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The Growing U.S. Business Brokers Industry

The Growing U.S. Business Brokers Industry: What It Means for a Middle Tennessee Owner

Updated October 2026: industry figures now come from the Marketdata research linked below, and figures we could not confirm were removed.

If you own a business in Middle Tennessee and may sell it in the next several years, the national picture comes down to this: a lot of owners are expected to sell, most sell without a broker, and brokers vary a great deal. The practical question is not how big the industry is. It is who you work with and how they work.

Where BridgePoint fits

BridgePoint Business Group is the exclusive BBDG Nashville affiliate. Michael DeVault, the owner and a business broker, was trained under the systems developed by Toby Barker and Business Broker Development Group (BBDG). You can read more about the organization and the affiliation on the BBDG page. We work with owner-operated businesses, which are valued on Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE). Larger businesses that already have a manager are more often valued on EBITDA.

We keep a sale confidential and stay involved through buyer review, diligence and closing.

The national picture, briefly

These figures are Marketdata LLC’s estimates and were published in 2024:

  • There are about 33 million small businesses in the United States, and Marketdata estimates about 12 million will be sold over the next 10–15 years. Source: Marketdata LLC, 2024.
  • Marketdata says only about 20% of businesses sold are sold by business brokers. Source: Marketdata LLC, 2024.
  • The industry is fragmented, with more than 1,500 brokerage firms employing about 8,800 brokers, and it is described as having ease of entry and many competitors. Source: Marketdata LLC, 2024 and WebWire press release, 2024.

What that means for you

  • Many owners may sell at the same time. If that happens, buyers have choices, so clean records, documented add-backs and a realistic range matter. How We Value an Owner-Operated Business explains how a range is built.
  • Most owners sell without a broker. That is a choice, but selling is complex, and a sale takes time away from running the business. Our post on common mistakes when selling covers what to watch for.
  • Brokers are not all the same. In many states there is no license requirement for business brokers, and many deals fall through, according to the same Marketdata source. Questions to ask any broker: How were you trained? How do you value a business? How do you screen buyers and keep the sale confidential? What are your fees?

Challenges, in plain terms

Deals can take many months to complete, and timing varies by business. Many fall through, according to Marketdata. That is why records, a realistic range and confidentiality are worth working on early.

A next step

If you are thinking about a sale and want to talk it through, call 615-240-5235 for a confidential conversation. For a directional starting range first, the free valuation calculator gives one.

Sources

By Michael DeVault, business broker and BBDG Nashville affiliate at BridgePoint Business Group.