If you’re looking to sell a business in the state of California, you may want to consider using one of the business brokers in California that we have listed below.
Using a business broker has many advantages, but one of the most important reasons to use a business broker is that they tend to help their clients get more money for their business.
To determine which California business brokers are the best, we did an extensive outreach campaign and contacted every business broker in the state. If a California business broker did not respond to our request, they did not make our list of the 35 best business brokers in California.
Digital Exits (#1 Best Business Brokers In California)
Digital Exits was founded in 2013 by Robert Kale. An entrepreneur himself, he was interested in offering a simple solution for business brokerage. Digital Exits specializes in online businesses and their brokers have the experience to match. Because of this, they understand the x-factor that comes into play when selling a web-based company.
Digital Exits works with you from the very first step. Their valuation process is based on a submission and their brokers will determine eligibility. Because of this, you can be sure you are ready to sell from the very beginning.
(READ OUR COMPLETE DIGITAL EXITS REVIEW)
Dealflow Brokerage (#2 Best Business Brokers In California)
Next on our list of best business brokers in California is Dealflow Brokerage.
This is one of the California business brokers that focuses mainly on helping people buy and sell online businesses.
Dealflow Brokerage has done over $50 million in completed transactions, has a 93% success rate, and has an investor network of over 1 million people.
With a team of five, Dealflow Brokerage is not large, but they do offer personal service which some larger brokerage firms cannot give.
If you’re looking to buy or sell an online business or to sell a website, Dealflow Brokerage could be the right broker for you.
(READ OUR DEALFLOW BROKERAGE REVIEW)
BizQuest (#3 Best Business Brokers In California)
Founded in 1994, BizQuest claims itself to be the “original business-for-sale website”.
BizQuest is one of the business brokers in California that is not a business broker in the truest sense of the word. It’s more of a marketplace where you can buy and sell businesses of all types.
If you’re a buyer, BizQuest offers an amazing marketplace where you can find thousands of businesses for sale of all types.
If you’re a seller, you gain access to a huge audience of buyers.
If you’re a business broker, BizQuest allows you to become part of their BrokerWorksNetwork giving you exposure that you may not be able to achieve on your own.
The downfall to using California business brokers like BizQuest is that you may not get as much for the sale of your business as you would using a traditional business broker.
(READ OUR IN-DEPTH BIZQUEST REVIEW)
BIZBUYSELL (#4 Best Business Brokers In California)
BIZBUYSELL made it to our list of best business brokers in California because they simply are one of the largest business for sale marketplaces in the world.
With over 45,000 businesses for sale and over 1.4 million people visiting the site each month, the exposure they are able to give a business is amazing.
Like BizQuest though, BIZBUYSELL is not a business broker. It’s a business for sale marketplace where business brokers come to list their business they have for sale.
If you want to get the most for your business, using a traditional business broker is a better option.
(READ OUR EXTENSIVE BIZBUYSELL REVIEW)
Business Team – San Francisco
Next on our list of business brokers in California is Business Team – San Francisco.
Here is a California business broker which has over 35 years of experience helping people buy and sell businesses.
With 80+ full-time associates, Business Team claims to be the largest business brokerage form in the United States.
On top of this, for over 35 years, Business Team has sold over 6,000 businesses of all types.
If you’re looking for one of the business brokers in California that can get the job done for you, Business Team – San Francisco may just be a great fit.
Crossroads Business Brokers, Inc.
Located in Irvine California, Crossroads Business Brokers brings over 16 years of experience to help people buy and sell businesses.
On top of the extensive experience this brokerage brings to the table, they also have a database of over 19,000 buyers and a network of 19 different websites where they gain exposure for sellers (BizQuest, Mergerplace and others).
Acacia Group, Inc.
Acacia Group is next on our list of business brokers in California.
This broker specializes in educational, wholesale, distribution, and service businesses with revenues from $500,000 to $100 million.
They also deal with child day care centers which require much more stringent requirements for buyer qualifications and licensing.
