You retain a Texas sell-side M&A advisor, value the business against real market comparables, stage the financials, market confidentially to qualified buyers, and close in roughly four to eight months. Most owners explore for years before they engage. The early conversation costs nothing, sets the value bar, and protects the asset while you decide.
the math behind a Texas sale.
five steps from intent to close.
- 01Listen
Confidential conversation. What you have built. Where the line is between price and peace.
- 02Value
SDE, EBITDA, market comparables, buyer-side appetite. Honest range, not a fish-for-listing number.
- 03Stage
Books cleaned. Add-backs documented. Lease and licensing reviewed. Ready before market.
- 04Market
Confidential outreach to qualified buyer pool. NDA gated. No public listing without sign-off.
- 05Close
Negotiation, due diligence, deal structure, closing. Most transitions close in 4–8 months.
what it actually costs.
8–12% for Main Street.
Mid-market and lower-middle-market transactions typically use a tiered structure such as the Double Lehman Formula: 10% on the first $1M, 8% on the next $1M, 6% on the next $1M, 4% on the next $1M, and 2% on every dollar above that.
Seller pays the success fee at closing, deducted from transaction proceeds. Texas does not license business brokers specifically, but transactions that include lease transfer or real-property sale require a Texas real estate license — Randy Kinnison holds one.
selling a dental practice in Texas.
Dental transitions in Texas typically take six to eleven months through a generalist broker, often longer when the practice has been listed with multiple brokers. The Legacy approach values the practice on collections multiples, normalizes hygiene base and provider compensation, and matches against an active buyer pool of associate dentists, DSO acquirers, and practice consolidators.
“After several years of having my practice up for sale with several brokers and having no success, I met Randy Kinnison in May of 2023. In a short time he came to me with an excellent buyer and a sale was culminated within three months.”
questions sellers actually ask.
What does it cost to sell a business in Texas?
Texas business brokers typically charge a success fee between 8% and 12% of the final sale price for Main Street businesses under $1M. Larger mid-market transactions use scaled structures like the Double Lehman Formula. Most Texas brokerages enforce a $10K–$25K minimum transaction fee. Upfront retainers, when used, range from $5K–$15K.
How long does it take to sell a business in Texas?
Most Texas business sales close within 6 to 11 months from listing. A properly staged business sells faster, often in 4 to 6 months. Legacy closed a Texas dental practice in three months after multiple prior brokers had failed across years.
What is my Texas business worth?
Smaller businesses value on SDE multiples; mid-market deals on EBITDA. Multiples vary by industry, recurring revenue mix, geography, and buyer demand. A professional sell-side broker produces a range based on comparable closed transactions — not a list-price guess.
Should I sell through a broker or directly?
Direct sales work when you have a qualified buyer in motion. For most owners, a sell-side broker brings confidential buyer reach, negotiation leverage, and process discipline that more than offsets the success fee. The math favors brokered sales when the broker generates a competitive bid you would not have reached alone.
What makes a business sell faster?
Clean three-year books, normalized financials with documented add-backs, diversified customer base (no single customer over ~20%), strong management team that can operate without the owner, and clear lease and licensing transferability. Owners who stage these 12–18 months before market routinely sell for 20–30% more.
the first conversation costs nothing.
We listen first, value the business honestly, and tell you whether listing now or staging for twelve months will produce a meaningfully better outcome. No pressure to engage.