{ "name": "brokervsadvisor.com Intermediary Fee Index", "title": "Intermediary Fee Index", "url": "https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index/", "csv": "https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index.csv", "markdown": "https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index/index.md", "computed_at": "2026-11-11", "license": "https://brokervsadvisor.com/terms", "headline": "The median published figure in the Intermediary Fee Index is 5 percent across 4 sources' own pages (range 2 to 10 percent), read 10 November 2026.", "quotes": [ "The median published figure in the Intermediary Fee Index is 5 percent across 4 sources' own pages (range 2 to 10 percent), read 10 November 2026.", "4 of the 38 named sources read in full publish a figure; 34 publish none, read 10 November 2026.", "The median is unchanged since 23 October 2026 (was 5 percent across 4)." ], "citation": "\"brokervsadvisor.com Intermediary Fee Index\", updated 2026-11-11, https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index/.", "changed_since": { "since": "2026-10-23", "previous_median": 5, "delta": 0, "direction": "unchanged", "sentence": "The median is unchanged since 23 October 2026 (was 5 percent across 4)." }, "national": { "unit": "%", "n": 4, "median": 5, "min": 2, "max": 10, "p25": 2.75, "p75": 8.75, "mean": 5.5, "units": { "%": 4 }, "published_sources": 4, "named_sources": 39, "read_sources": 38, "not_published": 34, "published_share": 0.105 }, "by_axis": {}, "rows": [ { "source": "Archstone Business Brokers, what does a business broker charge", "url": "https://www.archstonebrokers.com/business-broker-fees", "figure": "2%", "value": 2, "unit": "%", "vat": null, "axis": {}, "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "quote": "For lower middle market businesses in the $1M–$50M range, our fees are lower and structured by deal size, ranging from 2% to 10%.", "source_class": "primary-provider-own-site", "text_sha256": "8dc795e5a7151a4d8baada6b1d6e9e6991e4137a815d9d0f26939cf594e3e4d0" }, { "source": "Hornblower Business Brokers (GB), fees for selling a business", "url": "https://hornblower-businesses.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business/", "figure": "5%", "value": 5, "unit": "%", "vat": null, "axis": {}, "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "quote": "At Hornblower, our fees are £2,500 on engagement, £2,500 on signing of Heads of Terms and 5% on completion of the sale.", "source_class": "primary-provider-own-site", "text_sha256": "97c275d60a0ea69ecf48ab83578cefbf6995c01611a86bab4e492cfa3ce9830c" }, { "source": "Churchfield Business Brokers (GB), our fees", "url": "https://churchfield.co.uk/fees/", "figure": "5%", "value": 5, "unit": "%", "vat": null, "axis": {}, "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "quote": "Our success fee is 5% on the first £1m of the value our client receives on completion and 3% on anything over £1m.", "source_class": "primary-provider-own-site", "text_sha256": "aec28dcedabe8506ca7a0a1228117747d3d77e92ee8c8fa0a9e1b8d665abf273" }, { "source": "Synergy Business Brokers, what fees are paid for selling a business", "url": "https://synergybb.com/blog/what-fees-are-paid-for-selling-a-business/", "figure": "10%", "value": 10, "unit": "%", "vat": null, "axis": {}, "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "quote": "We charge a flat fee of 10% for businesses that have a cash flow of $600,000 or less.", "source_class": "primary-provider-own-site", "text_sha256": "44d0a79918c9253f3b5c858a2e75c495a40272ff83aebb4d3deaed2f3aa6695e" } ], "not_published": [ { "source": "Website Closers, how much do business brokers charge", "url": "https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-website-broker-2/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Crowne Atlantic, how much do business brokers charge", "url": "https://www.crowneatlantic.com/business-broker-articles/how-much-do-business-brokers-charge/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "East Coast Advisory Team, business broker commission fees", "url": "https://www.eastcoastadvisoryteam.com/post/business-broker-commission-fees", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "1719 Partners, how much do brokers charge to sell a business", "url": "https://1719partners.com/how-much-do-brokers-charge-to-sell-a-business/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Eton Venture Services, M&A fees by deal size", "url": "https://etonvs.com/ma/m-and-a-advisory-fees/", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Millsaps, how much does a business broker charge", "url": "https://sellwithmillsaps.com/how-much-does-a-business-broker-charge/", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "MidStreet, business broker pricing and fees when selling a business", "url": "https://www.midstreet.com/blog/business-broker-fees-when-selling-a-business", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Raincatcher, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment banker", "url": "https://raincatcher.com/business-broker-vs-ma-advisor-vs-investment-banker/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Exitwise, business broker fees", "url": "https://exitwise.com/blog/business-broker-fees", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Praxis Rock, sell-side M&A advisory fees", "url": "https://praxisrock.com/insights/sell-side-advisory-fees", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "CT Acquisitions, M&A advisor fee structure explained", "url": "https://ctacquisitions.com/m-and-a-advisor-fee-structure/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "CT Acquisitions, how much do M&A advisors charge in 2026", "url": "https://ctacquisitions.com/ma-advisor-fees-how-much-do-they-charge/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Founders Advisors, understanding M&A advisory fees", "url": "https://foundersib.com/2024/11/04/understanding-ma-advisory-fees/", "retrieved_at": "2026-10-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Grasemann Group, business broker vs M&A advisor", "url": "https://www.grasemanngroup.com/post/business-broker-vs-m-a-advisor-the-difference-and-why-it-matters", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Venture North Group, what does a business broker