The Business Brokerage Opportunity Real Estate Professionals Are Missing

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

14 Oct 2025

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The generational wealth transfer happening across America presents a significant opportunity that many real estate professionals are overlooking. While agents focus on residential and commercial property transactions, a parallel market exists where business owners are struggling to find buyers for companies they’ve spent decades building.

Kristi May, owner of The K Team, recently acquired J&E Business Group to address this growing demand. Her background spans over 20 years in marketing across multiple industries, including 1 year in real estate with Binswanger and four years in residential with Keller Williams. This diverse experience positioned her to recognize an underserved market segment.

“I was consulting to service-based industries when I was approached about J&E Business Group, and it really made sense for my background in real estate, marketing, and operations,” May explains. “I had been asked repeatedly since I moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, ‘Do you also do business valuations?’ And I was like, ‘No, I mean, I could,’ and I actually have helped business owners sell businesses in the past privately.”

The acquisition represents more than just business expansion, it addresses a critical gap in the market where small business owners lack guidance on exit strategies.

A Growing Crisis in Business Succession

Many established businesses close their doors simply because owners cannot find suitable buyers or don’t understand the sale process. May witnessed this firsthand when a relative’s father-in-law was forced to close a successful business in December after failing to find a buyer.

“He had built something great and wanted to pass it on to somebody, but couldn’t find the right fit,” May recalls. “A lot of times they don’t even know that a business brokerage is out there, or small businesses don’t know what the process is.”

This knowledge gap creates opportunities for professionals who understand both business operations and the complexities of asset transfers. J&E Business Group specializes in small to mid-size businesses in the mid-Atlantic area, focusing on confidential sales that protect business operations during the transition process.

“We specialize in helping them sell privately, usually not disclosing what the company is,” May explains. “A lot of times that is the issue, when somebody is ready to sell, they need a partner to come in and sell quietly behind the scenes and manage all the details, so there aren’t people going out to their building and informing all of their employees.”

Changing Buyer Demographics

Business acquisitions are evolving, driven by economic uncertainty and changing career expectations. May reports conversations with buyers from recent college graduates to professionals seeking career changes.

“I’m hearing from people right out of college who, inspired by people like Cody Sanchez, are saying, ‘I can learn a trade,'” May notes. “I do see them taking on a coaching role, they’re buying a company, and the owners are training them up.”

Economic factors are also driving interest. “AI is really making people afraid, and so they are saying, ‘My job is going to dissolve. I need to find another option. I want to be in control and buy a company so that my job isn’t cut.'”

This creates a dynamic where business acquisitions serve multiple purposes: wealth preservation for sellers, career security for buyers, and economic continuity for communities.

Identifying Value Opportunities

For investors and entrepreneurs, May emphasizes looking beyond current cash flow to growth potential. Businesses generating around $1 million in revenue typically provide attractive cash flow, but smaller operations may offer better value for the right buyer.

“Do not overlook the smaller businesses that maybe don’t have that cash flow yet, if you know that you can really grow them significantly,” May advises. “Usually that’s from the marketing and operations side, if they haven’t explored digital.”

She cites evaluating a print publication that had never developed digital capabilities: “That was an area that I was really interested in, because I knew I could grow a business like that. And you can probably end up getting it for a lot cheaper.”

Real Estate Professional Integration

The connection between business brokerage and real estate creates natural partnership opportunities. Three of May’s associates maintain real estate licenses while working with J&E Business Group on business sales that include real estate assets.

“They are licensed through their own brokerage, but they work with us when they have a business to sell and real estate is an asset of that business,” May explains. “I’m providing leads. I am providing insurance that a real estate brokerage doesn’t necessarily provide when you’re selling a business and not a piece of real estate.”

For agents not interested in direct involvement, referral opportunities exist. “If they have no interest in being involved, then they can just refer us an opportunity for a referral fee.”

This model allows real estate professionals to expand their service offerings without leaving their current brokerages, creating additional revenue streams while serving clients’ broader needs.

Market Implications

The business brokerage sector represents a significant opportunity as demographic and economic trends converge. Retiring business owners, career-seeking younger professionals, and economic uncertainty create sustained demand for business transfer services.

For real estate professionals, understanding this adjacent market can enhance client relationships and create new revenue opportunities. Many property transactions involve business components, and agents who can navigate both sides of these deals provide enhanced value to clients.

The key lies in recognizing that business succession planning affects entire communities. When successful businesses close due to lack of succession planning, it impacts local employment, tax bases, and economic vitality. Professionals who can facilitate these transitions serve broader economic interests while building profitable practices.

As May’s experience demonstrates, the intersection of real estate expertise and business operations creates unique positioning in an underserved market. For agents and investors willing to expand their knowledge base, business brokerage represents a growing opportunity to serve clients’ complete wealth transfer needs while building sustainable practices in an evolving economy.