How to Find the Best Business Broker in Jacksonville, FL (2026)

Short answer: The best business broker in Jacksonville is the individual who has sold businesses like yours, holds an active Florida license you can verify on the DBPR website, and will personally run your sale. Below is a shortlist of Jacksonville brokers worth interviewing, drawn from their own websites and public credentials, followed by five steps for checking them and choosing one.

Jacksonville has more business brokers than any market in Northeast Florida, which makes finding one easy and finding the right one genuinely hard. The difference is worth real money: the right broker prices your business on evidence, keeps the sale quiet, and carries the deal through due diligence; the wrong one collects your listing and waits.

I’m Ryan C. Winter, a licensed business broker with Truforte Business Group, based in St. Augustine and working across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida. Obvious disclosure: I am one of the brokers you might find through this process, and I compete with every broker named below. Here is the shortlist and the process anyway, honestly.

Who are the best business brokers in Jacksonville?

Jacksonville is the largest business-for-sale market in Northeast Florida, and it has the broker bench to match: national franchise offices, established independents, and several of the most decorated individual brokers in the state. I compete with everyone below, so read this knowing that. Everything here comes from each broker’s own website and public credentials, and figures they report about themselves are labeled that way.

The rule that matters most: hire a person, not a logo. Several names below are franchise brands with offices everywhere. Your outcome will not be decided by the brand; it will be decided by the individual who carries your listing, screens your buyers, and negotiates your price. Jacksonville happens to be home to some genuinely excellent individuals, several of whom work inside those big brands, so this list leads with the people.

Individual brokers worth interviewing in Jacksonville

John Geiwitz, Transworld Business Advisors

Individual broker, Certified Business Intermediary. His Transworld profile describes him as the top-producing Transworld broker in Northeast Florida, and Business Brokers of Florida has recognized him as one of the top deal makers in the state. Before brokerage he founded and ran his own technology companies and holds 17 patents from his engineering career, which shows in how he handles complex, larger transactions: he reports deals running roughly from $500K to $30 million (self-reported). If your Jacksonville business has real scale, John belongs on your interview list.

Kimberly Deas, Murphy Business

Individual broker: Murphy franchise owner for Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. Kimberly Deas runs the Murphy Business operation for Northeast Florida from her Jacksonville office, focusing exclusively on selling businesses with revenues up to roughly $10 million. What sets her apart is her exit-planning orientation: she invests significant time each year teaching and coaching owners on preparing their businesses for sale, which is exactly the mindset that produces well-prepared listings. For main street sellers who want a process-driven, education-first broker, Kimberly is a strong choice.

Jason Godwin, Florida Business Exchange

Individual broker: Managing Partner at FBX. Jason Godwin advises owners on lower middle market transactions up to roughly $50 million in enterprise value, and his award shelf is remarkable for how quickly it filled: IBBA Platinum Chairman’s Circle, BBF Top Dollar Producer, and BBF Top 50 broker every year since 2020, alongside district leadership within Business Brokers of Florida. FBX, founded in 1990 and one of the state’s largest independents, gives him deep firm resources including an active Jacksonville office. For businesses beyond main street size, Jason is one of the strongest options in the region.

Ryan C. Winter, Truforte Business Group

Individual broker, based in St. Augustine, serving Jacksonville and all of Florida. This is me, so weigh it accordingly. I represent owners across Northeast Florida through Truforte Business Group, a statewide brokerage selling Florida businesses since 1994. My model is simple: a deliberately small book of clients, preparation-first engagements that start with a free and honest valuation, success fees only, within a broad range of 8 to 15 percent depending on the size of the transaction, and no upfront fees ever. Jacksonville sellers get a broker who answers his own phone, backed by a statewide buyer database.

Jacksonville firms and offices worth knowing

Transworld Business Advisors of Jacksonville (Bianca Evans)

Franchise office. The Jacksonville Transworld operation, led by Bianca Evans under the My Florida Business Broker brand, is a high-volume brokerage covering Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Flagler, and Volusia counties. Volume brings buyer traffic, and this office has plenty of both. As with any franchise, ask which agent will personally handle your file; John Geiwitz above shows the caliber this office can field.

Gateway Business Advisors (Gary Hallett, Nancy Hallett, and Cal Heseman)

Boutique firm with named principals. Gateway is a Jacksonville boutique where you know exactly who works your deal: Gary Hallett, whose background spans small business ownership and corporate franchising leadership; Nancy Hallett, an accountant by training with Fortune 100 M&A experience who leads valuations; and Cal Heseman, a full-time broker since 2005 who has advised on more than $100 million in transactions. For sellers who want senior attention without a franchise structure, Gateway is a strong interview.