This brokerage is currently run by Nanda Nandkishore. Nanda had built and grown his own business to over $200 million giving him experience that not every business broker has.
Acacia Group offers a free initial consultation to review your business and its financials.
So-Cal Business Brokers
So-Cal Business Brokers is a business broker serving mainly southern California specifically Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties.
So-Cal Business Brokers represents sellers only and does not represent buyers.
This is one of the California business brokers that deals only with these types of businesses:
- Internet businesses
- Manufacturing businesses
- Service businesses
- Distribution businesses
If your business has revenue of $500,000 to $10 million and is in one of the categories listed above, you may want to think about contacting So-Cal Business Brokers.
Vanguard Resource Group
With over 700 businesses sold and 25 years of experience, Vanguard Resource Group is one of the best business brokers in California.
Run by a team of five people, the combined experience of this brokerage is impressive. (https://vrgsandiego.com/our-team)
National Franchise Sales
National Franchise Sales is a franchise resale brokerage that is focused exclusively on the restaurant space.
Since 1978, National Franchise Sales claims to have sold more franchises and more brands than any other brokerage in the country.
They have sold everything from single unit franchises to multi-unit sales of 50 units.
If you’re looking to buy or sell a restaurant franchise, this may be the firm for you to consider.
Practice Consultants
The next broker on our list of business brokers in California is a firm called Practice Consultants.
Unlike other business brokers, Practice Consultants specializes in helping doctors buy and sell ophthalmology, optometry, or optical practices.
They also provide services to those in other medical fields as well.
Started in 1998 by Dr. Bernard Press, Practice Consultants has over 22 years of experience in the field of selling ophthalmology practices.
Business Owner Advisory, a division of Margot Murphy, PC
Business Owner Advisory is run by the principal broker Margot Murphy who herself is a certified business broker. Along with other credentials, Margot serves as the chairperson of the Orange County Chapter of CABB as well.
This California business brokerage deals with businesses of all types from Construction to Janitorial businesses.
Empire Business Solutions – Huntington Beach
Empire Business Solutions is a brokerage located in Huntington Beach California.
Even with a small staff of two brokers, Roy Moss and Margot Murphy, Empire Business Solutions has an incredible amount of knowledge and experience at their disposal. Roy Moss has over 40 years of experience in the business management field and 15 years as a business broker.
Empire Business Solution also has a very impressive closure rate of near 90%.
Lemara Commercial
When it comes to business brokers in California that have a hand in many markets, few are as diverse as Lemara Commercial.
While they are a business broker they also handle commercial real estate, apartment buildings, multi-family units, and hotels. They are multi-faceted and do it all well.
They do this by making sure that every listing and marketing approach is customized to the business or property.
There are many brokers on staff that specialize in an array of sales areas. Whether it is buy-sell business transactions, commercial real estate, or an investment property Lemara Commercial can help.
The Valley Business Broker
The Valley Business Broker is one of the best business brokers in California. They take pride in making a custom plan for each client.
They do this because they understand the needs of those not only trying to exit their business but those wanting to purchase.
This brokerage firm is managed by the principal broker and founder Steve Barnett. He is who anyone buying or selling with this firm is likely to deal with.
He has amazing reviews and is focused on serving the area he lives in. The West Hills of Los Angeles is where he raised his kids and still lives with his wife.
Their focus is bringing businesses and a strong economy to the area.
The Veld Group
If you are looking for business brokers in California that can work with a range of business sizes then the Veld group is what you are looking for.
They help owners sell and potential buyers buy businesses that range from the main-street market to mid-market businesses and beyond. There are many clients they work with that are from private corporations.
They were founded in the late 1970s as a small family real estate business. They did focus on commercial investments, real estate, and consulting at that time.
20 years later the grandson brought the, now a business brokerage firm, to southern California to continue growing.
Westwood-Benson
One of the many California business brokers with many areas of expertise is Westwood-Benson. They want to serve their clients well so they have a number of service areas.
