What Are Typical Website Broker Fees?

Commission is the main fee

Website and online-business brokers are paid primarily through a success commission — a percentage of the sale price, taken only when the deal closes. Rates commonly land in the range of about 10–15% for typical online-business sales, though they vary by broker, deal size, and services included. Because it's success-based, you generally pay nothing substantial unless and until the broker actually sells your site.

Commission usually scales down with size

Many brokers use tiered rates that decrease as the deal gets larger — a higher percentage on smaller sales and a lower percentage on the portion above certain thresholds. This reflects that a $500,000 sale doesn't take ten times the work of a $50,000 one. On larger deals the effective rate can be meaningfully lower than the headline number, which is worth clarifying when you compare brokers.

What the fee buys

The commission pays for real work: valuing and packaging your site, marketing it to a qualified buyer pool, vetting and negotiating with buyers, and managing due diligence and transfer. A good broker's expertise can raise your sale price and reduce the risk of a botched deal — which is how the fee can more than pay for itself, especially on larger or more complex sales where negotiation and buyer quality matter most.

Judging whether it's worth it

To decide, weigh the commission against what a broker realistically adds versus selling yourself. On a small, straightforward site you can list on a marketplace, the fee may not be justified. On a higher-value or complex site, a broker who secures a better price and a cleaner close can net you more even after their cut. Know your site's value first, then judge whether the broker's fee buys enough extra price and peace of mind to be worth it.

The normal ranges

Commission on small online businesses runs roughly 10% to 15%, typically success-based, and usually tiered so the percentage falls as the price rises. Some brokers charge a modest upfront or listing fee, most do not. Open marketplaces sit lower, often around 10% plus a listing fee, and direct buyout services charge nothing visible while buying below market, which is a cost in a different shape.

Reading a tiered structure properly

Tiered commission means the headline rate applies only to the first band. A structure quoting 15% might apply that to the first $700,000 and much less above it, so on a $60,000 sale you pay the full 15% and the tapering never helps you. Ask for the effective rate at your expected price rather than the top-line number, and get it in writing.

What should be included

At this commission level, expect the valuation, financial preparation, listing creation, buyer outreach and screening, management of the diligence exchange, and either managed or supported migration. If migration is excluded, that is real work and real risk coming back to you. Ask specifically what happens if an ad network refuses the buyer's application after transfer, because the answer reveals how much of the process the broker actually owns.

The clauses that cost money later

Exclusivity periods, which are normal but should be finite. Tail clauses, which oblige you to pay commission if you sell to an introduced buyer after the term ends, reasonable in principle and sometimes drafted very widely. Minimum commissions, which can make a small sale uneconomic. And any clause letting the broker adjust your asking price without consent. Read for these four before signing.

Comparing net proceeds rather than rates

The only meaningful comparison is what lands in your account. A 15% commission that includes vetting, a qualified buyer pool and managed migration frequently nets more than 10% where you do the verification repeatedly and manage the handover yourself. Work out the net for each option at a realistic sale price, including your own time, and the cheapest headline rate often finishes second.

Work it out: Marketplace fee calculator · Net proceeds calculator