charge", "url": "https://venturenorthgroup.com/business-broker-charge/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Auxo Capital Advisors, Lehman formula and M&A advisor fees", "url": "https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/m-a-advisor-fees-modified-lehman/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Auxo Capital Advisors, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment bank", "url": "https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/ma-advisor-vs-business-broker-vs-investment-bank/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "read in full and no accepted figure on the page" }, { "source": "HedgeStone, average commission for a business broker", "url": "https://www.hedgestone.com/business-brokering/what-is-the-average-commission-for-a-business-broker/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Revenue Rocket, M&A fees before, during and after close", "url": "https://www.revenuerocket.com/ma-fees-what-to-expect-before-during-and-after-close/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Livmo, why an M&A advisor charges a retainer", "url": "https://livmo.com/blog/reasons-why-an-m-and-a-advisor-charges-a-retainer/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Synergy M&A, M&A fee structures: retainer, success fee, Lehman formula", "url": "https://masynergy.eu/blog/m-and-a-fee-structures", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Advisor Legacy, how to choose the right M&A advisor or business broker", "url": "https://advisorlegacy.com/blog/work-with-ma-advisors", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Biz Advisory Board, how much do M&A advisors charge by deal size", "url": "https://bizadvisoryboard.com/ma-advisory-fees/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Website Closers, should I choose an M&A advisor or a business broker?", "url": "https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/should-i-choose-an-m-a-advisor-or-a-business-broker/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Nationwide Businesses (GB), selling - no sale no fee", "url": "https://www.nationwidebusinesses.co.uk/selling/index.asp", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "read in full and no accepted figure on the page" }, { "source": "Turner Butler (GB), sell your business, no sale no fee", "url": "https://www.turnerbutler.co.uk/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "TheNonExec (GB), M&A fees to sell your business", "url": "https://www.thenonexecutive.com/ma-fees-to-sell-your-business/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Uscita (GB), fees for selling a business: the complete list", "url": "https://www.uscita.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business-the-complete-list/", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "ClearlyAcquired, how much do business broker fees cost", "url": "https://www.clearlyacquired.com/blog/how-much-do-business-broker-fees-actually-cost-in-2026", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "BizBuySell learning centre, understanding business broker fees", "url": "https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/article/business-broker-fees/", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "Baton, who pays the business broker fee", "url": "https://www.baton.com/resources/own/who-pays-business-broker-fee", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "DealRoom, buy-side M&A fees", "url": "https://dealroom.net/blog/buy-side-m-a-fees", "retrieved_at": "2026-09-11", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "First Page Sage, M&A advisory fee structure report", "url": "https://firstpagesage.com/business/ma-advisory-fee-structure/", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" }, { "source": "M&A Community, M&A fees by deal size", "url": "https://mnacommunity.com/insights/ma-fees-by-deal-size/", "retrieved_at": "2026-11-10", "reason": "every candidate on the page was refused" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.archstonebrokers.com/business-broker-fees", "label": "Archstone Business Brokers, what does a business broker charge", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-website-broker-2/", "label": "Website Closers, how much do business brokers charge", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://synergybb.com/blog/what-fees-are-paid-for-selling-a-business/", "label": "Synergy Business Brokers, what fees are paid for selling a business", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.crowneatlantic.com/business-broker-articles/how-much-do-business-brokers-charge/", "label": "Crowne Atlantic, how much do business brokers charge", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.eastcoastadvisoryteam.com/post/business-broker-commission-fees", "label": "East Coast Advisory Team, business broker commission fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://1719partners.com/how-much-do-brokers-charge-to-sell-a-business/", "label": "1719 Partners, how much do brokers charge to sell a business", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://etonvs.com/ma/m-and-a-advisory-fees/", "label": "Eton Venture Services, M&A fees by deal size", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://sellwithmillsaps.com/how-much-does-a-business-broker-charge/", "label": "Millsaps, how much does a business broker charge", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.midstreet.com/blog/business-broker-fees-when-selling-a-business", "label": "MidStreet, business broker pricing and fees when selling a business", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://raincatcher.com/business-broker-vs-ma-advisor-vs-investment-banker/", "label": "Raincatcher, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment banker", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://exitwise.com/blog/business-broker-fees", "label": "Exitwise, business broker fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://praxisrock.com/insights/sell-side-advisory-fees", "label": "Praxis Rock, sell-side M&A advisory fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://ctacquisitions.com/m-and-a-advisor-fee-structure/", "label": "CT Acquisitions, M&A advisor fee structure explained", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://ctacquisitions.com/ma-advisor-fees-how-much-do-they-charge/", "label": "CT