One of them is mergers and acquisitions. This is a big part of their overall business.
They also offer business consulting and valuations so you know exactly what your business is worth and how you can get where you are going.
There is also an in-depth advisory service that they offer as well.
One of the things they use to draw owners to them is assuring them that they will get the highest price for their business.
They are also very serious about making sure their potential buyers are pre-qualified before they are allowed to view listings.
California Business Exchange
Several business brokers in California serve many industries. California Business Exchange is one of those California business brokers.
When you look at the listings on their site, you will see varied businesses and industries. These can be large or small businesses with a range of valuations.
There could be a restaurant listing right next to a pet industry listing or a medical listing. This is a great way to appeal to a variety of buyers and sellers.
On their website, there is a list of the top businesses that they have sold. This is an impressive list that they will likely be adding to soon.
Bay Area Business Brokers – Business Sales – Bob Brooks
Bay Area Business Brokers is a smaller brokerage firm that was established by Bob Brooks. Bob Brooks is still the lead and principal broker of this firm.
He does have two other brokers that work with him. Because they are such a dynamic team they can serve their client base well.
They offer no obligation valuations for businesses. This helps owners decide if they want to sell but also tells them if they can or should sell.
One of the reasons they are so successful is because they offer a comprehensive and customized marketing plan.
By doing this, they bring the potential buyers to the business that is for sale. They also reach out to their network of contacts and buyers they know of.
Pacific Business Sales
Pacific Business Sales was founded in 2001 by Bill Grunau. He has extensive experience in real estate and sales that help him in this business.
The company says that they work with small and mid range companies and businesses. However, their specialty is mid-market businesses.
While sales is their main focus they do offer a variety of services for business owners. They offer valuation services as well as consulting services.
Within the consulting services they offer exit strategy planning and turnaround services.
Gateway Business Sales
Gateway Business Sales used to be known as Pacific Coast Business Brokers and was founded in 2001. The founder, Greg Tobin, took the business from a small firm to what it is now. He is still the president of the company.
What started as a brokerage firm mostly for small, main street businesses, as now grown. The services they offer now include a number of other things.
Mergers, acquisitions, and many different consulting services. They credit the growth of their firm on one thing. How much they value people and relationships.
Western Business Sales – Robert Hartman
One of the top business brokers in California, Western Business Sales is located in the San Francisco Bay area.
They are known for being professional, courteous, and knowledgeable when it comes to business sales.
This firm was founded and is still run by Robert Hartman. He has lived in the Bay Area for forty years and is passionate about business and economic growth in his home area.
There are many services they offer. Valuations are just one aspect of their business. They also offer buyer representation as well.
When it comes to business sales, size doesn’t matter. They will help the owner of a small business as well as larger businesses.
AA Business Sales – Mike Shakeri
AA Business Sales is located in Southern California and specializes in that area. They don’t typically sell or help buyers buy businesses outside of that area.
They do work with businesses that are small or midsize. This would be your main street businesses all the way up to mid-market.
There are services that they provide to help business owners or the new owners of the sale. One of these services is helping obtain or transfer a liquor license in Southern California.
Common Ground Business Brokers
Common Ground Business Brokers in California is a broker that puts people first.
They do have four strengths that are a source of pride for the business and the employees. Mergers and acquisitions are one of them.
The other strengths include helping small businesses that are considered the main street market as well as venture capital fundraising.
Venture capital fundraising is not something we often see in a business brokerage firm.
They are also very strong and experienced with consulting and helping businesses know what steps to take.
Select Business Brokers
Founded in 2005 by Hoke Nagahori, Select Business Brokers is consistently closing big business deals for their clients.
Based in Southern California, they are one of the business brokers in California that does not work with businesses that make less than $1 million dollars. The high end of businesses that they work with are valued at $20 million.
This is the mid-market range. However, according to their website they love a challenge and would look forward to talking to any owner in that range.
