Gitnux/Report 2026

Business Brokerage Industry Statistics

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Business Brokerage Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The business brokerage industry at a glance

U.S. business brokerage activity is closely tied to small-business ownership changes: SBA-financed acquisitions totaled $8.3 billion across 6,667 loans in fiscal 2026, although no authoritative source publishes a complete brokerage-industry revenue total.

6.0x[46]
Large-deal EBITDA multiple, Q4 2024
Segmentation
Business brokerage is commonly divided by transaction size and earnings metric. IBBA Market Pulse data uses seller’s discretionary earnings for purchases below $2 million and EBITDA for transactions from $2 million to $50 million; its Q4 2024 deal bands were below $500,000, $500,000–$1 million, $1–$2 million, $2–$5 million and $5–$50 million.[46]
Pricing
Brokerage pricing is generally commission- or success-fee-based, but no authoritative industry-wide average fee or commission rate was identified. Transaction valuation benchmarks provide a more measurable pricing indicator: average Q4 2024 multiples ranged from 2.0x SDE for deals below $500,000 to 6.0x EBITDA for $5 million–$50 million transactions.[46]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Financing remained a major driver of acquisition activity: SBA-financed acquisitions increased from 5,560 loans totaling $6.2 billion in FY2024 to 6,667 loans totaling $8.3 billion in FY2026. Higher transaction values and lender underwriting requirements remain important constraints, while SBA’s October 1, 2026 changes to change-of-ownership procedures add a current compliance consideration.[47]
M&A
The most consistently measurable M&A activity is small-business ownership change financed through SBA 7(a) loans: 6,667 such loans were approved in FY2026 for $8.3 billion. The SBA states that 7(a) financing may be used for complete or partial changes of ownership, but a complete count of brokered transactions is not published.[47]
Regulation
SBA 7(a) loans used for acquisitions are subject to program eligibility and documentation requirements, with updated change-of-ownership guidance effective October 1, 2026. Franchise brokerage is separately covered by the FTC Franchise Rule, which requires franchisors to provide prospective buyers with a disclosure document containing 23 specified items.[47][48]
Latest news
In November 2026, the SBA announced iCAP, a modernization program for 7(a) loan origination; its new origination API is scheduled for production availability in December 2026, with migration from the existing ETRAN interface required by June 2027. The change may reduce administrative friction for lenders and acquisition participants, although its effect on brokerage volumes is not yet measurable.[49]

02 Ranking

Top 8 Companies in the Business Brokerage Industry

The leading companies in the business brokerage industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Sunbelt Business Brokers leads Gitnux's 2026 business brokerage ranking with an Overall score of 9.0, with about 250 offices around the world. Website Closers is the highest-ranked technology and digital broker at 8.9, with more than $2 billion in represented transactions.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in main Street brokerage

    Sunbelt Business Brokers

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.0 · Main Street brokerage

    Why we picked it: The network footprint supports Main Street coverage while it reports operating margin of 38.65% and revenue growth of 3.37%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit sunbeltnetwork.com ↗

  2. Leader in digital business sales

    Website Closers

    US

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Digital business sales

    Why we picked it: Its focus on technology and digital businesses aligns with buyer diligence needs tied to SDE/EBITDA bands.

    See in ranking ↓Visit websiteclosers.com ↗

  3. Leader in online business sales

    Quiet Light

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Online business sales

    Why we picked it: Scale in online deals supports repeatable underwriting, where SBA 7(a) timing and compliance affect throughput.

    See in ranking ↓Visit quietlight.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 8 companies in the business brokerage industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Sunbelt Business Brokers

Main Street brokerage · US

9.0
2

Website Closers

Digital business sales · US

8.9
3

Quiet Light

Online business sales · US

8.8
4

Calder Capital

Lower-middle-market M&A advisory · US

8.7
5

VR Business Brokers

Privately held M&A · US

8.6
6

Transworld Business Advisors

Business sales, M&A and franchise sales · US

8.4
7

Murphy Business

Business brokerage and valuation, North America · US

8.4
8

Viking Mergers & Acquisitions

Lower-middle-market business sales · US

8.3

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 8 companies in the business brokerage industry. In Business Brokerage Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/business-brokerage-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Median sale price of businesses sold by sector (United States)

Building and construction leads with $760K.

