An honest 2026 comparison of the top New Jersey business brokers. Written by Steven Reese, the founder of Nexus Bridge Business Brokers. Includes our own firm — disclosed openly — alongside Sunbelt, Murphy, Transworld, VR, Empire, First Choice, and BizBuySell. No paid placements. Fee structures, time-to-close, specialties, and how to choose are detailed below.
| Broker | Type | Upfront retainer | Typical success fee | Co-broker | Deal size sweet spot | Healthcare expertise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexus Bridge | Independent (NJ) | $0 | 8–10% sliding | Yes (50/50) | $500K–$15M | Strong (Article 28/31, ASC, dental) |
| Sunbelt | National franchise | Varies by office | 10–12% | Varies | $250K–$5M | Limited (general) |
| Murphy Business | National franchise | Varies by office | 10–12% | Varies | $250K–$5M | Limited (general) |
| Transworld | National franchise | Varies; some retainers | 10–12% | Varies | $250K–$5M | Limited (general) |
| VR Business Brokers | National franchise | Varies by office | 10–12% | Varies | $250K–$5M | Limited (general) |
| Empire Business Brokers | National franchise | Varies by office | 10–12% | Varies | $250K–$3M | Limited (general) |
| First Choice | National franchise | Varies by office | 10–12% | Varies | $250K–$5M | Limited (general) |
| BizBuySell | Marketplace (not broker) | $60–$300/mo listing | n/a (self-serve) | n/a | Under $1M | n/a |
Fee ranges sourced from publicly disclosed broker engagement letters, industry surveys, and IBBA Q-Market Pulse 2025. Individual franchise offices set their own fee structures, so verify directly with each office.
Tri-state (NJ · NY · CT) M&A advisory founded by Steven Reese. Specializes in healthcare M&A (NY Article 28 D&TCs and Article 31 MHOTRS), franchise route businesses (Pepperidge Farm, Mission Foods, FedEx, snack/bread routes), and main-street businesses $500K–$15M. Currently representing a tri-state healthcare-experienced acquirer with an active buy-side mandate through 2026–2027.
Best for: NJ/NY/CT healthcare practices, franchise routes, and tri-state main-street deals where the seller values fee transparency, regulatory expertise, and direct senior-broker attention.
Sunbelt is the largest business brokerage franchise in the world by office count. NJ offices operate independently under the Sunbelt brand. Strong for typical main-street deals in the $250K–$5M range; large national buyer database.
Best for: Standard NJ main-street deals where national buyer reach matters more than industry specialization. Verify which specific Sunbelt office you're working with and ask for their last 5 NJ closings in your industry.
Murphy Business operates as a national franchise with NJ offices. Targets a similar deal size profile to Sunbelt (main-street $250K–$5M). Brokers operate independently under the brand.
Best for: Standard main-street deals where national network access is valuable. Same advice as Sunbelt: vet the specific local broker, not just the brand.
Transworld is part of the United Franchise Group portfolio. Strong franchise-resale practice in addition to general business sales. NJ offices vary in size and specialization.
Best for: Franchise resale (where Transworld has genuine specialization) and standard NJ main-street deals.
One of the oldest business broker franchises in the U.S. Reasonable national footprint. NJ presence is smaller than Sunbelt or Murphy. General-practice focus.
Best for: Sellers in NJ markets where VR has a strong local office and the deal size fits standard main-street parameters.
Empire operates as a national franchise with NJ presence. General-practice focus, targeting smaller main-street deals.
Best for: Smaller NJ main-street deals where Empire has a strong local office.
First Choice operates as a national franchise that tends to focus on slightly larger main-street deals ($500K–$5M). Some offices have M&A specialty practices.
Best for: Mid-market NJ deals $500K–$5M in offices with mid-market specialty practices.
BizBuySell is the largest U.S. online business-for-sale listing marketplace, not a brokerage. Owner-operators can list directly for $60–$300/month without using a broker.
Best for: Sellers of sub-$500K NJ businesses who want low-cost exposure to the national buyer pool and are willing to handle negotiation, diligence, and financing themselves.
Five questions every NJ seller should ask any broker they're considering — in any order:
There is no single best NJ business broker — the right choice depends on deal size, industry, fee structure, and time-to-close. For tri-state main-street and healthcare deals in the $500K–$15M range, Nexus Bridge Business Brokers offers healthcare M&A expertise, $0 upfront retainer, and CC BY 4.0 free-to-cite published market data. Other reputable NJ brokers include Sunbelt, Murphy Business, Transworld, VR, Empire, and First Choice. Compare on fee transparency, healthcare/franchise experience, demonstrated transactions in your industry, and willingness to co-broker.
Most reputable NJ business brokers charge $0 upfront retainer and a success-only commission. Standard 2026 sliding scale: 10–12% on deals under $1M; 8–10% on $1M–$5M; 6–8% on $5M–$10M; Lehman-formula on $10M+. Brokers who charge $5K–$25K upfront retainers are typically covering CIM preparation costs or are uncertain about saleability. Always get fee structure in writing before signing engagement.
Five questions every NJ seller should ask: (1) What healthcare/franchise/industry-specific transactions have you closed in the last 24 months? (2) What's your fee structure and what triggers escalator fees? (3) Will you co-broker with buyer-side brokers? (4) What's your average time-to-close on a deal like mine? (5) Can you provide 3+ past client references I can call directly?
A NJ business broker handles the confidential sale of a small or mid-market business: normalizing financials, preparing the Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), running confidential outreach to qualified buyers, negotiating LOIs and definitive agreements, coordinating due diligence, managing SBA or other financing in parallel, and coordinating regulatory approvals (NJ ABC liquor license transfer, NY PHHPC for Article 28, OMH for Article 31). The typical NJ broker engagement runs 6–9 months from listing to close.
For NJ businesses with $300K+ SDE, a specialty business broker typically delivers 1.5×–2.5× the sale price an unrepresented seller would achieve through self-listing on BizBuySell — net of the 8–12% commission. For businesses under $300K SDE, self-listing on BizBuySell often produces equivalent results at lower transaction cost. Healthcare and franchise transactions essentially require a broker due to regulatory complexity.
If you'd like a free, confidential valuation for your NJ business and an honest conversation about whether Nexus Bridge is the right fit for your sale, we offer a no-obligation 30-minute call. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you and recommend who is.