Maryland is two distinct sale markets. The counties around the District trade with federal contracting and professional services; Baltimore and the north east are weighted to distribution, healthcare and trades. The right adviser depends on which of those your business belongs to.
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The federal corridor
Where revenue depends on federal contracts, the contracts are diligenced as hard as the business: novation with the contracting agency, any small business or set aside status that may not survive the sale, and clearances held by staff. Each narrows the buyer pool, and a broker who has not handled a novation will not price the delay correctly.
Baltimore and the trades
Distribution, construction and healthcare services dominate here, and consolidators from outside the state are active in all three. That makes reach beyond Maryland more valuable than a local office, and it makes an orderly set of records on equipment, contracts and staff worth preparing before marketing.
Before you sign
Ask for closed sales in your trade in your part of the state, what registration the firm holds where property or a lease is involved, whether they approach out of state buyers directly, and what the minimum fee is. Get the tail clause limited to buyers actually introduced.
Questions people ask about Maryland business brokers
Do Maryland brokers need a real estate license?
Where a sale includes real property or a lease assignment, state licensing rules can apply. Ask directly and get the answer in writing.
Does a government contractor sell easily?
It sells, but the contracts do not simply follow. Novation is a formal process and set aside status frequently does not survive, which narrows who can buy.
What is the commission?
Local firms rarely publish. The published US figures on this site run from 5% to 15%, with minimums that bind on smaller sales.