# Business broker fees: Intermediary Fee Index

> 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.

Broker vs Advisor · https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index/ · computed 2026-11-11

**Median published figure:** 5 % (range 2 to 10 %; 4 published figures; 4 of 38 sources read publish one).

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).

## Every figure, with its source

One row per source: the figure the source's own page publishes, the page, and the day it was read.

| Source | Figure | Read |
|---|---|---|
| [Synergy Business Brokers, what fees are paid for selling a business](https://synergybb.com/blog/what-fees-are-paid-for-selling-a-business/) | 10 % | 2026-11-10 |
| [Hornblower Business Brokers (GB), fees for selling a business](https://hornblower-businesses.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business/) | 5 % | 2026-09-11 |
| [Churchfield Business Brokers (GB), our fees](https://churchfield.co.uk/fees/) | 5 % | 2026-09-11 |
| [Archstone Business Brokers, what does a business broker charge](https://www.archstonebrokers.com/business-broker-fees) | 2 % | 2026-11-10 |

## The sentence each figure was read from (4)

- [Synergy Business Brokers, what fees are paid for selling a business](https://synergybb.com/blog/what-fees-are-paid-for-selling-a-business/), read 2026-11-10: "We charge a flat fee of 10% for businesses that have a cash flow of $600,000 or less."
- [Hornblower Business Brokers (GB), fees for selling a business](https://hornblower-businesses.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business/), read 2026-09-11: "At Hornblower, our fees are £2,500 on engagement, £2,500 on signing of Heads of Terms and 5% on completion of the sale."
- [Churchfield Business Brokers (GB), our fees](https://churchfield.co.uk/fees/), read 2026-09-11: "Our success fee is 5% on the first £1m of the value our client receives on completion and 3% on anything over £1m."
- [Archstone Business Brokers, what does a business broker charge](https://www.archstonebrokers.com/business-broker-fees), read 2026-11-10: "For lower middle market businesses in the $1M–$50M range, our fees are lower and structured by deal size, ranging from 2% to 10%."

