You wouldn’t take your used refrigerator to the car lot to sell it, even though the selling process is similar. The same is true when comparing a real estate broker to a business broker. In California the license to sell houses and businesses is the same, but the skill sets are substantially different. Most residential real estate brokers will want to put a sign in front of your home and they may boast about how broadly they will advertise your home for sale. They may help you stage the home for maximum appeal. They should have a strong knowledge of the price for similar properties and apply the price per square foot to your home. Most will promote your house in the local multiple listing service so other home sellers can look for buyers. Their offices will have the appropriate forms and disclosures to facilitate the transaction. A Realtor will act according to a prescribed list of ethical standards beyond those required by the State licensing board.
As a business owner who depends on the income from the business until it is sold, you probably don’t want the general public to know that your business is for sale. In fact, the fewer people who know that you are selling the better. You will want someone who can present your business in the most attractive light. So you must have a broker who understands accounting and general business trends. Because your business must be promoted discretely, your broker should have a strong network of personal business contacts. The advertising of your business for sale must address the needs of the unique buyers who are looking for similar businesses. Those buyers could be located in another state or country, so the promotion must be far reaching, but private. The business broker should control the potential buyers so they don’t review your business and use the information to compete against you. A business broker must understand and have access to alternative forms of financing. Finally, the business broker’s office should have appropriate forms, disclosures and contracts to complete the transaction.
As a Sunbelt Business Brokers I have a network of thousands of brokers with contacts to help sell your business. We sell more businesses than any other firm in the world. We utilize a proprietary and classified website so your business is searchable without disclosing the specifics that make it unique. I have business degrees and training in management to understand the intricacies of your business. We utilize several classified websites to make your business easy to find but hard to identify. Your information is protected by requiring every searching buyer to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to sharing your details. We determine the value of your business by re-casting your tax return to show all the benefits that the new owner can expect to earn.
Both house and business brokers are subject to legal and ethical standards, which if they violate could suffer the loss of their license to sell. Realtors promise to only sell properties for which they have training and experience. Before you contract a broker, consider the specific requirements of the asset you want to sell. I hope you will choose me.