Building and construction$760K
Manufacturing$700K
Online and technology$650K
Service$325K
Retail$255K
Restaurant$225K
source-verifiedimg1.wsimg.com

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Buyer and broker views on AI split in 2026: 32% prefer implementing AI themselves, while 10% of brokers reported that more advanced AI adoption increases buyer interest.

AI in the business brokerage industry

  • 32% of business buyers said in 2026 that they would rather implement AI themselves than acquire a business that had already integrated it.[1]
  • 15% of business buyers said in 2026 that they preferred a business that had already integrated AI.[1]
  • 10% of business brokers said in 2026 that more advanced AI adoption increases buyer interest.[1]
  • 23% of U.S. business owners planning to sell said in 2026 that they were adopting AI specifically to increase their business’s value.[1]
  • Approximately 800 U.S. and Canadian business brokers and M&A advisors were interviewed for a 2023 presentation on technology and AI in business brokering.[2]
  • 50% of U.S. business owners planning to sell said in 2026 that AI had little or no effect on what a buyer would pay.[1]

Digital Transformation in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 84% of financial services firms said integrating front-, middle- and back-office systems into one platform is important in 2026.[3]
  • 27% of financial services firms reported financial benefits from AI in 2026, up from 14% in 2025.[3]
  • 80% of financial services firms reported active AI use in 2026, up from 31% in 2025.[3]
  • 43% of financial services firms said they will need an entirely new technology stack to succeed in the age of AI.[3]
  • 26% of financial services firms reported using agentic AI in 2026, according to a global digital-transformation study.[3]

Technology Adoption in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 59% of finance leaders reported using AI in their finance function in 2025, according to Gartner’s survey of 183 senior finance leaders.[4]
  • About one-third of financial services companies reported using generative AI by January 2025, compared with 21% a year earlier.[5]
  • 35% of financial institutions adopted or improved generative-AI capabilities during the 12 months covered by the 2024 survey.[6]
  • 54% of surveyed financial services companies had deployed AI initiatives by January 2025, up from 40% one year earlier.[5]
  • 61% of financial institutions recently adopted AI or improved their AI capabilities, based on a 2024 survey across 11 markets.[6]

Cloud Computing in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 43% of banking and financial services organizations were moving toward a cloud-first analytics approach in the WNS-Forrester survey.[7]
  • 82% of financial services firms used a hybrid- or multi-cloud strategy in LSEG’s 2025 global survey.[8]
  • 87% of financial services firms increased cloud investment during the two years preceding LSEG’s 2025 global survey.[8]
  • 91% of financial organizations had at least one cloud platform in 2023, up from 37% in 2020.[9]
  • 33% of financial services firms were highly satisfied with cloud-related reductions in operational costs in Capgemini’s 2024 survey.[9]

Big Data in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 37% of surveyed bank marketers said their bank was on the way to using data and analytics to support strategic goals in 2024.[10]
  • 41% of surveyed bank marketers said their bank was already using data analytics to make decisions and achieve goals in 2024.[10]
  • 11% of surveyed bank marketers were very confident in the accuracy of the data they regularly used in 2024.[10]
  • 43% of financial services firms had adopted customer-data platforms at least partially or were scaling them, based on Capgemini’s 2024 survey.[9]
  • 18% of finance firms adopted big-data analytics in the OECD’s cross-country comparison; the European data refer to 2019.[11]

IoT in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 43% of financial-services enterprises across all surveyed countries said IoT was extremely important to digital-transformation success in 2024.[12]
  • 19.3% of financial services and insurance respondents reported adopting IoT technologies in New Relic’s observability survey.[13]
  • 20% of financial-services enterprises across all surveyed countries expected IoT to rank among their top-five digital-transformation spending areas during 2024–2026.[12]
  • 45% of financial-services enterprises across all surveyed countries said IoT was quite important to digital-transformation success in 2024.[12]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Deal analysis and listing performance remain measurable: 2,345 businesses were bought and sold in the United States in Q1 2026, according to BizBuySell transaction data.

