We track thousands of businesses for sale across the country every month. Here's what the market is really doing — not what owners hope it's doing.
⬇ Download the 1-page PDFBar = the typical (median) multiple paid at that profit level; shaded band = the middle 50% of deals (25th–75th percentile). The bigger and cleaner the business, the higher the multiple — size and simplicity get rewarded. (Smaller businesses are valued on SDE, the owner's total take-home; larger ones on EBITDA. Either way, it's the profit the business throws off.)
But asking isn't getting. Each year about 60,000 businesses come to market — and only about 10,000 sell. That's roughly 1 in 6. The rest sit, get marked down, and come off the market unsold.
The businesses that do sell take about 8 months on the market and close below their asking price — around 94 cents on the dollar.
A fresh listing has leverage. One that's been for sale 6+ months signals "motivated seller," and buyers price accordingly.
Where your business lands in that 2.5×–4.2× range isn't luck — size and sell-readiness decide it, and both are fixable before you go to market. See what a buyer could actually finance with our free SBA Valuation Calculator — then book a free Exit Readiness Call.
Source: Pre-Sale Prep proprietary analysis of thousands of active U.S. business-for-sale listings nationwide and dozens of independent brokerages, July 2026. "Multiple" = asking price ÷ annual business profit — measured as SDE (the owner's total earnings) for smaller businesses and EBITDA for larger ones — with real estate excluded. Figures shown are market asking levels; actual sale prices are typically lower. For general market education only; not a valuation or an offer. New edition published on the 1st of every month.