They don’t specialize in one specific industry because they want to serve a larger client base.
Central Coast Business Brokers
Located on the Central Coast of California this business brokerage firm has been in business for 20 years.
Focusing mostly on business sales, acquisitions, and advising clients for most of those 20 years.
They put a focus on customer service and working with the clients to achieve the business goals they have.
Central Coast Business Brokers also provides business valuations and can help clients sell faster by offering marketing. This marketing is specifically geared towards business sales.
Green Life Business Group Inc
Green Life Business Group Inc is a little bit different from some of the other brokerage firms we have listed.
They are different in the fact that they specialize in one type of business. Green Life was founded to help owners of Cannabis businesses find buyers for those businesses.
This broker offers a free business valuation for those wanting to sell a Cannabis business. They also offer other services as well.
One of those services is credit cards for Cannabis. This is in addition to Cannabis in-house lending.
You can also apply through them for a business license to have a Cannabis business.
This is definitely one of the business brokers in California that has found their niche.
Solomons Strategic Advisors
Solomons Strategic Advisors, or SSA, has been in business for years and hangs their hat on the strategic practices that they use.
This is not only part of their name. Strategic planning is one of the biggest benefits they offer their clients.
When a client is wanting to exit or grow a business they need to know what it will take to accomplish the goal.
That is where strategic planning comes in and why Solomons Strategic Advisors is one of the top brokers in California.
They also offer a combined 50 years of experience.
Compass First
Compass First is a broker that is much more than a broker. They want to help small business owners have time for what is necessary.
This means that they offer licensing help, legal services, help with commercial transactions, as well as management for small and mid-market businesses.
That is on top of the business sales services like exit planning and marketing strategies.
They do focus on a niche market. That market is the tenant focused niche.
They saw that there was a hole in that niche and decided to fill it.
Mission Peak Brokers, Inc.
The brokerage firm was founded in 2004. They can be found in the Northern California area. Specifically the East Bay.
They are one of the business brokers in California offering many services that can help business owners. One of those is exit planning and brokering a sale.
Marketing is also one of their skill sets that brings buyers to them. They also offer acquisition lending which sets them apart from some of the other firms.
Mission Peak can also help you with commercial property or residential real estate.
Pacific Coast Brokers
Pacific Coast Brokers has definitely kept up with the times when it comes to technology. There are few business transactions that are done in a paperless fashion unless you have worked with this broker.
They want the process of selling or buying a business to be as seamless as possible. This is accomplished by going paperless.
The filing of the forms is much easier this way and there is a smaller chance of something getting lost or misplaced.
Other than their paperless transactions, they are a broker that specializes in small and medium business sales.
Prestige Business Sales
Prestige Business Sales was founded by Gary Bayus. He is still the principal broker and president of the company.
They have a small staff but still make sure the clients get all that they need for a successful sale.
The owner, Gary Bayus, prides himself on never putting his broker fees ahead of the client coming out on top.
They serve small and medium businesses in their area.
Businesses For Sale In California
This brokerage firm offers many services. They also serve many different types of businesses.
Not only do they deal with brick and mortar businesses but also internet businesses.
They also list and market franchises. If you are looking to buy a business and aren’t sure what you are looking for, this is a good place to start.
Because they have such a wide variety of listings, you will get some ideas.
First National Business Corporation – Orange County
This is a brokerage firm that wants to partner with small business owners. They want to truly help them plan and transition well when it is time to leave the business.
Because of this goal they sit down with each client and really listen to what they are envisioning for their business.
From this meeting, the First National Business Broker formulates a plan for the client. A plan that has their best interest in mind.
Manhattan.Biz
The founder and owner of Manhattan.Biz is a broker that has extensive experience. He offers a portfolio that includes international business and e-commerce deals.
The current firm helps clients by offering valuations, targeted marketing, employee stock ownership assistance, and dissolution of partnership.
They can help you do your business deal from start to finish.
