What you're really paying for
A broker's commission can look steep until you understand what it buys: expertise, a ready-made buyer network, and someone to run a complex process so you don't make an expensive mistake. On the right deal, a good broker doesn't cost you money — they make you money, by achieving a higher price and steering you around pitfalls that would have cost far more than the fee. The question isn't whether brokers are 'worth it' in the abstract, but whether your specific deal is the kind where their value exceeds their commission.
What a broker actually does
A broker prepares and prices your listing, markets it to their network of qualified buyers, screens inquiries so you're not fielding tire-kickers, and manages negotiation and closing on your behalf. In effect they act as your agent through the entire sale, bringing pattern recognition from many past deals to a process you're likely going through for the first time. That experience is most valuable exactly when the stakes are high and the deal is complicated.
The commission trade-off
Brokers typically charge 10–15% of the sale price. On a larger, more complex deal, a good broker often nets you more than that after achieving a higher price, running a competitive process, and helping you avoid costly errors in structure or diligence. The fee stings less when you frame it against the downside it prevents: a mispriced or mishandled six-figure sale can leave far more than 15% on the table.
When to DIY instead
For smaller, simpler sites, the broker fee usually isn't worth it. A self-serve marketplace gets you most of the reach at a fraction of the cost, and a straightforward content or affiliate site doesn't need a managed process to sell well. If your business is small, clean, and easy to understand, running the sale yourself — with a valuation, a good listing, and escrow — will typically net you more than paying a commission for help you don't really need.
How to choose a broker
If you do go the broker route, choose one that specializes in your site type and size, since a broker who sells SaaS all day isn't the right fit for a content site and vice versa. Ask about their recent comparable sales, their average time to close, and exactly what their fee covers. A strong broker will happily share this; a vague answer is a signal to keep looking. The right specialist, matched to the right deal, is one of the highest-leverage decisions in a large sale.
What a broker does that a marketplace does not
A broker takes the sale as a project rather than a listing. That means valuing the business, preparing the financials into a format buyers accept, writing the prospectus, approaching buyers directly from their own list, managing the due diligence exchange, and holding the deal together through the awkward middle where either side might walk. On a listing you do most of that yourself.
What it costs
Commission on small online businesses typically runs 10% to 15%, often scaling down as the price rises, and is usually success-based with little or nothing upfront. On a $60,000 sale that is $6,000 to $9,000. The question is whether the broker's buyer pool and process add more than their fee, which for a straightforward site under about $30,000 they frequently do not, and above $150,000 they frequently do.
When the fee pays for itself
Brokers earn their commission in three situations. When your business is complex enough that buyers need help understanding it, such as multiple revenue streams or an unusual niche. When you are time-poor and would otherwise handle twenty buyer conversations yourself. And when the price is high enough that a better-qualified buyer pool moves the final number by more than the commission, which is the case more often than sellers assume, because brokered deals reach buyers who never browse public listings.
How to choose one
Ask for their sold-listing history in your size band and category, not their total volume. Ask what proportion of their listings sell, and at what percentage of asking price. Ask whether they will take the listing exclusively and for how long. And read the agreement for a tail clause, which obliges you to pay commission if you sell to one of their introduced buyers after the term ends, a provision that is reasonable in principle and occasionally drafted very broadly.
- A good broker makes money on the right deal, not costs it.
- They handle pricing, marketing, screening, and closing for ~10–15%.
- Worth it on larger or complex deals; skip for small, simple sites.
- Pick a broker who specializes in your size and niche.
Work it out: Marketplace fee calculator
Deciding between a broker and DIY? Start with a free valuation so you know what's at stake.
Value my site →Empire Flippers vets both sides and runs the migration for you. For established sites it consistently reaches the strongest end of the range.
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