GUIDE
Business broker fees
How fees are usually structured, and what to read before you sign.
The fee belongs in the agreement
People search for a percentage and a commission rate. Those searches show up in Google's suggestions. A percentage that is not in your agreement is not your fee.
In practice, sellers are often asked about a success fee paid if a sale closes, and sometimes a retainer or a minimum. Read which events trigger the fee: a closing, an introduction, or a buyer who later returns. Ask whether the fee is owed if you sell to someone you already knew.
Get the terms before the work
A preliminary range on this site does not obligate you to list and does not include a broker fee. If you later hire a broker, the fee belongs in the engagement, in writing, before marketing starts.
Questions
Is there a normal percentage?
Ask each firm you might hire, and compare the writing.
Is the fee tax deductible?
That is a question for your tax adviser. Do not treat a search suggestion as advice.