Updated November 2026. For owners comparing a business broker, a real estate broker, or selling on their own.
Who pays the business broker fee? In most small business sales, the seller does, at closing, out of the sale proceeds, under the engagement agreement the seller signed. The fee is negotiable and not set by law, and it’s usually figured on a “sale price” that can include earn-outs. Homes work much the same: as of November 2026, the seller usually pays the listing fee.
The fee models differ, though. A home listing fee is a negotiable percentage or a flat fee, and since August 17, 2024, buyer-agent offers can’t appear on the MLS. A business broker usually charges a success fee, often with an upfront fee. Selling a house as well? A flat fee MLS listing puts it on the major home search sites and the MLS from $99, with $0 due to Beycome at closing.
Jump to: 💲 Fees compared · 🤝 Who pays · 📄 Fee structure · 🪜 Selling on your own · 📍 Chicago and Illinois · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- Neither real estate nor business broker fees are set by law. Both are negotiated in writing.
- The SBA lists three common ways to value a business: income, market and assets.
- In Illinois, a buyer of business assets must file a notice with the Department of Revenue at least 10 business days before the sale, or risk owing the seller’s unpaid sales taxes.
- For a home, a Beycome flat fee MLS listing starts at $99, with $0 due to Beycome at closing.
If you own a small business and a home, you may sell both in the same year. The two sales use different brokers, different contracts and different fee models. Here’s how they compare, and when selling on your own makes sense.
How do real estate and business broker fees compare?
| Home sale (real estate broker) | Business sale (business broker) | |
|---|---|---|
| What’s sold | The property | Assets or shares: equipment, inventory, customers, goodwill, sometimes real estate |
| Fee model | Percentage of price, or a flat fee | Success fee on closing, sometimes plus an upfront or monthly fee |
| Set by law? | No. Negotiable | No. Negotiable |
| Where it’s marketed | The local MLS, then portals | Business-for-sale sites and broker networks; no MLS |
| Typical buyer funding | Mortgage | Cash, seller financing, SBA-backed loans |
| Confidentiality | Public listing | Often marketed without the name, under an NDA |
One fundamental difference: a home buyer can see almost everything before an offer. A business buyer needs your books, tax returns and contracts, which you share only under a confidentiality agreement. That due diligence is a big part of what a business broker manages.
The real estate side
On a home sale, the listing fee pays the listing broker. Whether you also offer anything to the buyer’s agent is your choice. The National Association of Realtors says compensation remains fully negotiable, and that since August 17, 2024 offers to buyer brokers can’t be shown on the MLS. Our guide on real estate agent commission costs and how to reduce them walks through the numbers.
As an example, a 3% listing fee on a $417,500 home, the U.S. median existing-home price in September 2026 per NAR, would be $12,525. That figure is an example only. Commissions are not set by law or NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer buyer-agent compensation, and how much.
The business side
Business brokers set their own fees, and the structure varies a lot. Get these in writing: the success fee and how it’s calculated, any upfront or monthly fee, and whether you owe a fee if you find the buyer yourself. Also ask about the “tail”: how long after the agreement ends a fee is still owed to a buyer the broker introduced.
The International Business Brokers Association is the main trade group for business brokers, and it publishes a quarterly market survey with M&A Source. Use it to find a member near you and to compare how brokers describe their services.
Who pays the business broker fee?
In most small business sales, the seller hires the broker and pays the fee, usually at closing from the sale proceeds. The engagement agreement you sign says who pays, when, and on what amount. Read the definition of “sale price” closely. It may include seller financing, earn-outs or assumed debt, which can raise the fee.
The same is true in real estate: the seller usually pays the listing broker at closing. A buyer may pay their own agent, or ask the seller to contribute.
There’s one case where the buyer pays. Some buyers, often investment groups or repeat buyers, hire a broker of their own to find deals. That buy-side broker works for the buyer, and the buyer pays the fee under a separate agreement. It doesn’t replace the fee you owe your own broker.
How are business broker fees structured?