Business intelligence in the business brokerage industry

  • 58% of AI-using small-business owners used AI for analytics in the 2025 BizBuySell survey.[1]
  • 18% of AI-using U.S. small-business owners used Grok in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 82% of AI-using U.S. small-business owners used ChatGPT in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 43% of AI-using small-business owners used AI for customer service in the 2025 BizBuySell survey.[1]
  • 25% of AI-using U.S. small-business owners used Microsoft Copilot in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 50% of AI-using U.S. small-business owners used Google Gemini in Q1 2026.[1]

Data analytics in the business brokerage industry

  • Approximately 50,000 U.S. businesses for sale and recently sold are analyzed by BizBuySell for its quarterly Insight Report.[1]
  • 94% was the average share of asking price received by sellers in the 2025 BizBuySell-reported sales summarized by FNDRS.[14]
  • More than 70 major U.S. markets are covered by the BizBuySell Insight Report.[1]
  • 65 small-business industries are covered by the BizBuySell Insight Report’s transaction analysis.[1]
  • 2,345 businesses were bought and sold in the United States in Q1 2026 according to BizBuySell transaction data.[1]
  • $350,000 was the median small-business sale price reported through BizBuySell in 2025.[14]

Data Quality in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across significant European banking institutions, 32% did not apply data-quality-management principles to end-user computing in 2023.[15]
  • Across global financial services, 34% of organizations rated their data excellent for accuracy and integrity in 2024.[16]
  • Across U.S. banking and capital markets, 86% of respondents named data access and usability as a top concern in 2024.[17]
  • Across banks supervised by the European Central Bank, 28% reported that all data used by critical functions came from golden sources in 2023.[15]
  • Across U.S. banking and capital markets, 94% of respondents named data accuracy and reliability as a priority in 2024.[17]
  • Across global financial services, 36% of organizations rated their data excellent for quantity and completeness in 2024.[16]

Data Governance in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across global financial services, 54% of companies rated data governance at one of the two highest maturity levels in 2024.[18]
  • Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 57.1% identified BI-content testing as the top future investment in analytics governance in 2025.[19]
  • Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 43.7% lacked a standardized certification process for analytics content in 2025.[19]
  • Across 35 surveyed banks, insurers, and financial-services firms in 38 countries, 54% had adopted a semantic layer for organization-wide data governance in 2025.[20]
  • Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 82.9% had implemented governance policies specifically applying to business intelligence and analytics in 2025.[19]

KPIs in the business brokerage industry

  • 66% of brokers expected transaction volume to rise over the six months following Q3 2025.[21]
  • 63% of surveyed U.S. business owners expected stronger business performance over the following year in the 2025 BizBuySell report.[1]
  • 31% of prospective buyers said finding a quality business was their main obstacle in the latest BizBuySell survey.[21]
  • 47% of brokers said SBA or lender-policy changes affected their Q3 transactions in the 2025 BizBuySell report.[1]
  • 15% of prospective buyers said obtaining financing was their main obstacle in the latest BizBuySell survey.[21]
  • 13% of prospective buyers said seller asking prices were their main obstacle in the latest BizBuySell survey.[21]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Transaction metrics point to variation by sector, including financial-services volume up 38% in 2025 while the median sale price rose 40% in the United States.

Growth in the business brokerage industry

  • Service-business transaction volume increased 4% in 2025, while the median sale price increased 5% to $340,000 in the United States.[1]
  • Technology-services transaction volume increased 12% in 2025, while the median sale price increased 15% in the United States.[1]
  • Financial-services transaction volume increased 38% in 2025, while the median sale price increased 40% in the United States.[1]
  • 9,586 small-business transactions were reported on BizBuySell in 2025, up 0.4% from 2024 in the United States.[1]
  • Transworld Business Advisors’ franchised outlets increased from 341 at the start of 2022 to 452 at the end of 2024 in the United States.[22]
  • Architectural and engineering transaction volume increased 17% in 2025, while the median sale price increased 38% in the United States.[1]

Differentiation in the business brokerage industry

  • Manufacturing transactions declined 11% in 2025, while the median sale price declined 7% to $650,000 in the United States.[1]
  • Cafes and coffee retailers recorded a 5% increase in transactions and an 18% increase in median sale price in 2025 in the United States.[1]
  • Financial-services businesses sold on BizBuySell had a 2.52x average cash-flow multiple in 2025, compared with the broader service-sector result reported by BizBuySell.[1]
  • Service businesses recorded a median revenue of $552,589 in 2025, up 12% year over year in the United States.[1]

