The basics of business broking

The business of buying, selling and leasing of residential, rural and commercial property for investment purposes is well known and understood; the same cannot be said regarding the purchase of an operating business.

Business broking is a specialist sector of real estate, of which investors, or those looking to develop their careers, would be wise to take note. 

Some people may like to buy a business as an investment and others may want to use their skills to run it themselves. People buy and sell all manner of enterprises – from traditional ones, such as newsagents, or service enterprises, such as electricians, through to more modern ones, such as digital marketing companies.

Potential buyers and current owners need to know that the market for functioning businesses is substantially different to the broader property market. For sale signs are not always used and the advertisements do not always appear on the property sales websites.  

As a result of these factors, a business broker is an important guide and adviser.

A business broker is a qualified real estate agent who specialises in the selling and buying of businesses. To effectively do their job, brokers need to be expert in a range of areas additional to those in which a residential or commercial estate agent specialises; after all, when a business is sold, different factors are considered in arriving at a ‘value’.

They need to be able to understand the particulars of the business they are selling, as the value in a business comprises of a range of related factors, including its current performance, customer base, competitors and future prospects.