A business broker fee can have up to four parts, and each one is open to negotiation. Ask for all of them in writing before you sign:
- Success fee: a percentage of the sale price, paid at closing. Some brokers use a sliding scale where the rate drops as the price goes up.
- Minimum fee: a floor that applies if the business sells for less than hoped.
- Upfront or retainer fee: paid at signing for the valuation and the marketing package. Ask whether it’s credited against the success fee.
- Tail: how long after the agreement ends you still owe a fee if a buyer the broker introduced comes back.
Since none of this is set by law, two brokers in the same city can quote very different deals for the same shop. Run each quote at your expected price and compare the total dollars, not the headline percentage. If real estate is part of the sale, ask whether the broker charges the same rate on the building; some don’t. Owners who hold the building as an investment can read what to know about business investment properties first.
For the money side of either sale, the ConsumerFinance.gov site has plain guides on loans and closing documents, and Bankrate tracks loan rates if you’re financing your next move.
Can you sell a business or a home without a broker?
Yes, both. It’s your choice, and each path has trade-offs.
Selling a home on your own
You can list on the MLS through a flat fee broker and handle showings and offers yourself. With the Beycome flat-fee MLS listing option, Basic is $99 in most states (Illinois has its own price, shown on the Illinois listing page), with $0 due to Beycome at closing. Offer and negotiation help comes from the Artur AI assistant. If you’d rather have an expert working with you, Beycome Concierge gives you full support while you stay in control of every decision. A local agent is the other path, and many sellers prefer it. Beycome works with local agents, title companies and lenders on the other side of deals every day.
About 36% of Beycome sales closed in 2026 so far had a buyer with no agent at all (Beycome internal data, 2026). Start with a price from our home value estimator.
Selling a business on your own
The SBA’s guide to closing or selling a business says to set a value before you market it. It lists three common valuation methods:
Sell smarter
List your home on the MLS from $99
A flat fee instead of a percentage, and $0 to Beycome at closing. You stay in control of your sale.
Sell your home →Buy smarter
Get up to 2% back at closing
On homes listed by other agents, Beycome credits you up to 2% of the price at closing (1% kept, $1,499 minimum; not on FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers).
Buy a home →- Income approach: looks at projected revenue and the risks to it.
- Market approach: compares your business with similar ones that sold recently.
- Assets approach: total assets minus total liabilities.
The SBA also says to prepare a sales agreement, list all inventory, note any broker fees, and have an attorney review it. Without a broker, you’ll find buyers, screen them, share books under an NDA and run the negotiation yourself. That works best when you already know a likely buyer, such as a key employee, a competitor or a family member.
| Task | With a broker | On your own |
|---|---|---|
| Valuation | Broker’s opinion; appraiser if needed | Appraiser, CPA or SBA resources |
| Finding buyers | Broker’s network and listings | Your contacts, business-for-sale sites |
| Confidentiality | Broker screens and signs NDAs | You do |
| Contract | Attorney, with broker input | Attorney |
Business broker vs DIY selling in Chicago: what’s different?
Illinois adds a step that catches sellers and buyers off guard. Under 35 ILCS 120/5j, when a business sells the major part of its stock of goods, furniture and fixtures, machinery and equipment, or real property outside the usual course of business, the buyer must file a notice of the sale with the Illinois Department of Revenue no later than 10 business days before the sale.
If the buyer doesn’t file on time, the buyer can become personally liable for the seller’s unpaid taxes under that act, up to the value of what they bought. The Department can also order the buyer to hold back part of the price. That’s why Chicago buyers’ attorneys ask about it early, broker or not.
- Ask your attorney when the notice will be filed.
- Get your sales tax filings current before you list.
- Expect the buyer to ask for a holdback if anything is unresolved.
Selling a Chicago home too? Our guide to selling your Chicago home without a realtor covers MRED, Illinois disclosures and Cook County costs, and the Illinois FSBO guide covers the rest of the state. Beycome lists on MRED and MARIS in Illinois (Beycome internal data, October 2026).
What if the business runs from your home?