Mergers and acquisitions in the business brokerage industry

  • Transworld franchisee outlet transfers totaled 10 in the United States in 2024, compared with 21 in 2023 and 8 in 2022.[22]
  • 2,599 small-business transactions closed in the United States in the third quarter of 2025, up 8% year over year.[1]
  • The median sale price for businesses sold through BizBuySell was $350,000 in the United States in 2025, up 2% year over year.[1]
  • IBBA award recipients submitted more than $2 billion in cumulative transaction value for deals completed in calendar year 2023.[23]
  • The median time to close a business sale was 170 days in the United States in 2025, compared with 166 days in 2024.[1]
  • 2,345 businesses were bought and sold in the United States in the first quarter of 2026, representing approximately $2 billion in enterprise value.[1]

Strategic partnerships in the business brokerage industry

  • Transworld Business Advisors had 453 total U.S. outlets at the end of 2024, creating a franchise network for shared brand and marketing activities.[22]
  • Transworld franchisee transfers totaled 21 outlets in the United States in 2023, indicating ownership changes within its franchise network.[22]
  • The Transworld Business Advisors Advertising Fund had franchisee membership and voting rights for each Transworld franchisee in the United States in 2024.[22]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Work-location flexibility remains high in finance-adjacent roles: 52.5% of workers in U.S. financial activities teleworked in June 2026, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Remote Work in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 87% of U.S. financial services employees said remote work helped them balance home and work responsibilities in 2025.[18]
  • 68% of U.S. financial services workers said they would consider seeking new employment if remote and hybrid flexibility were reduced in 2023.[24]
  • 52.5% of workers in U.S. financial activities teleworked in June 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[25]
  • Across U.S. financial services, 82% of companies offered some form of work-location flexibility in 2025.[26]

Hybrid Work in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 42.2% of remotely workable finance and insurance jobs were hybrid in July 2025 in the United States.[26]
  • 52% of financial services companies used a structured hybrid model in 2024, up from 41% in 2023, according to a survey of 777 companies.[27]
  • 39% of financial services companies offered corporate employees full flexibility over work location in 2024.[27]
  • 28.7% of U.S. finance and insurance workers were in hybrid work arrangements as of September 24, 2024.[28]
  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in 2025.[29]

Employee Engagement in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 20% of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, according to Gallup’s World Poll.[29]
  • 16% of employees worldwide were actively disengaged at work in 2025.[29]
  • 12% of employees in Europe were engaged at work in 2025.[29]
  • 31% of employees in the United States and Canada were engaged at work in 2025.[29]

Change Management in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 64% of financial services leaders acknowledged the need for complete organizational transformation in 2024.[30]
  • 45% of banks reported issues resourcing change agents and stream leads for transformation workstreams in 2025.[31]
  • 60% of financial services executives planned to invest in new technologies as a strategic business change over the next 12–18 months in 2024.[32]
  • 49% of financial institutions cited continuous learning and development as a way to prepare for technological change in 2024.[6]
  • 53% of banks identified a significant change portfolio requiring prioritization and coordination over the next two years in 2025.[31]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer experience in the business brokerage industry

  • 78% of U.S. business owners ranked valuation expertise among their top five reasons to use a business broker.[23]
  • 51% of U.S. business owners ranked broker-provided due diligence among their top five reasons to use a business broker.[23]
  • 41% of U.S. business owners considering a broker believed an attorney could handle the sale instead.[23]
  • 47% of U.S. business owners ranked confidentiality of the sale listing and finances among their top five reasons to use a business broker.[23]
  • 17% of U.S. business owners considering a broker said they did not see the value brokers provide.[23]

Customer acquisition in the business brokerage industry

  • 54% of U.S. business buyers identified as owner-operators in BizBuySell’s latest buyer survey.[21]
  • 51% of U.S. business buyers identified as corporate professionals in BizBuySell’s latest buyer survey.[21]
  • 75% of surveyed U.S. business buyers targeted recession-resistant businesses.[21]
  • 22% of U.S. business buyers identified as entrepreneurship-through-acquisition or search-fund buyers.[21]
  • 67% of U.S. business brokers reported seeing more first-time entrepreneurs in the market than a year earlier.[21]

Lead generation in the business brokerage industry

  • 36% of brokers said referrals produced the best buyers for listings in the 2017 IBBA Market Pulse survey.[33]
  • 77% of business brokers surveyed used referrals to market their listings in the 2017 IBBA Market Pulse survey.[33]
  • 74% of business brokers surveyed used their company website to market listings in the 2017 IBBA Market Pulse survey.[33]
  • 20% of brokers said third-party websites produced the best buyers for listings.[33]
  • 44% of business brokers surveyed used internal buyer lists to market listings.[33]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Broker marketing channels are diverse, but brokerage websites still show up in reported outcomes: 9% of brokers said company websites produced the best buyers for listings in 2017.

