We deliver spaces that elevate learning, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity.

A Complete Real Estate Partner for Schools and Communities

Our team manages every stage of your project, from identifying the right site to aligning financing, guiding design, navigating permitting, overseeing construction, and preparing the building for opening day. With decades of experience and more than 13 million square feet developed nationwide, we ensure each facility is mission-aligned, financially sustainable, and built to support learning for generations.

how we help

Site Identification & Due Diligence

We begin by helping you find the right location for your school or project. This includes market and enrollment analysis, zoning and environmental reviews, traffic and access evaluations, negotiations with sellers or landlords, and all due diligence needed to ensure the site supports long-term growth. Our team reduces risk by validating feasibility before you ever commit resources.

Design, Planning & Development Management

We manage the entire design and pre-development process to translate your educational vision into a functional facility. This includes architect and engineer selection, program and space planning, schematic and construction drawings, municipal and permitting approvals, and coordination with consultants. We ensure compliance with educational standards, ADA, safety requirements, and community needs while keeping the project aligned with your budget and timeline.

Construction Oversight & Delivery

During construction, Building Hope serves as your advocate. We monitor progress, manage contractors, review budgets, address change orders, and coordinate inspections every step of the way, ensuring your facility is delivered to the highest standard. We stay engaged through punch lists, move-in support, and occupancy readiness. You receive a turn-key facility that reflects your academic model and supports your long-term success.
Construction site with yellow Komatsu excavator and motor grader near a row of shovels in soil for a groundbreaking ceremony under a blue sky.
Construction site with workers building a large steel-framed commercial building under a clear blue sky.
Group of joyful children and two adults holding a red ribbon and large scissors during a ribbon-cutting event in front of Compass Collegiate Academy, which has a banner announcing enrollment.
Flexible Development Models

Choose the Approach That Fits Your Needs

Our development pathways give schools and partners the freedom to choose how they build, from full-service delivery to shared project management and long-term ownership solutions.
Smiling girl sitting cross-legged on the floor, holding a pencil and notebook in a classroom with other students working in the background.

Turnkey Development

We manage the full development process, including financing land or building acquisition, design and construction, and final delivery and leasing the completed facility back to the school with a clear path to ownership. This model allows schools to occupy a move-in-ready building without assuming development risk or administrative burden while stabilizing enrollment and strengthening finances. Over time, schools gain ownership at a below-market cost, creating long-term operational and fiscal security.

Owner’s Representation

For partners who have secured capital to fund their facility project, we can serve as your in-house real estate expert and advocate. We manage contracts, oversee design and construction, protect your budget, and remove the burden of day-to-day construction management. This allows your team to stay focused on your mission while ensuring the project stays aligned with your goals and timeline.
School courtyard with students walking and sitting on wooden benches amid modern red buildings under a clear blue sky.

Blended Facility Approach

For partners who may be able to secure funding but are not quite there yet, we offer a flexible blended approach that combines elements of Owner’s Representation and Turnkey Development. We step in where and when you need us, helping launch your project quickly while reducing risk and administrative burden. This model provides the flexibility to adapt as funding evolves, ensuring your facility is delivered on time, on budget, and aligned with your mission.
Our Capabilities

Expert Support Through Every Phase of Development

Our real estate team brings deep experience in educational, civic, and community-centered development. We simplify complex processes, reduce risk, and ensure each facility is aligned with the needs of students, educators, and communities.
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Blue arrow curving upward to the right with a smaller arrow merging from left below.

Strategic Visioning

We help you articulate long-term program needs, enrollment projections, academic goals, and operational constraints to ensure your facility supports your mission.
Four blue arrow icons showing movement in different directions: up-right, down-left, down-right, and left-right.

Planning & Pre-Development

Building Hope’s real estate team guides the creation of building programs, educational specifications, feasibility studies, conceptual layouts, engineering coordination, permitting strategy, and all compliance steps required to move a project forward.
Blue piggy bank with a star on its side.

