Equipment financier Flexirent Capital is on the market, with a trade sale a more likely option than a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange.On the other hand, the vendors of Flexirent (a privately-owned group) may be having trouble realising their goals from a trade sale, since they took the step of issuing a media release yesterday that said the firm hired investment bank Goldman Sachs JBWere to explore ways to raise capital.The media release said options included an initial public offer or the sale of a stake to a strategic investor.The vendors include executive chair Andrew Abercrombie, who holds a majority of shares in the company, and David Berkman, one of the founders. The pair appears to prefer to retain a stake in the company, which might dampen the value of an investment in the firm in the eyes of prospective trade buyers.The obvious buyers include GE Capital and Macquarie Bank, both of which have bought large and small finance companies over recent years. ANZ Bank, owner of Esanda, may also be in the running. Super Group, the South African-based financier that bought Commonwealth Fleet Lease from Commonwealth Bank is another possibility, as are private equity buyers.Flexirent's niche in the leasing sector is the financing of relatively low value items, and mainly computers. The firm has agreements with numerous small retailers that promote lease finance at the point of sale.The company offers leases under six brand names: Flexirent, EzyWay, Flexiway, Flexipack, Minilease and Flexiline.According to the Flexirent media release, the firm employs about 300 people in Australia and New Zealand.Analysis of the finance company market published by ANZ Bank in September 2005 estimated that bank-owned finance companies accounted for 51 per cent of the asset finance market in Australia; that "consolidators" (including GE Capital and HBOS/Capital Finance) controlled about 29 per cent of the market; captive financiers held about 15 per cent of the market, and monolines (such as Flexirent) accounted for the balance of five per cent.