What does it cost to sell my business?

The short answer

Budget for the whole deal team, including your advisor, lawyer, tax professionals and diligence work. On a $5M sale, market costs for that team typically total 7.5–9%, including an advisor at about 6.3%; about 6–6.5% at $10M, and lower as deals grow.¹ With RealDeal360, you pay one flat, all-in fee, quoted for your business before you sign. Compare the written scope and payment terms as well as the price.

Start with the whole market-cost picture

What a seller typically pays the full deal team on a $5M sale: advisor about 6.3%, plus legal, tax and diligence, for 7.5–9% total. About 6–6.5% at $10M, and lower as deals grow.¹ These are market benchmarks by sale size. They are not a quote for your business, and sale size is different from yearly earnings.

Firmex separately reports a 4.7% effective success fee at $10M.² That describes the advisor success fee, not the full deal team. Do not add it to the full-team benchmark above or treat the two figures as interchangeable. The source and the scope of a fee matter as much as the number.

Your own budget starts with the work your sale needs. Ask which professionals are included in a proposal and which will bill you separately. Ask who coordinates their work. If a quote covers only the advisor, you still need to understand how the legal, tax and diligence work will be handled.

What you are paying people to do

1. Run the sale

   Your deal advisor organizes preparation, develops the buyer approach, manages questions and helps you compare offers. Ask who will do that work day to day. You should know whom to call, how decisions reach you, and which decisions remain yours. A proposal should describe the service you will receive.

2. Check the terms and the numbers

   Your lawyer reviews the documents and the obligations you are taking on. Your CPA and tax professionals review the financial and tax questions. Diligence work helps support what is being presented to a buyer. Ask how your existing CPA fits into the team, and make sure everyone knows who owns each question.

3. Coordinate the handoff

   Before closing, the team needs to line up documents, outstanding requests and the payment picture. Ask who keeps that list current and who resolves a question that crosses professional roles. You should not have to guess whether a concern belongs with the lawyer, accountant or advisor.

How RealDeal360 quotes the work

Selling your business takes a team. We bring the whole team. With RealDeal360, you pay one flat, all-in fee, quoted for your business before you sign. Your engagement letter sets out the scope and payment terms. Read it with your advisors so you understand what is included and any separately agreed work.

Ask for the payment schedule in writing. What is due at signing? What is due at closing? What happens if you stop the process or the sale does not close? If a retainer is credited toward another payment, ask the team to show how that credit works. Resolve unclear terms before you sign.

An all-in quote is useful when you understand what it covers. Ask about a service you expect to need rather than assuming it is included. If the scope changes, ask how that change will be documented and priced. Keep the written answer with the proposal you are reviewing.

Compare what the sale would leave you

Put competing proposals beside the same description of your business and the same expected work. Separate included services from separate bills. Then ask your team to explain how fees, debt payoff, adjustments and estimated taxes affect the proceeds you could keep. A low headline fee is only part of that discussion.

Keep tax estimates separate from the fee quote and have your CPA review them. For the tax questions to raise before agreeing to a deal, see How much tax will I pay when I sell my business?. The aim is to understand your choices before you commit to the sale process.

Sources

1. Firmex/Axial M&A Fee Guides 2023-24 and 2024-25; published legal, CPA and diligence fee ranges.
2. Firmex, US M&A Fee Guide 2024-25 (published 2025)