Make Money as a Business Broker | Trent Lee

Trent Lee — #1 ranked business broker in the U.S. seven years in a row, with 600+ closed sales totaling over $200M in deals and more than $15M in personal commission.

• Early hustle: Painted address numbers on neighborhood curbs and mowed lawns — learned value creation early.

• Current role: Licensed business broker & appraiser. Specializes in small to mid-sized businesses, valuations, and finding qualified buyers through cash, SBA loans, or seller financing.

• How he got here:

  • Inspired watching his father sell his 700-employee company (private equity deal).

  • Learned firsthand how CPAs, attorneys, and buyers operate in M&A.

  • Started and sold businesses (financing consulting & medical alert response center). Frustrated with brokers he worked with → became one himself.

• How to become a business broker:

  • Licensing depends on the state (some require real estate + broker permit, others none).

  • Associations like IBBA help standardize training/education.

  • Strong background in accounting, contracts, negotiations, and marketing is essential.

  • Challenge: takes 12+ months before first commissions hit; most fail because they run out of money before their first big close.

• Earnings potential:

  • Smaller deals: 8–15% commission. Larger/private equity deals: lower %.

  • First year = expect $0 while building pipeline.

  • Year 2+, even a few deals ($500K–$2M businesses) → six figures+.

  • Industry is older (often second careers), but huge opportunity for those who survive the ramp-up.

• Why brokerage over ownership?

  • Trent opts not to buy businesses himself. Brokerage gives income without employees, leases, or headaches.

  • He’s built wealth through business sales commissions, investing proceeds into 24 fully paid rental properties.

• Why so few business brokers?

  • Most owners don’t even know brokers exist (unlike real estate).

  • Lack of awareness & high skill bar keeps supply small — which means big opportunity for specialists.

• For Buyers:

  • Buying an existing business = easier path to cash flow than startups.

  • Zero-money-down deals are rare clickbait; you’ll usually need ~10% down. Can come from:

    • personal cash/savings,

    • self-directed retirement accounts,

    • equity partner, or

    • combination of buyer + seller financing.

  • Buying with 0% down = 100% leverage → dangerous if market fluctuates. Better: leverage smartly so downturns = inconvenient, not devastating.

• Brokerage is a lucrative but long game; plan financially for the first year with no income.

• For buyers, don’t chase unicorn “zero down” structures — get creative but realistic with 10% in.

• Buying an existing cash-flowing business is almost always better than starting from scratch.

• Email: trent@fcbblv.com 

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