The pros and cons of buying a business through a broker

I've never offered this before.

For six months, I'll work directly with a small group of people, one-on-one, until they close their first acquisition.

There are only a handful of seats. When they're filled, it closes.

It's not cheap, and it's not for everyone. I'm only taking people who are ready to move.

If that's you, the application is below.

Click here to apply.

Happy Wednesday!

When most people start looking for businesses to buy, they start in the same place: listing sites.

Think BizBuySell, SMBMarket, a broker’s email newsletter.

These are the on-market channels: businesses that have been formally listed for sale, usually with a broker managing the process.

It’s a natural starting point, with organized deals, motivated sellers, and a process that’s relatively structured.

But on-market sourcing has real tradeoffs worth understanding before you go all-in on it.

Alex and Dana bought a $1.7M physical therapy business for less than $50K out of pocket just 6 months after joining Acquisition Ace.

They’re now on track to 2x their investment in year one while Alex keeps his W2 job.

👉 Want to join a community where everyone cheers you on and wants you to succeed? Book a call with our team here.

What works about on-market deals

The primary advantage is accessibility.

A business listed with a broker comes with packaged financials, a seller who has already committed to the idea of selling, and a facilitator managing timelines and communications.

You can filter by industry, margin, and geography and have something worth evaluating quickly.

For first-time buyers especially, that structure is valuable.

You’re learning the process at the same time you’re searching, and having organized information to work with makes the early learning curve significantly less steep.

(Inside Acquisition Ace, members learn how to move efficiently through on-market deals, evaluating quickly and standing out in competitive situations without overpaying. To see how our community can help with your first deal, book a call with our team here.)

What to watch for

The main tradeoff is competition.

A publicly listed business is visible to every buyer looking in that space.

That means you’re rarely the only person at the table, and competitive pressure can push prices higher than they’d be in a private conversation.

Broker commissions (typically in the 8-12% range) also factor into the seller’s expectations.

The asking price usually reflects what they want to net after fees, which means the headline number is already carrying that cost.

The bottom line on on-market

On-market deals are real, closeable, and where many first acquisitions happen.

The competition is manageable when you know what you’re looking for and can evaluate quickly.

The structure makes them easier to process, especially early in your search.

Tomorrow, I’ll cover the other side: off-market sourcing, what makes it worth pursuing, and how to use both channels together.

Now…

If you want to work through your search with me directly and make sure you’re not wasting time on the wrong opportunities, I’m taking on a small group of students one-on-one for the first time.

There are only 25 spots, and I expect this to fill up quickly.

If you’d like to learn more about working together one-on-one to acquire your first business…

👉 Tap here to apply.

This is the tool I use to find deals: SMBMarket.com