Open listings are passe.   Not just because I like to have an exclusive on deals, but because they plain don’t work!!

If I were to take an open listing from you here’s the drill:

Open Listings:

• You give me an open listing.
• I cannot take the time to package or create a deal book.
• I might take the time to tell my staff of 85 about the deal.
• They may have one or two people on their desk that may qualify.
• Beyond the one day I tell everyone, the listing is off the radar and no one thinks of it.
• Even if you tell every broker you can, it doesn’t even come close to matching with and buyers worldwide beyond the one day you may contact the brokers
• You probably never sell and absolutely won’t sell to the best buyer at the highest price.
• You have no control over the confidentiality, buyer qualification, or how your listing is marketed.

If you let me take an exclusive listing based on our mutual goal of being committed to the sale fo your business.  Here is the process:

Exclusive Listings:

• You give me (Transworld) a 12 month exclusive listing.
• I create a CONFIDENTIAL and comprehensive package for buyers.
• The deal is available to my 85 brokers, the 1200 plus in our state association, the 2000 plus nationwide. (Not through the Realtor MLS, through the BBF business brokerage MLS)
• We cobroke with almost all business brokers and sometimes realtors who bring a qualified buyer. So you are not missing any buyers.
• Your confidential listing is available through our website, 2000 brokers websites, Wall Street Journal, Inc magazine, and many many more business sale websites that attract buyers worldwide!
• Thereby creating COMPETITION for your deal and significantly increasing your chances of finding the right buyer at the highest price.
• There is a lot of NOISE out there these days.  Your deal needs to be polished and complete to get attention these days.
  

So if you really want to sell a business, you have to eventually list it with someone who knows what they are doing.   If you call a few brokers, post it online yourself, you then need to get very lucky.

Bottom line.  You need a professional committed to selling your business, and they need to have assurances they are on your team.

Andy Cagnetta
ac@tworld.com