Many small businesses run from a home office, a garage shop or a mixed-use building. If the property is part of the deal, you have two sales in one: the business and the real estate. Price them separately, and ask your CPA how each part is taxed.
Buying a home that can also house your next business? Read how to find a home perfect to build a business from. The Beycome buy-a-home portal runs a buyer program open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents (the commission credit can’t apply where no buyer-agent commission is offered, like most FSBO homes, or on homes listed by Beycome sellers). Beycome keeps 1% of the price, minimum $1,499, and credits the rest of the buyer-agent commission at closing, with lender approval.
Weighing a discount broker for the home? Compare low commission brokers vs. flat fee MLS services before you sign anything.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the business broker fee?
Usually the seller, at closing, under the engagement agreement they signed. The agreement sets the amount and what counts as the sale price.
Can the buyer pay the business broker fee?
Only for a broker the buyer hired. A buy-side broker works for the buyer and is paid by the buyer; the seller’s broker is still paid by the seller, unless the purchase agreement says otherwise.
What are typical business broker fees made of?
A success fee on the sale price, sometimes on a sliding scale, plus a possible minimum fee, an upfront retainer and a tail period. All of it is negotiable.
What is one fundamental difference between real estate brokerage and business brokerage?
A home is marketed publicly on the MLS. A business is usually marketed confidentially, and buyers see the books only after signing an NDA.
Are business broker fees set by law?
No. Like real estate commissions, they’re negotiated between you and the broker.
Do I need a broker to sell a business in Chicago?
No, it’s your choice. Either way, the Illinois bulk sale notice must be filed at least 10 business days before the sale.
How much does it cost to list a home on the MLS without an agent?
With Beycome, Basic is $99 in most states as of November 2026, with $0 due to Beycome at closing. Illinois and California have their own price, shown on each state page.
How is a small business valued?
The SBA lists the income, market and assets approaches. Many sellers use an appraiser or CPA for a formal number.
What’s the difference between a luxury brokerage and a property portal?
A brokerage is a licensed firm that represents a buyer or seller. A property portal is a website that shows listings, mostly fed by the MLS, and earns from advertising. A portal doesn’t represent anyone.
More on home-selling costs: Realtor Commission Costs and Smarter Home Selling Options and real estate agent commissions: what you’re really paying. Questions about Beycome itself? Support is 7 days a week, Artur AI 24/7.
Commission figures are examples only. Real estate commissions are not set by law or by NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer any compensation to a buyer’s agent, and how much; since August 17, 2024, those offers can’t be shown on the MLS.
Prices as of November 2026. Basic is $99 in most states; Illinois and California show their own price on the state page. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; other closing costs, taxes and any buyer-agent compensation you agree to still apply. Buyer credit: minimum $1,499, lender approval needed. General information, not legal or tax advice.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration, close or sell your business, read October 26, 2026.
- 35 ILCS 120/5j, Illinois notice of sale of business assets, read October 26, 2026.
- NAR, what the settlement means for home sellers, read October 26, 2026.
- NAR, existing-home sales, September 2026.
- IBBA, Market Pulse reports, read October 26, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
Disclosure & Disclaimer
Beycome provides real estate services through affiliated licensed brokerages and has a commercial interest in the services and business models discussed on this blog. Content reflects Beycome’s perspective and may promote our services; it should not be treated as independent or neutral reporting.
Articles are provided for general informational and educational purposes only, not as financial, tax, legal, or investment advice or a recommendation for your particular situation. Reading this blog does not create a brokerage, advisory, or other professional relationship.
Information, opinions, pricing, service descriptions, and comparisons reflect the sources and information available when an article was published or last updated and may change. Although we aim for accuracy, we do not guarantee that all content is complete, current, or applicable to your circumstances. Laws, market conditions, and service availability vary by location. Examples and estimated savings are illustrative, depend on stated assumptions, and do not guarantee individual results.
Verify relevant information directly and consult qualified professionals before making decisions. Beycome services are subject to applicable agreements, eligibility requirements, and state-specific terms.