Marketing in the business brokerage industry

  • 25% of U.S. business owners ranked a professional marketing network among their top five reasons to use a business broker.[23]
  • 9% of brokers said other marketing tools produced the best buyers for listings in the 2017 IBBA Market Pulse survey.[33]
  • 56% of sole-practitioner business brokers reported maintaining an ongoing direct-mail program, according to the Business Brokerage Press survey cited by Business Brokers of Florida.[34]
  • 11% of U.S. business owners ranked access to global buyers among their top five reasons to use a business broker.[23]
  • 8% of business brokers surveyed used other marketing tools beyond the listed channels to market business listings.[33]

Digital marketing in the business brokerage industry

  • 8% of business brokers surveyed used other digital or online tools beyond the listed channels to market listings.[33]
  • 9% of brokers said company websites produced the best buyers for listings.[33]
  • 44% of business brokers surveyed used internal buyer lists to support listing marketing.[33]

Branding in the business brokerage industry

  • 16% of U.S. business owners ranked valuation expertise as their number-one consideration when choosing a business broker.[23]
  • 2% of U.S. business owners ranked a professional marketing network as their number-one consideration when choosing a business broker.[23]
  • 49% of U.S. business owners ranked professional experience in selling businesses as their number-one consideration when choosing a business broker.[23]
  • 7% of U.S. business owners ranked buyer screening and qualification as their number-one consideration when choosing a business broker.[23]
  • 5% of U.S. business owners ranked access to recent sales and market data as their number-one consideration when choosing a business broker.[23]

Influencer Marketing in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 7% of financial-services marketers reported folding creator or influencer marketing into other channels rather than maintaining a dedicated budget in 2026.[35]
  • 23% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated but flat budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[35]
  • 37% of banking executives in a survey of 102 finance respondents recognized influencer marketing as a potent tool for authentic consumer connections in 2023.[36]
  • 5% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated but shrinking budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[35]
  • 60% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated and growing budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[35]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Timing matters for throughput: the median time to close a business sale was 170 days in the United States in 2025.

Process optimization in the business brokerage industry

  • 170 days was the median time to close a U.S. small-business transaction in 2025.[1]
  • 153 days was the median time to close transactions in the U.S. “Other” sector in 2025.[1]
  • 8% was the increase in U.S. business-for-sale transactions during the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 9,586 small-business transactions were reported on BizBuySell in the United States during 2025.[1]
  • 163 days was the median time to close U.S. retail-business transactions in 2025.[1]

Operational efficiency in the business brokerage industry

  • 0.69x was the average revenue multiple for U.S. small-business transactions in 2025.[1]
  • 61% of U.S. business brokers expected stronger buyer demand in 2026.[1]
  • 2,132 businesses changed hands in the United States during the third quarter of 2026.[1]
  • 80% of U.S. business brokers forecast higher deal volume during the following six months in 2026.[1]
  • 94% was the average sale-to-asking-price ratio for U.S. small businesses sold in 2025.[1]

Quality management in the business brokerage industry

  • 37% of U.S. brokers reported an increase in corporate professionals entering the market in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 78% of surveyed U.S. buyers expected to use SBA financing for an acquisition in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 27% of U.S. brokers viewed 2025 market conditions as balanced.[1]
  • 34% of U.S. brokers said 2025 market conditions favored sellers.[1]
  • 5% of U.S. brokers were unsure whether 2025 market conditions favored buyers or sellers.[1]