Financial Structuring & Capital Strategy

Our real estate and finance teams collaborate to design an affordable, mission-aligned financial plan. We evaluate loan options, credit enhancements, lease structures, long-term affordability, and ownership pathways.
Minimalist blue icon of stacked layers or sheets.

Long-Term Support & Expansion Readiness

Our involvement doesn’t end when the building opens. We support future expansion planning, manage facility assessments, advise on capital improvements, and maintain continuity as schools grow into multiple sites.
Outcomes

Real Schools.
Real Results.

Together with districts, community organizations, and education innovators, we’re turning collaboration into measurable outcomes for students
Children walking on a concrete path toward a fenced playground with climbing structures and slides under a partly cloudy sky.
$1.2B+ in project costs

Managed across construction, renovation, and redevelopment efforts

Five students in school uniforms and a man in a suit walking down a staircase inside a bright school building.
85+ facility projects

Delivered through turnkey, owner’s rep, and lease-to-purchase models

Modern white brick school building with large windows, a small tree, people walking on the sidewalk, and yellow school buses in the background.
$103M in equity

Invested directly into school and community projects

news & stories

Stories That Build Hope

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Children wearing safety glasses and yellow vests, standing with an adult in a safety vest and glasses, learning on a construction site, with the MCN Build logo overlayed.

MCN Built a Thriving Business Around Charter Schools

MCN Build, a mission-driven construction company founded by three immigrants, has grown into a multi-million-dollar firm by focusing on building and renovating educational spaces worldwide while supporting charter schools and other education initiatives.
Two people in business suits shaking hands, symbolizing partnership and allyship.

Let’s Talk About Allyship: A Key Piece of the Puzzle

Educators can drive stronger, more equitable schools by practicing active allyship through listening, learning, and shared responsibility.
A smiling family of four sits closely together, representing strong relationships and community support around a charter school

Community Engagement: Proactively Involving Families and Cities in Education

Charter schools strengthen communities by building partnerships, supporting families, and creating real-world learning that benefits students and neighborhoods.
A single droplet of water hitting a calm surface, creating ripples that expand outward.

IMPACT: The Metrics of the Heart

True impact in education comes from individual acts of love and care, creating ripples that transform students, teachers, and communities.
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testimonials

In their words

Real stories from schools and districts working together to make education more accessible
"Building Hope really is a one-stop shop. They will help you with land acquisition, building and financing, and they really have the expertise to do it all."
Jason Bransford
Founder of Gem Innovation Schools, Idaho
“Building Hope gave a small organization like us access to affordable land, loans, assistance with financing, and partnerships we just couldn’t have done ourselves. We can reach a much larger audience now because of Building Hope.”
Will Staros
Regional Vice President, FORZA Education Management
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Frequently asked questions

Curious to learn more? Start here for answers to our most frequently asked questions.
Who does Building Hope support with real estate services?
We work with K–12 schools, microschools, higher education institutions, community developers, and mission-driven organizations creating learning or community spaces. Our team adapts to projects of all sizes.
How early should we involve Building Hope’s Real Estate team?
Ideally at the very beginning. Engaging us during planning and feasibility helps you avoid costly missteps, ensures the site or building aligns with your long-term mission and enrollment goals, and strengthens the financial modeling that underpins a successful project.
What’s the difference between turnkey development and owner’s representation?
Turnkey development means Building Hope manages and delivers the entire facility, including financing, site work, design, construction, and final occupancy. Owner’s representation keeps you in control while we serve as your in-house experts, overseeing contractors, budgets, timelines, and quality on your behalf.
Can Building Hope help us secure and structure financing for a facility project?

Yes. Our Real Estate and Finance teams collaborate to develop a mission-aligned financing plan, including loans, credit enhancements, lease-to-purchase pathways, bridge financing, and long-term affordability strategies.

Does Building Hope support renovations or adaptive reuse projects?
Absolutely. We help evaluate and transform existing structures, such as historic buildings, commercial spaces, or underutilized facilities, into modern, safe, efficient environments tailored to your educational or community program needs.

Need more information?

Our team is ready to answer your specific questions.
Contact Us