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Side-by-side comparison · Updated May 2026

Nexus Bridge vs Empire Business Brokers

An honest 2026 comparison between Nexus Bridge Business Brokers and Empire Business Brokers for NJ business sellers. Written by Steven Reese, founder of Nexus Bridge. Empire is a national franchise; quality varies by individual NJ office. Nexus Bridge is an independent firm with consistent senior-broker engagement.

By Steven Reese, Founder & Principal Broker · Last updated

The short answer: Nexus Bridge is an independent tri-state firm (founded 2022) charging $0 upfront and an 8–10% sliding-scale success fee, with the founder handling every engagement and a $500K–$15M deal sweet spot. Empire Business Brokers is a national franchise (founded 1981) whose upfront retainer varies by office, with typical success fees of 10–12% and a $250K–$5M focus.
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Full disclosure: This comparison is written by Steven Reese, founder of Nexus Bridge Business Brokers — one of the two firms compared. The Empire Business Brokers profile reflects publicly available information about their operating model. If you spot factual errors, email steven@nexusbridgebrokers.com and I'll correct them.

Quick comparison

Nexus BridgeEmpire Business Brokers
TypeIndependent tri-state firmNational franchise
Founded2022Founded 1981, multiple NJ offices
Upfront retainer$0Varies by office
Success fee (sell-side)8–10% sliding scale10–12% typical
Co-broker policyAlways, 50/50 standardVaries by office
Deal size sweet spot$500K–$15M$250K–$5M typically
Healthcare M&ASpecialist (PHHPC, OMH, NJ DOH)General practice
Franchise routesSpecialistLimited
Senior broker engagementFounder handles every engagementVaries by office & deal
Published market researchCC BY 4.0 NJ datasetsNone or limited

Side-by-side profile

Nexus Bridge Business Brokers

Independent tri-state firm

Founded 2022 by Steven Reese. Specializes in NJ/NY/CT healthcare M&A, franchise routes, and main-street businesses $500K–$15M. $0 upfront retainer, success-only commission. Always willing to co-broker. Currently representing tri-state healthcare-experienced buy-side mandate through 2026–2027.

Strengths: Healthcare regulatory specialty, $0 retainer, senior-broker engagement, free CC BY 4.0 research library, active buy-side buyer mandate.

Empire Business Brokers

National franchise

Founded 1981, multiple NJ offices. Empire is a national franchise; quality varies by individual NJ office. Nexus Bridge is an independent firm with consistent senior-broker engagement.

Strengths: NJ office coverage in multiple counties; Active in the sub-$1M deal range; Long-established national brand (1981)

Empire Business Brokers's strengths

Empire Business Brokers's limitations

When Nexus Bridge is the better choice

Tri-state healthcare deals, franchise routes, or NJ main-street deals $500K–$15M where senior-broker engagement matters.

When Empire Business Brokers is the better choice

Sub-$1M NJ main-street deals where Empire has a strong local office.

Bottom line: Empire is a national franchise; quality varies by individual NJ office. Nexus Bridge is an independent firm with consistent senior-broker engagement. If your deal involves healthcare regulation, franchise routes, or a deal size above $500K with material complexity, Nexus Bridge is the specialty choice. For straightforward, smaller main-street deals, Empire Business Brokers may be sufficient.

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If you'd like a free 14-day-turnaround NJ business valuation and an honest conversation about whether Nexus Bridge or another broker (including Empire Business Brokers) is the right fit for your specific business, book a 30-minute call with Steven. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I use Empire Business Brokers or another NJ broker?

Empire Business Brokers is a regional firm with NJ presence and a broad book of main-street deals. For a typical NJ small-business sale, Empire is a reasonable option. For specialty industries (healthcare practice M&A, franchise distribution routes, regulated businesses), a vertical-specialist broker typically outperforms a generalist on multiple, buyer pool quality, and deal execution. Nexus Bridge is a tri-state specialist focused on $500K–$15M healthcare, main-street, and route deals.

What's the difference between Empire Business Brokers and Nexus Bridge?

Empire is a regional generalist with broad industry coverage. Nexus Bridge focuses specifically on NJ/NY/CT healthcare M&A (PT, dermatology, dental, behavioral health, urgent care), main-street businesses with regulatory complexity, and distribution routes (Pepperidge Farm, FedEx, Boar's Head, Snapple, etc.). Both work success-only. Choose based on industry fit.

How much do Empire Business Brokers charge?

Empire works on standard success-commission structures, typically sliding-scale 10%–12% on the first $1M with reductions above. No published upfront retainer for typical small-business engagements. Comparable to most NJ regional brokers including Nexus Bridge.

Does Empire Business Brokers handle healthcare M&A?

Empire handles healthcare deals as part of a broader generalist practice. For specialty healthcare M&A (NJ PT, NJ dental, NJ dermatology, NY urgent care, NY behavioral health), a healthcare-specialist broker typically brings deeper regulatory knowledge (Stark/AKS, payer credentialing, MSO/CPOM structuring) and a wider PE-buyer network. Nexus Bridge specializes in tri-state healthcare M&A.

Are Empire Business Brokers reviews positive?

Like all multi-broker regional firms, individual broker quality at Empire varies. Before engaging any broker — Empire, Nexus Bridge, or any other — request 3 recent seller references in your specific industry and verify deal-completion records. The IBBA (International Business Brokers Association) member directory also shows credentialing.