How much commission does a business broker charge?

On main-street and smaller lower-middle-market deals, business broker commissions cluster at 8-12% of the final sale price, with a minimum fee of roughly $10,000-$15,000. The minimum exists because the work on a small deal is largely fixed regardless of price. Commission is usually success-based and paid from proceeds at closing, though some brokers also charge an upfront retainer or work-fee.

Larger deals typically move to a tiered scale — often called a 'Double Lehman' formula — where the percentage steps down as the price rises, so a multimillion-dollar deal pays a lower blended rate than a small one. Remember the full cost of a sale also includes your own legal and accounting fees, whether or not you use a broker.

If avoiding the commission entirely matters, there are two options: sell it yourself, or use a buyer-paid model. DealSeam is not a traditional business broker — it introduces owners to qualified buyers and the buyer pays the success fee where there's a fit, so the seller owes no commission. It relies on the federal M&A Broker exemption rather than operating as a listing brokerage.