## Read in full, publishes no figure

- [Website Closers, how much do business brokers charge](https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-website-broker-2/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Crowne Atlantic, how much do business brokers charge](https://www.crowneatlantic.com/business-broker-articles/how-much-do-business-brokers-charge/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [East Coast Advisory Team, business broker commission fees](https://www.eastcoastadvisoryteam.com/post/business-broker-commission-fees), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [1719 Partners, how much do brokers charge to sell a business](https://1719partners.com/how-much-do-brokers-charge-to-sell-a-business/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Eton Venture Services, M&A fees by deal size](https://etonvs.com/ma/m-and-a-advisory-fees/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Millsaps, how much does a business broker charge](https://sellwithmillsaps.com/how-much-does-a-business-broker-charge/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [MidStreet, business broker pricing and fees when selling a business](https://www.midstreet.com/blog/business-broker-fees-when-selling-a-business), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Raincatcher, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment banker](https://raincatcher.com/business-broker-vs-ma-advisor-vs-investment-banker/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Exitwise, business broker fees](https://exitwise.com/blog/business-broker-fees), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Praxis Rock, sell-side M&A advisory fees](https://praxisrock.com/insights/sell-side-advisory-fees), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [CT Acquisitions, M&A advisor fee structure explained](https://ctacquisitions.com/m-and-a-advisor-fee-structure/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [CT Acquisitions, how much do M&A advisors charge in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/ma-advisor-fees-how-much-do-they-charge/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Founders Advisors, understanding M&A advisory fees](https://foundersib.com/2024/11/04/understanding-ma-advisory-fees/), read 2026-10-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Grasemann Group, business broker vs M&A advisor](https://www.grasemanngroup.com/post/business-broker-vs-m-a-advisor-the-difference-and-why-it-matters), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Venture North Group, what does a business broker charge](https://venturenorthgroup.com/business-broker-charge/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Auxo Capital Advisors, Lehman formula and M&A advisor fees](https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/m-a-advisor-fees-modified-lehman/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Auxo Capital Advisors, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment bank](https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/ma-advisor-vs-business-broker-vs-investment-bank/), read 2026-09-11: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [HedgeStone, average commission for a business broker](https://www.hedgestone.com/business-brokering/what-is-the-average-commission-for-a-business-broker/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Revenue Rocket, M&A fees before, during and after close](https://www.revenuerocket.com/ma-fees-what-to-expect-before-during-and-after-close/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Livmo, why an M&A advisor charges a retainer](https://livmo.com/blog/reasons-why-an-m-and-a-advisor-charges-a-retainer/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Synergy M&A, M&A fee structures: retainer, success fee, Lehman formula](https://masynergy.eu/blog/m-and-a-fee-structures), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Advisor Legacy, how to choose the right M&A advisor or business broker](https://advisorlegacy.com/blog/work-with-ma-advisors), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Biz Advisory Board, how much do M&A advisors charge by deal size](https://bizadvisoryboard.com/ma-advisory-fees/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Website Closers, should I choose an M&A advisor or a business broker?](https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/should-i-choose-an-m-a-advisor-or-a-business-broker/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Nationwide Businesses (GB), selling - no sale no fee](https://www.nationwidebusinesses.co.uk/selling/index.asp), read 2026-09-11: read in full and no accepted figure on the page
- [Turner Butler (GB), sell your business, no sale no fee](https://www.turnerbutler.co.uk/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [TheNonExec (GB), M&A fees to sell your business](https://www.thenonexecutive.com/ma-fees-to-sell-your-business/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Uscita (GB), fees for selling a business: the complete list](https://www.uscita.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business-the-complete-list/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [ClearlyAcquired, how much do business broker fees cost](https://www.clearlyacquired.com/blog/how-much-do-business-broker-fees-actually-cost-in-2026), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [BizBuySell learning centre, understanding business broker fees](https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/article/business-broker-fees/), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [Baton, who pays the business broker fee](https://www.baton.com/resources/own/who-pays-business-broker-fee), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [DealRoom, buy-side M&A fees](https://dealroom.net/blog/buy-side-m-a-fees), read 2026-09-11: every candidate on the page was refused
- [First Page Sage, M&A advisory fee structure report](https://firstpagesage.com/business/ma-advisory-fee-structure/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused
- [M&A Community, M&A fees by deal size](https://mnacommunity.com/insights/ma-fees-by-deal-size/), read 2026-11-10: every candidate on the page was refused

