Broker or sell it yourself? What each one actually costs
Lena got a broker's quote for her grooming shop and a flat monthly price for a listing. She put the two side by side.
By The YourBizWorth team · 7 min read
Lena Kowalski is 44. She has owned Sudsy Paws, a dog grooming shop in Cedar Bend, for nine years. Three grooming tables, two groomers besides her, and a waiting list on Saturdays.
In September she called a broker. He was polite, clear and busy. The quote came by email two days later, and so did the question she could not answer: what would it cost to do this without one?
Lena, Sudsy Paws and Cedar Bend are made up. The rates in the broker's quote are the ones Morgan & Westfield reports for the market. The rest is a labeled example.
Chapter 1
The broker's quote
The email said 10% of the sale price, with a minimum fee of $15,000. Lena thought Sudsy Paws might sell for around $180,000. She did the math on a napkin at the front counter.
8% to 12%is what most brokers charge on a business under $1 million, with a minimum fee of $10,000 to $25,000 whatever it sells for (Morgan & Westfield)
Morgan & Westfield, a brokerage firm, says most brokers charge a flat 8% to 12% commission on a business under $1 million. Most also set a minimum fee of $10,000 to $25,000, regardless of the sale price.
The minimum is the number that matters on a small sale. On a $180,000 business, 10% is $18,000. If the minimum is $25,000, the fee is $25,000, which is almost 14% of the price.
Some brokers also set a minimum deal size and pass on listings below it. There is no published cutoff, so ask on the first call: what is your minimum fee, and is my business big enough for you to take?
Chapter 2
What a broker actually does
Lena asked the broker what the fee bought. He did not dodge it. He walked her through the four things his office would do, and said plainly that a shop her size gets the same work as a bigger one.
This is real work, and on a larger sale it is often the right call. Morgan & Westfield describes a well-run brokerage office as having systems for financial analysis, valuation, marketing, packaging, screening buyers and closing.
The question is not whether the work matters. It is whether, on a $180,000 shop, paying $18,000 or more for it leaves Lena with the result she wants.
Valuation
The broker prices the business from the financials and knows what nearby sales have closed at. On a bigger deal, that judgment is worth real money.
Marketing
A prepared package, a listing on the marketplaces, and the broker's own list of buyers who have bought before.
Screening
The broker takes the calls, sorts the tire-kickers from the buyers, and gets confidentiality agreements signed before anyone learns the shop's name.
Negotiation support
When an offer comes in, the broker has seen a hundred of them. They know which terms are normal and which ones are a problem.
Chapter 3
What it costs to do it yourself
Labeled example, made-up numbers. Sudsy Paws sells for $180,000. Lena needs an attorney either way, because someone has to draft the purchase agreement. She budgets $5,000 for that.
Without a broker, the other cost is the listing. On YourBizWorth that is $697 a month, ads included. Three months is $2,091.
Attorney fees vary by state and by deal. Barnes Walker, a Florida law firm, puts flat fees for a simple asset sale under $500,000 at $3,000 to $10,000, as of April 2026. Get two quotes and ask exactly what the flat fee covers.
The difference in the table is about $15,909 on a $180,000 sale. That is not a reason to skip the broker on every deal. It is a reason to know the number before you sign a listing agreement.
The same made-up $180,000 sale, two ways.
Cost
Broker at 10%
Sell it yourself
Broker fee
$18,000
$0
Attorney
$5,000
$5,000
Listing, 3 months
Included in the fee
$2,091
Costs before taxes
$23,000
$7,091
Left from the price
$157,000
$172,909
Worked example, not a quote. The attorney figure is a made-up number inside the $3,000 to $10,000 flat-fee range one law firm reports for simple sales under $500,000. Brokers usually cover marketing in their fee; ask what yours includes.
$18,000 broker fee
$162,000 to Lena at closing
Made-up $180,000 sale through a broker at 10%, before the attorney and taxes.
Chapter 4
What Lena chose
Lena ran the free calculator first. It put Sudsy Paws in a range, from her last three years of returns, that she could defend. The broker's valuation would have landed in the same place, from the same documents.
She listed blind. A dog grooming shop, three tables, nine years, the real yearly numbers. No name, no street, no photo of the painted paw prints on the door.
Every buyer verified and signed a confidentiality agreement before they learned the name. She kept the attorney she had already budgeted for, and he drafted the purchase agreement when the second buyer made an offer.
"The broker was good at his job. I just needed less of it than his fee was built for."
Lena did not do the broker's job herself. Pricing came from the tax returns and the calculator. Screening came with the listing. The attorney did the documents. What she did not pay for was the part she did not need.
What to do instead
Get the number firstPrice it from three years of tax returns before you talk to anyone. A broker, a buyer and a listing all start from the same figure. Start with the free calculator
Know the broker's minimum before you callAsk for the commission and the minimum fee in writing, and whether your size is one they take. Under about $250,000, the minimum is the number that matters.
Budget the attorney either wayThe purchase agreement needs a licensed attorney whether a broker is involved or not. Put the fee in both columns.
Compare on what you keep after closingNot on the fee alone. Write the price, the fee, the attorney and the listing in two columns and look at the bottom line. See what a listing includes
Sources
Morgan & Westfield, Business Broker and M&A Advisor Fees: A Comprehensive GuideChecked October 2026 (page undated) · None. This is a brokerage firm describing market practice, not a dataset.States that most brokers charge a flat 8% to 12% commission on businesses under $1 million and a minimum fee of $10,000 to $25,000 regardless of sale price. Commissions are negotiated privately and individual agreements vary.
Barnes Walker, How Much Does a Lawyer Charge to Sell a Business?Published April 2026, checked October 18, 2026 · None. One Florida law firm describing its market, not a fee survey.States that attorney fees for selling a business in Florida typically run $3,000 to $15,000 or more, with flat fees of $3,000 to $10,000 for simple asset sales under $500,000 with standard terms, and hourly rates of $250 to $450. One state and one firm; fees elsewhere differ, so get local quotes.
YourBizWorth is not a broker, appraiser, or law firm. This column is general information, not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Questions people ask
Do brokers take small businesses?
Some do, and some set a minimum fee or a minimum deal size instead. Morgan & Westfield reports a minimum of $10,000 to $25,000 at most brokerages, regardless of price. On a small sale that minimum is a large share of the price, so ask before you send your financials.
Is it legal to sell a business without a broker?
Yes. Nothing requires an owner to use a broker. Use a licensed attorney for the purchase agreement, the bill of sale and any note, and an accountant for the tax side.
What does a flat listing fee include?
On YourBizWorth, $697 a month covers the blind listing, the ads we run for it, buyer verification and the confidentiality agreement, and the dashboard where you watch each buyer. It does not include an attorney or an appraisal. If no verified buyer asks about your business in the first 90 days, the next 90 are free.