Supply chain in the business brokerage industry

  • 53% of surveyed U.S. small-business owners said tariffs increased business expenses in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 4% was the decline in U.S. business-for-sale transactions during the second quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 3% was the increase in median U.S. business revenue in 2025, reaching $703,000.[1]
  • 2% was the increase in the median sale price of U.S. small businesses in 2025, reaching $350,000.[1]
  • 3% was the increase in total enterprise value for U.S. small-business transactions in 2025, reaching $7.95 billion.[1]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. banks surveyed, 57% had considered outsourcing information technology departments in 2024, the highest share among listed departments.[37]
  • Among significant European banks, outsourcing services accounted for 7.2% of administrative expenses at year-end 2023, up from 6.8%.[15]
  • Across surveyed finance organizations, 17% were evaluating nearshore locations for future operations in 2026, compared with 13% evaluating offshore locations.[38]
  • Across surveyed finance organizations, 64% were implementing or evaluating offshoring or nearshoring for finance operations in 2026, while 36% planned to remain fully U.S.-based.[38]
  • Among significant European banks, 27% of critical ICT contracts were outsourced to external providers located outside the European Union in the 2024 analysis.[15]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Valuation still tracks deal bands and multiples: Q4 2024 average multiples ranged from 2.0x SDE below $500,000 to 6.0x EBITDA for $5 million–$50 million transactions.

Pricing strategy in the business brokerage industry

  • 2.5% was the improvement in the average U.S. sale-to-asking ratio during the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 8%–15% is the typical commission range for a U.S. Main Street business broker, measured against the final sale price.[23]
  • 10% was the average asking-price discount implied by the 2025 U.S. sale-to-asking ratio.[1]
  • $1.8 million was the median sale price for U.S. businesses selling above $1 million in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • $250,000 was the median sale price for U.S. businesses selling below $1 million in the third quarter of 2025.[1]

Cost reduction in the business brokerage industry

  • 33% of U.S. business owners were pessimistic about federal policies in the 2025 market survey.[1]
  • 49% of U.S. business owners were optimistic about federal policies in the 2025 market survey.[1]
  • 5% was the share of U.S. brokers unsure whether 2025 conditions favored buyers or sellers, amid cost and financing pressures.[1]
  • 8% was the year-over-year increase in U.S. transactions above $1 million during the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 1% was the increase in the average U.S. cash-flow multiple during 2025.[1]

Profitability in the business brokerage industry

  • 2.6% was the increase in average U.S. cash-flow multiples during the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 5% was the increase in median cash flow for U.S. businesses sold during the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • $123,000 was the median cash flow of U.S. businesses selling below $1 million in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • $559,000 was the median cash flow of U.S. businesses selling above $1 million in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 63% of U.S. business owners expected stronger business performance during the year following the third quarter of 2025.[1]

Financial planning in the business brokerage industry

  • 54% of surveyed U.S. buyers identified themselves as owner-operators in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 0.4% was the year-over-year increase in the number of U.S. small-business transactions reported in 2025.[1]
  • $7.95 billion was the total enterprise value of U.S. small-business transactions reported in 2025.[1]
  • 51% of surveyed U.S. buyers identified themselves as corporate professionals in the third quarter of 2025.[1]
  • 22% of surveyed U.S. buyers identified themselves as entrepreneurship-through-acquisition or search-fund buyers in the third quarter of 2025.[1]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

AI adoption appears to translate into reported business outcomes: 83% of surveyed small-business owners using AI said it improved business performance in Q1 2026.

Product development in the business brokerage industry

  • 6% of surveyed small-business owners reported adding positions after adopting AI in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 8% of surveyed small-business owners reported reducing roles after adopting AI in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 78% of surveyed owners cited productivity gains as a primary reason for adopting AI in their businesses in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 83% of surveyed small-business owners using AI said it improved business performance in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 87% of surveyed U.S. small-business owners paid for AI tools in Q1 2026, either through subscriptions or combinations of free and paid plans.[1]

Product lifecycle in the business brokerage industry

  • 43% of brokers reported increased activity from business-school-trained buyers in 2025.[1]
  • 61% of brokers expected stronger buyer demand in 2026, according to the 2025 Q4 BizBuySell survey.[1]
  • 49% of brokers said Baby Boomer owners already represented the majority of their listings in the 2025 Q4 BizBuySell survey.[1]
  • 72% of brokers expected more owners to come to market in 2026, according to the 2025 Q4 BizBuySell survey.[1]
  • 65% of brokers expected deal volume to increase compared with 2025 in the latest BizBuySell survey.[1]

After-sales in the business brokerage industry

  • 16% of owners in the IBBA survey expected broker-service costs of 5%–6% of the sale price.[23]
  • 21% of owners in the IBBA survey expected broker-service costs of 3%–4% of the sale price.[23]
  • 5% was the approximate broker compensation level most interviewed business owners expected to pay in the IBBA qualitative study.[23]
  • 10% or less was the broker compensation that all but one interviewed business owner expected to pay in the IBBA qualitative study.[23]
  • 16% of owners in the IBBA survey had no pre-existing expectation about business-broker service costs.[23]