## 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

## Sources

- [Archstone Business Brokers, what does a business broker charge](https://www.archstonebrokers.com/business-broker-fees) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Website Closers, how much do business brokers charge](https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-hire-a-website-broker-2/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Synergy Business Brokers, what fees are paid for selling a business](https://synergybb.com/blog/what-fees-are-paid-for-selling-a-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Crowne Atlantic, how much do business brokers charge](https://www.crowneatlantic.com/business-broker-articles/how-much-do-business-brokers-charge/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [East Coast Advisory Team, business broker commission fees](https://www.eastcoastadvisoryteam.com/post/business-broker-commission-fees) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [1719 Partners, how much do brokers charge to sell a business](https://1719partners.com/how-much-do-brokers-charge-to-sell-a-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Eton Venture Services, M&A fees by deal size](https://etonvs.com/ma/m-and-a-advisory-fees/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Millsaps, how much does a business broker charge](https://sellwithmillsaps.com/how-much-does-a-business-broker-charge/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [MidStreet, business broker pricing and fees when selling a business](https://www.midstreet.com/blog/business-broker-fees-when-selling-a-business) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Raincatcher, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment banker](https://raincatcher.com/business-broker-vs-ma-advisor-vs-investment-banker/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Exitwise, business broker fees](https://exitwise.com/blog/business-broker-fees) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Praxis Rock, sell-side M&A advisory fees](https://praxisrock.com/insights/sell-side-advisory-fees) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [CT Acquisitions, M&A advisor fee structure explained](https://ctacquisitions.com/m-and-a-advisor-fee-structure/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [CT Acquisitions, how much do M&A advisors charge in 2026](https://ctacquisitions.com/ma-advisor-fees-how-much-do-they-charge/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Founders Advisors, understanding M&A advisory fees](https://foundersib.com/2024/11/04/understanding-ma-advisory-fees/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Grasemann Group, business broker vs M&A advisor](https://www.grasemanngroup.com/post/business-broker-vs-m-a-advisor-the-difference-and-why-it-matters) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Venture North Group, what does a business broker charge](https://venturenorthgroup.com/business-broker-charge/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Auxo Capital Advisors, Lehman formula and M&A advisor fees](https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/m-a-advisor-fees-modified-lehman/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Auxo Capital Advisors, business broker vs M&A advisor vs investment bank](https://auxocapitaladvisors.com/ma-advisor-vs-business-broker-vs-investment-bank/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [HedgeStone, average commission for a business broker](https://www.hedgestone.com/business-brokering/what-is-the-average-commission-for-a-business-broker/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Revenue Rocket, M&A fees before, during and after close](https://www.revenuerocket.com/ma-fees-what-to-expect-before-during-and-after-close/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Livmo, why an M&A advisor charges a retainer](https://livmo.com/blog/reasons-why-an-m-and-a-advisor-charges-a-retainer/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Synergy M&A, M&A fee structures: retainer, success fee, Lehman formula](https://masynergy.eu/blog/m-and-a-fee-structures) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Advisor Legacy, how to choose the right M&A advisor or business broker](https://advisorlegacy.com/blog/work-with-ma-advisors) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Biz Advisory Board, how much do M&A advisors charge by deal size](https://bizadvisoryboard.com/ma-advisory-fees/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Website Closers, should I choose an M&A advisor or a business broker?](https://www.websiteclosers.com/resources/should-i-choose-an-m-a-advisor-or-a-business-broker/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Nationwide Businesses (GB), selling - no sale no fee](https://www.nationwidebusinesses.co.uk/selling/index.asp) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Turner Butler (GB), sell your business, no sale no fee](https://www.turnerbutler.co.uk/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Hornblower Business Brokers (GB), fees for selling a business](https://hornblower-businesses.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [TheNonExec (GB), M&A fees to sell your business](https://www.thenonexecutive.com/ma-fees-to-sell-your-business/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Uscita (GB), fees for selling a business: the complete list](https://www.uscita.co.uk/fees-for-selling-a-business-the-complete-list/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Churchfield Business Brokers (GB), our fees](https://churchfield.co.uk/fees/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [ClearlyAcquired, how much do business broker fees cost](https://www.clearlyacquired.com/blog/how-much-do-business-broker-fees-actually-cost-in-2026) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [BizBuySell learning centre, understanding business broker fees](https://www.bizbuysell.com/learning-center/article/business-broker-fees/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [Baton, who pays the business broker fee](https://www.baton.com/resources/own/who-pays-business-broker-fee) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [DealRoom, buy-side M&A fees](https://dealroom.net/blog/buy-side-m-a-fees) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [First Page Sage, M&A advisory fee structure report](https://firstpagesage.com/business/ma-advisory-fee-structure/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [M&A Community, M&A fees by deal size](https://mnacommunity.com/insights/ma-fees-by-deal-size/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)
- [ibba.org](https://www.ibba.org/find-a-business-broker/) (the publisher's own terms; quoted for reporting and comment)

## Cite or embed

- 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).

Cite as: "brokervsadvisor.com Intermediary Fee Index", updated 2026-11-11, https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index/.

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Embed (plain HTML, static link back): see https://brokervsadvisor.com/datasets/intermediary-fee-index/#median