Acquisitions, how much do M&A advisors charge in 2026", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://foundersib.com/2024/11/04/understanding-ma-advisory-fees/", "label": "Founders Advisors, understanding M&A advisory fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.grasemanngroup.com/post/business-broker-vs-m-a-advisor-the-difference-and-why-it-matters", "label": "Grasemann Group, business broker vs M&A advisor", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://venturenorthgroup.com/business-broker-charge/", "label": "Venture North Group, what does a business broker charge", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/m-a-advisor-fees-modified-lehman/", "label": "Auxo Capital Advisors, Lehman formula and M&A advisor fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/ma-advisor-vs-business-broker-vs-investment-bank/", "label": "Auxo Capital Advisors, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment bank", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.hedgestone.com/business-brokering/what-is-the-average-commission-for-a-business-broker/", "label": "HedgeStone, average commission for a business broker", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.revenuerocket.com/ma-fees-what-to-expect-before-during-and-after-close/", "label": "Revenue Rocket, M&A fees before, during and after close", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://livmo.com/blog/reasons-why-an-m-and-a-advisor-charges-a-retainer/", "label": "Livmo, why an M&A advisor charges a retainer", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://masynergy.eu/blog/m-and-a-fee-structures", "label": "Synergy M&A, M&A fee structures: retainer, success fee, Lehman formula", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://advisorlegacy.com/blog/work-with-ma-advisors", "label": "Advisor Legacy, how to choose the right M&A advisor or business broker", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://bizadvisoryboard.com/ma-advisory-fees/", "label": "Biz Advisory Board, how much do M&A advisors charge by deal size", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/should-i-choose-an-m-a-advisor-or-a-business-broker/", "label": "Website Closers, should I choose an M&A advisor or a business broker?", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.nationwidebusinesses.co.uk/selling/index.asp", "label": "Nationwide Businesses (GB), selling - no sale no fee", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.turnerbutler.co.uk/", "label": "Turner Butler (GB), sell your business, no sale no fee", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://hornblower-businesses.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business/", "label": "Hornblower Business Brokers (GB), fees for selling a business", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.thenonexecutive.com/ma-fees-to-sell-your-business/", "label": "TheNonExec (GB), M&A fees to sell your business", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.uscita.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business-the-complete-list/", "label": "Uscita (GB), fees for selling a business: the complete list", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://churchfield.co.uk/fees/", "label": "Churchfield Business Brokers (GB), our fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.clearlyacquired.com/blog/how-much-do-business-broker-fees-actually-cost-in-2026", "label": "ClearlyAcquired, how much do business broker fees cost", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/article/business-broker-fees/", "label": "BizBuySell learning centre, understanding business broker fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.baton.com/resources/own/who-pays-business-broker-fee", "label": "Baton, who pays the business broker fee", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://dealroom.net/blog/buy-side-m-a-fees", "label": "DealRoom, buy-side M&A fees", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://firstpagesage.com/business/ma-advisory-fee-structure/", "label": "First Page Sage, M&A advisory fee structure report", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://mnacommunity.com/insights/ma-fees-by-deal-size/", "label": "M&A Community, M&A fees by deal size", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" }, { "url": "https://www.ibba.org/find-a-business-broker/", "label": "ibba.org", "license": "the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment" } ], "methodology": "Every row is a verbatim sentence read from the named source's own page through our fetch service on the date shown, hash-pinned to the stored read (the sha of the page's visible text; the raw page is mirrored to R2). 4 of the 38 named sources that could be read published a usable figure; 34 published none and are recorded as not published, never filled in; 1 could not be read (blocked, dead or unreachable) and count nowhere. The headline figures (median, minimum, maximum, quartiles) are over ONE figure per source in % (a source's median where its page yielded several accepted sentences), so N counts sources, never sentences; 414 candidate sentence(s) were refused by a reviewer with the reason recorded. The fuller derivation this dataset is chartered to grow into (not yet what the figures above are; they are each source's own published figure as read): one row per intermediary per published engagement - the type it calls itself (broker, M&A advisor, investment bank), the structure (flat percentage, Lehman or modified Lehman scale, retainer plus success fee, work-product fee, minimum), each component's figure and the deal-size band it applies to - and the derivation nobody publishes: the effective all-in fee as a PERCENTAGE OF PROCEEDS at $500k, $2m, $10m and $50m computed across every firm that publishes a structure, the point on the deal-size axis where broker economics and advisor economics cross, how many firms publish a figure at all versus quote-only, and the same curve computed separately for GB (staged fixed fees plus completion commission) and the US", "embed": "

5 percent

median published figure, Intermediary Fee Index, across 4 sources, read 10 November 2026

Source: brokervsadvisor.com Intermediary Fee Index
" }