Decision summary
- A broker gets you more than one buyer. Going direct gets you one buyer's opinion.
- Judge a fee by the whole schedule, not the percentage.
- Go direct only when one real buyer already fits what you want.
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Broker vs. Direct Sale
| With a broker | On your own | |
|---|---|---|
| Buyers | Several, competing | Usually one |
| Your name | Kept quiet until you approve who hears it | Up to you |
| Your time | We run the outreach, the questions, the paperwork | You do it while running the shop |
| The price | Tested against other buyers | One buyer's number |
| Cost | A fee when it closes | Your lawyer and CPA |
| Fits when | You want competition, or have no buyer yet | A buyer you trust already fits your goals |
If you only talk to the one company that called you, you are negotiating against yourself. When buyers have to compete, the price and the terms improve.
When going direct makes sense
Going direct can work when one real buyer already fits what you want. Some owners know they do not want a big outside company. They want a local operator, a manager buyout, or family. That is a real choice. It still needs funding, a license plan, and a price you can defend. "Keep it local" does not replace those three.
Before you give one buyer an exclusive window, get answers to:
- How did you build the price?
- Who has to approve the deal, and do you need financing?
- What can change the price after they dig in?
- What is my job after close?
- What happens to my crew, my brand, and local decisions?
- How long am I locked in?
What we can do as your broker
- Get your numbers into a form a buyer can check.
- Write the company presentation.
- Build the buyer list with you. You approve it.
- Send an anonymous summary first. Your name goes only to buyers you approve.
- Check that a buyer can actually pay before he sees anything sensitive.
- Run the questions, the meetings, the offers and the paperwork through close.
Fees
Everybody quotes you a percentage. That is not the whole cost. Get the full fee schedule in writing before you sign with anyone, us included:
- Up-front fee. How much, when, and whether it comes off the final fee at close.
- Fee at close. The rate, any minimum, and what has to happen before it is earned.
- What the fee applies to. Cash only, or also seller notes, earnouts, equity you keep, and real estate.
- How long it follows you. Which later sales can still trigger a fee after the agreement ends.
- Exclusivity and getting out. What you can do during the deal, and how either side ends it.
The cheapest fee usually buys the least work. The most expensive one does not guarantee the most. What matters is what the agreement says you get for it. Ours is spelled out before you sign.
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Questions to ask any broker
- What HVAC or home-services deals have you closed?
- How do you keep my name, my customers and my crew data quiet?
- How do you confirm a buyer can actually pay?
- Who handles the buyer's questions after the offer letter is signed?
Next steps
See who buys HVAC companies, check what your HVAC business is worth, or read how to sell an HVAC business start to finish. Still deciding whether to sell at all? Start at sell my HVAC business.