Quorum Business Advisors (Anthony John Rigney)

Founder-led firm. Quorum is a Jacksonville-based full-service brokerage led by founder Anthony John Rigney, working deals roughly in the $300K to $10M range across Northeast Florida, with membership in the IBBA, Business Brokers of Florida, and the American Business Brokers Association. Founder-led means the individual-broker benefit comes built in.

Green & Co. Business Brokers

Independent team. Though based on the Gulf Coast, Green & Co. covers Jacksonville as part of its statewide footprint, and client reviews consistently praise the team’s professionalism and communication. A worthwhile addition to your comparison if you want an independent with statewide reach.

Quick comparison

Broker	Individual or Company	Based	Best Fit
John Geiwitz (Transworld)	Individual, CBI	Jacksonville	Larger deals, $500K to $30M
Kimberly Deas (Murphy)	Individual, franchise owner	Jacksonville	Main street sellers, exit planning focus
Jason Godwin (FBX)	Individual, Managing Partner	Jacksonville	Lower middle market and M&A-size deals
Ryan C. Winter (Truforte)	Individual	St. Augustine	Sellers who want one dedicated broker with statewide reach
Transworld Jacksonville	Franchise office	Jacksonville	Maximum listing volume and exposure
Gateway Business Advisors	Boutique firm	Jacksonville	Senior, named-principal attention
Quorum Business Advisors	Founder-led firm	Jacksonville	Regional deals $300K to $10M
Green & Co.	Independent team	Sarasota area	Independent option with statewide reach

A list is only a starting point. Here are the five steps I would follow to check any broker on it, including me, and choose one.

Step 1: Build a shortlist from real sources

Skip the ads and go where the verifiable information lives: the Business Brokers of Florida member directory, the IBBA directory for credentialed brokers, BizBuySell broker profiles showing actual listings, and referrals from your CPA or attorney, who see brokers’ work product after the marketing is over. The shortlist above, which includes my competitors, is a reasonable place to start.

Step 2: Verify before you call

• License: Florida business brokers operate under real estate licensure; check the DBPR portal for an active license and clean history.
• BBF membership, which puts your listing in front of hundreds of cooperating Florida brokers rather than one office’s buyer list.
• Actual closed deals in your size range and, ideally, your industry.
• The individual, not the brand. Jacksonville’s franchise offices contain both excellent and inexperienced agents; you are hiring the person who carries your file.

How to check a Florida broker’s license in a few minutes

Florida law defines brokerage to include selling business enterprises and business opportunities for compensation, and it is illegal to operate as a broker or sales associate without an active license. Every business broker you interview should hold one.

1. Open the DBPR Verify a Licensee search on myfloridalicense.com.
2. Search by name, license number, city, county, or license type.
3. Confirm the status is current and active and the name matches the person you met.
4. Note whether it is a broker or a sales associate license. A sales associate must work under a registered broker, so learn who that broker is.
5. Click the name for the detail page, which shows additional information, including any complaints or discipline.

A clean license is the floor, not proof of skill; the interview tests that.

Step 3: Interview at least two, and ask the hard questions

Interview brokers the way buyers will interview your business. How many listings do you personally carry? How many businesses like mine have you sold, and how did you market them? Show me the math behind your valuation. What, specifically, happens in the first thirty days of marketing? How do you keep a Jacksonville sale confidential when half this town knows each other? My seven-point checklist for choosing a business broker works word for word in Jacksonville, and my honest piece on the problems with business brokers tells you which answers should end an interview.

Interview questions that show how a broker works

Good answers to these are specific enough to write down.

Process and marketing

• Who builds the valuation, and will you walk me through each adjustment?
• How do you qualify a buyer financially before they learn my company’s name?
• Will my listing go on the BBF MLS, and which public sites will carry a blind version?

Confidentiality and workload

• What confidentiality agreement do buyers sign, and what happens if one contacts my staff?
• Who handles buyer calls day to day: you or an assistant?
• How often will I get a written update on inquiries and signed NDAs?

Fees in writing

• Is the fee paid only at closing, and is it calculated on cash at closing only, or also on a seller note, inventory, or real estate?
• Is there any upfront, retainer, or marketing charge, and what exactly does it buy?

Jacksonville sellers can add a local question: how will the closing handle transferring your local business tax receipt? The Duval County Tax Collector allows receipts to transfer between owners, and a local broker should know the steps.

