I have also heard the same question from people interested in becoming a business broker – should I do it myself, or join a one of the big business broker franchises?

For a seller, the answer is easy – I don’t think the business broker franchise matters all that much.  What really matters is the quality of the specific broker you work with to sell your business.  I’ve seen some pretty good brokers that worked as part of a franchise, and some pretty awful ones as well.  Guess what?  Same holds true for independent brokers.  My advice – choose the broker, not the broker franchise.

For people looking for a career in business brokerage, that’s a whole different story.  In this case, it really depends on your level of experience.  Can you be successful with no experience and no franchise?  It’s possible, but unlikely.  This is where a business brokerage franchise steps in, providing you the training and infrastructure to make your brokerage be successful.  For experienced brokers, my experience has been that many choose to operate without a franchise if they are forced to change, though those that previously worked for a business brokerage franchise occasionally will join the same franchise in a different territory.