Business sale brokers is a description covering firms with very different reach and very different fees. Sorting them into four kinds makes the choice tractable, because the right one follows from who is likely to buy your business rather than from anyone's pitch.
Get quotes to sell my business
Marketplaces and self service platforms
A listing for a small fee and everything else left to you. Widest reach among individual buyers, no screening, no negotiation. Right for a straightforward business with clean numbers and an owner with time, and for online businesses where the specialist platforms concentrate the buyers.
Main street brokers and regional firms
A local firm listing the business, screening enquiries and handling the lease and license work. Paid a commission with a minimum, under an exclusive agreement. Right where the buyer is an individual who will visit. The quality varies enormously between offices of the same brand, which is why references matter more than the name.
Sector specialists and M&A advisers
Firms covering one industry nationally, or running full processes for lower middle market companies. They approach buyers by name, charge a retainer as well as a success fee, and are the only route to funds and strategic acquirers. Right when several credible buyers exist and competition is worth organizing.
Questions people ask about business sale brokers
How do I know which kind I need?
Name the five most likely buyers for your business. Where they are decides the kind of firm, and everything else is detail.
Can I change firms?
After the agreement's term, and subject to its tail. Check both before signing, and keep the tail limited to buyers actually introduced.
What do they charge?
Published US commissions on this site run from 5% to 15%, with minimum fees deciding the effective rate at the small end and retainers appearing at the adviser end.