Step 4: Beware the highest number in the room

The most common trap in broker selection: hiring whoever quotes the biggest valuation. Overpricing is how listings go stale, and some brokers quote high precisely because it wins signatures. Hire the broker whose number survives questioning, not the one whose number flatters you. If the valuations you collect differ wildly, that spread is itself information; my guide to setting the right asking price explains what a defensible number looks like.

Step 5: Read the listing agreement before you sign

Term length, fee structure, what happens if you find the buyer yourself, and what marketing is actually promised: get it in writing and have your attorney glance at it. The common structure in Florida is a success fee paid at closing. Mine varies with the size of the transaction, within a broad range of 8 to 15 percent, with no upfront fees. Anything else deserves questions.

Listing agreement terms worth a second look

Beyond Step 5, these clauses cause the most trouble:

• Brokerage relationship. Florida presumes a licensee is a transaction broker unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is set up in writing, and it prohibits dual agency. Know which one you are getting.
• Tail period. Agreements usually protect the broker’s fee if you later sell to a buyer they introduced. Limit that to buyers on a written list delivered when the agreement ends.
• Exclusions. If a competitor or employee has already shown interest, name them and settle how a sale to them is treated.
• Cancellation. Know how either side can end the agreement and what, if anything, is owed.

Have a Florida attorney review it before you sign.

Red flags that should end the interview

• A large upfront fee with no written plan. Most Florida main street listings are handled on a success fee paid at closing.
• A guaranteed price or timeline. No one controls what a buyer and lender will agree to.
• Pressure to sign the same day. A good broker expects you to compare.
• Vague answers about who does the work. If someone else will carry your file, meet that person first.
• A license that is missing, inactive, or in someone else’s name.

What makes Jacksonville different for sellers

Jacksonville is the largest market in Northeast Florida, and its buyer pool is broad: first-time owners, corporate professionals and military veterans starting a second career, employees and managers buying the company they work for, competitors and operators adding a location, private equity groups and search funds, individual investors, and families relocating to Florida. A broker who lists on the BBF MLS puts your business in front of buyers working with brokers across the state, not only the buyers one office already knows. If you are planning ahead, my guides on increasing the value of your Jacksonville business and fixing owner dependency are the place to start.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best business broker in Jacksonville?

It depends on your deal size and what you value, and this page was written by a competing broker, so verify everything independently. For larger transactions, interview John Geiwitz and Jason Godwin. For main street sales, talk to Kimberly Deas, Gateway, Quorum, and me. Then choose the individual whose honesty, valuation reasoning, and attention convince you.

How do I find a business broker in Jacksonville?

Shortlist through the BBF and IBBA directories, BizBuySell profiles, CPA and attorney referrals, and published comparisons; verify licenses on DBPR; then interview at least two brokers and hire the individual whose process and pricing logic hold up, not the biggest brand or the biggest number.

Should my Jacksonville broker be local?

Your broker should know the Northeast Florida market and buyer pool firsthand, whether their office is in Jacksonville proper or, like mine, just down the road in St. Augustine. What matters more than the office address is BBF reach, personal attention, and closed-deal experience in your size range.

Does a business broker in Florida need a real estate license?

Yes. Florida’s real estate law defines brokerage to include selling business enterprises and business opportunities for compensation, and operating without an active license is illegal. You can confirm any broker’s license on the DBPR website in a few minutes.

What is the difference between a transaction broker and a single agent in Florida?

A single agent owes you full fiduciary duties, including loyalty, while a transaction broker provides limited representation without that fiduciary relationship. Florida presumes a transaction broker relationship unless another is set up in writing, so ask which one your agreement creates.

What do Jacksonville business brokers charge?

Most Florida business brokers are paid a success fee at closing. My own fee is a success fee paid at closing that varies with the size of the transaction, within a broad range of 8 to 15 percent, with no upfront fees. If a broker asks for money before a sale, get in writing exactly what it covers. If a broker asks for money before a sale, get in writing exactly what it covers. My guide to business broker fees in Florida has the full breakdown.

My business is in St. Augustine or St. Johns County. Does this list still apply?

Mostly yes, since every broker above works the full Northeast Florida region. But St. Augustine has its own market dynamics and its own bench of brokers, which I cover in my companion guide to the best business brokers in St. Augustine.

Start the conversation

Interview me alongside anyone on your shortlist: free valuation with the math shown, fees in writing, nothing upfront. Call (904) 789-1276 (Truforte Business Group) or start with the free valuation calculator.

Ready to talk about your own sale? See how I work as a business broker in Jacksonville.

If you are widening the search beyond Jacksonville, my statewide review of the best business brokers in Florida covers the firms every Florida seller should know.

• Category: Business Broker Tips, Jacksonville, Selling a Business