What Do Brokers Charge to Sell an Online Business?

Written by Christopher Krassnig - Founder - Kairos Exchange and ZenoX Media. Last reviewed 19 July 2026.

Brokers and marketplaces charge success fees from around 4 to 15 percent on online-business sales. Website Closers' fee explainer quotes 4 to 10 percent for a business broker, Empire Flippers takes 15 percent up to 700,000 dollars, Flippa takes 10 percent plus listing fees, and Kairos's self-serve lane is 5% at close. Firms that publish no rate negotiate it per deal.

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The Stack Behind the Headline Rate

The commission is rarely the whole bill. Open marketplaces add listing fees that are non-refundable whether or not you sell, paid upgrades, and escrow costs. Buyer-side subscriptions gate who even sees your listing on some venues. When you compare venues, compare the all-in cost of a completed sale, not the headline percentage.

Why the Ranges Differ

Curation costs money: a brokerage that vets, negotiates, and hand-holds charges accordingly, and a self-serve marketplace that automates those steps can charge a fraction. The mistake is paying full-service rates for self-serve value. Match the fee to the work you actually need done, not to what feels prestigious.

The Unpublished Rates

Some traditional brokers publish industry ranges on their own fee explainers without ever stating their own commission; the real number arrives in a private proposal. That is not a scandal, but it is information: a fee that varies by negotiation rewards the seller who asks for it in writing before signing anything.

Answered. Now Get Your Numbers Proven

Sellers on the list go through verification first when we open. Reading up is step one. Having your revenue proven from your own orders is step two.

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