Business Brokers in San Jose, CA

Let us look locally first. You will find 24 business brokers listed under San Jose, all in Santa Clara County. That is plenty of choice, so decide early whether you want a general broker or an industry specialist, then speak with a few before you commit to one.

General business brokerage or M&A work (3 of 24), a named industry focus (3 of 24) and a confidential or NDA process (2 of 24) are the most common offerings among the brokers here. Every one of the 24 is a member of CABB, IBBA, or M&A Source, which shows professional involvement but is not a license. 5 of the 24 note a credential such as CBI or M&AMI, which are professional designations rather than licenses. Together the brokers have 5 Google reviews, averaging 3.8 stars, so check how many reviews sit behind each rating.

Before you sign anything, ask for a written engagement and read what it says about the work, the term, and how it can end. Since word of a sale can spread fast, ask how the firm screens buyers, and how your financial details are handled along the way. On fees, ask what the fee covers, what is billed on top of the main fee, and when each payment comes due.

Do not skip the license check: selling a business and its goodwill for pay generally falls under California real estate licensing, so look up the license on the Department of Real Estate's public lookup before you hire. When your main contact is a salesperson rather than a broker, get the broker's name in writing, and look that broker's license up as well. For comparison, the pages for Campbell (15 brokers), Los Gatos (3), Sunnyvale (10) and Fremont (6) show other advisors in the region.