Value proposition in the business brokerage industry

  • 13% of surveyed business owners expected broker services to be charged as a flat fee.[23]
  • 78% of surveyed business owners ranked valuation expertise among their top five reasons to use a broker.[23]
  • 16% of surveyed business owners ranked valuation expertise as their number-one reason to use a broker.[23]
  • 53% of surveyed business owners expected broker-service costs to range from 3% to 10% of the sale price.[23]
  • 49% of surveyed business owners ranked professional experience in selling businesses as their number-one reason to use a broker.[23]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Ethics credentialing is quantifiable within the profession: 47 Master Certified Business Intermediaries were affiliated with IBBA in 2026.

Ethics in the business brokerage industry

  • 47 Master Certified Business Intermediaries were affiliated with IBBA in 2026, representing the association’s highest business-broker credential level.[23]
  • 6 required course components form the mandatory CBI curriculum, covering ethics alongside financial analysis, valuation, legal and tax implications; 2023.[23]
  • 3 years is the minimum combined experience-and-education period required for the Certified Business Intermediary designation; 2026.[23]
  • Nearly 500 Certified Business Intermediaries were affiliated with IBBA in 2026, reflecting the association’s credentialed ethics and professional-conduct segment.[23]
  • 70% is the minimum passing score required on each examination for Certified Business Intermediary applicants in the business brokerage profession; 2023.[23]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Network scale is measurable for at least two major franchise operators: Transworld reported 453 total U.S. outlets at the end of 2024.

Stakeholder management in the business brokerage industry

  • 51% of surveyed business owners ranked due-diligence support among their top five reasons to use a business broker, United States, 2023.[23]
  • 87% of surveyed business owners ranked professional experience in selling businesses among their top five reasons to use a business broker, United States, 2023.[23]
  • 57% of surveyed business owners ranked screening and qualifying buyers among their top five reasons to use a business broker, United States, 2023.[23]
  • 78% of surveyed business owners ranked valuation expertise among their top five reasons to use a business broker, United States, 2023.[23]

Distribution channels in the business brokerage industry

  • 130 Sunbelt Business Brokers outlets operated at the end of fiscal 2025, including 129 franchised and one company-owned outlet in the United States.[45]
  • 453 Transworld Business Advisors outlets operated in the United States at the end of 2024, including 452 franchised and one company-owned outlet.[22]
  • 9,586 small-business transactions were reported on BizBuySell, an online business-for-sale marketplace, in the United States in 2025.[1]
  • 50,000 businesses were approximately represented in BizBuySell’s listings and recently sold-business data, United States, 2025.[1]

Key questions about the business brokerage industry

How big is the business brokerage market in the U.S.?
We do not have an authoritative published total for business-brokerage revenue. The most consistently measurable financing proxy is SBA 7(a) acquisitions: $8.3 billion across 6,667 loans in fiscal 2026.
What’s driving growth in U.S. acquisition activity?
Financing remains a major driver: SBA-financed acquisitions increased from 5,560 loans totaling $6.2 billion in FY2024 to 6,667 loans totaling $8.3 billion in FY2026.
Which companies lead the business brokerage industry?
Sunbelt Business Brokers leads Gitnux's 2026 business brokerage ranking with an Overall score of 9.0, with about 250 offices around the world. Website Closers is the highest-ranked technology and digital broker at 8.9, with more than $2 billion in represented transactions.
What technology shifts affect business brokerage operations in 2026?
In 2026, 32% of business buyers said they prefer to implement AI themselves rather than acquire a business already integrated it, while 15% preferred businesses already integrated with AI.
How is the market structured for deal pricing and deal bands?
IBBA Market Pulse uses SDE for purchases below $2 million and EBITDA for $2 million to $50 million; its Q4 2024 deal bands were below $500,000, $500,000–$1 million, $1–$2 million, $2–$5 million and $5–$50 million.
Which compliance change matters most right now?
SBA’s updated change-of-ownership guidance is effective October 1, 2026, adding a compliance consideration for acquisitions using SBA 7(a) financing.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Business Brokerage Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/business-brokerage-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Business Brokerage Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/business-brokerage-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Business Brokerage Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/business-brokerage-industry-statistics.

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