Celeste Dexter
- Association member
What a featured listing costs · from $29 a month
Consider the local market first. The directory lists one business broker in Truckee, in Nevada County. That is the only local option shown, so it makes sense to look at business brokers in nearby cities too before choosing. This advisor belongs to CABB, IBBA, or M&A Source, a useful signal, though membership is not a license or a government credential. There are no Google reviews for this broker yet, so lean on conversations with former clients before you commit.
On your first call, have the broker explain how the firm is paid, what is billed on top of the main fee, and when each payment comes due. Before you sign anything, get a written engagement agreement and read what it says about the work, the term, and how it can end. On confidentiality, find out when a nondisclosure agreement is signed, and how your financial details are handled along the way.
Verify the license before you sign: a paid sale of a California business opportunity, meaning the business and its goodwill, generally calls for a real estate license, so search the broker's name or license number on the DRE public lookup and make sure the license is current. If a salesperson will handle your file, find out who the supervising broker is, since a salesperson must work under a broker. Owners who want a wider field can also open the pages for El Dorado Hills (12 brokers), Rocklin (5) and Roseville (10).
Ask each broker how buyers are screened, how the business is described to buyers without naming it, and what happens if a buyer misuses what they learn. Plan on the idea that a leak can unsettle employees and customers, so ask for the process in writing.
The directory lists one business broker for Truckee, in Nevada County. With so few local names, consider talking to someone from the pages for El Dorado Hills and Rocklin as well before choosing.
As a rule, anyone who negotiates the sale of a business opportunity for pay must be a licensed real estate broker or a salesperson working under one. The law defines a business opportunity to include the sale of a business and its goodwill, which is why brokers who sell companies hold real estate licenses.
A written engagement should name the services, the people on your file, the length of the commitment, and any exclusivity. Take your time with it, and ask the broker to explain anything unclear, since it governs the whole relationship.