How BizBrokerMatch Works

Last updated: June 2026. We update this page whenever the algorithm changes.

What BizBrokerMatch Does

BizBrokerMatch is a broker discovery and matching platform for business owners selling companies in the $250K–$5M range. We are not a marketplace. We do not facilitate transactions, escrow, or LOI management. We match sellers with qualified brokers and let them take it from there.

We cover all 50 states, with deepest broker density in Florida, California, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Colorado. Our matching covers all industries — HVAC, restaurants, manufacturing, professional services, and more.

Our Data Sources

IBBA (International Business Brokers Association)

What we get: Member directory including name, company, city, state, phone, email, website, specialties, certifications, and member-since year.

Coverage: Primary source. ~3,100 of our 3,142 brokers nationwide.

Limitations: Self-reported specialties. No transaction history. No performance data.

BizBuySell Broker Directory

What we get: Active brokers with listings on BizBuySell platform, including company name, contact info, and listed deal history.

Coverage: Secondary source. ~42 brokers nationwide not in IBBA.

Limitations: Weighted toward active listing brokers. May miss deal-focused M&A advisors.

Broker Claims (Direct)

What we get: Brokers who have claimed their profile on BizBrokerMatch can add bio, photo, years of experience, deal count, and updated specializations.

Coverage: A small and growing subset. Claimed profiles are labeled.

Limitations: Self-reported. We verify email but not deal counts.

User Reviews

What we get: Sellers and buyers who have worked with a broker can submit reviews. Reviews include ratings, deal context, pros/cons, and would-use-again.

Coverage: Currently bootstrapping.

Limitations: Early stage. Reviews are verified by email at minimum, transaction document at best.

The BBM Score (0–100)

Every broker in our system receives a BBM Score — a composite quality and credibility signal. This is distinct from match score (see below). The BBM Score reflects how qualified and engaged a broker appears to be, not how well they match your specific deal.

Factor	Max Points	How It's Measured
Years of Experience	30 pts	From IBBA member-since year. 15+ yrs = 30 pts, 10–14 = 25, 5–9 = 20, 1–4 = 10
Self-Reported Deal Count	25 pts	Claimed profile: broker self-reports closed deals. 100+ = 25, 50+ = 20, 25+ = 15, 10+ = 10, 1+ = 5
Certifications	20 pts	CBI, M&AMI, MCBI, and other IBBA designations. +5 pts per cert, max 4 certs counted
Client Reviews	15 pts	Average rating × volume weight. Full 15 pts requires 5+ reviews at 5.0. Volume-weighted: 1 review = 20% weight
Profile Trust	10 pts	Claimed profile (+5), bio >50 chars (+3), claimed + bio bonus (+2)

Important:Most brokers currently score between 20–40 because they haven't claimed their profile and have no reviews. The score will improve as more brokers engage with the platform. Don't treat a low score as disqualifying.

The Matching Algorithm

When a seller completes the quiz, we score every broker in their state on four dimensions and return the top results in ranked order. Here is the exact scoring logic:

A. Industry/Specialty Match (0–45 pts)

·Normalized specialty category exact match: 40 pts
·Related category match (e.g., Construction for Roofing): 25 pts
·Company name keyword signal: 15 pts
·Focus bonus for specialists with ≤3 categories: +5 pts

Note: This is the heaviest weighted factor. A generalist broker with no relevant specialization will score 0–8 pts here.

B. Geography (0–25 pts)

·Same city as seller: 25 pts
·Same metro cluster: 20 pts
·Serves area (explicitly listed): 15 pts
·Same state only: 10 pts

Note: We use metro clustering — a broker in The Woodlands counts as Houston. Brokers in Dallas County score the same as Dallas.

C. Deal Size Match (0–20 pts)

·Broker deal_size_min/max overlaps seller range: up to 20 pts (overlap proportion)
·Market tier keyword match (e.g., 'main street', 'lower middle market'): 8–15 pts

Note: Most brokers don't have explicit deal size ranges set. We fall back to keyword matching in specialties and company name.

D. Quality Boost from BBM Score (0–15 pts)

·BBM Score × 0.15 = quality boost points
·A score of 100 gives +15 pts. A score of 50 gives +7.5 pts.

Note: Keeps the quality signal in the match without letting it dominate. A highly credentialed generalist still loses to a less-credentialed specialist.

Tiebreakers (when match scores are equal)

Profile completeness score (higher wins)
Review count (more reviews wins)
Specialty count (fewer specialties = more focused)

No Pay-to-Play — Ever

Brokers cannot pay to appear higher in matching results or in our directory. The algorithm does not accept payment as an input. Broker rankings are determined solely by the factors described above.

When we introduce paid features (expected: 2025–2026), they will be limited to: profile enhancement tools, analytics dashboards, and lead flow management — none of which affect ranking position. We will update this page if that ever changes.

Review Integrity

All reviews go through the following process before publication:

✓

Email verification: Reviewer must confirm email before review is accepted.

✓

Identity check: We check that the reviewer email hasn't been used for multiple reviews of the same broker.

✓

IP check: Reviews from the same IP address in a short window are flagged for review.

✓

Moderation queue: All reviews are manually reviewed before publication for obvious fake signals.

✓

Broker response: Brokers can respond to reviews. Responses are clearly labeled.

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Transaction verification: Reviewers who provide a transaction document get a 'Transaction Verified' badge — the highest trust tier.

Limitations & What We Don't Know

⚠We cannot verify broker deal counts or transaction history (yet). Self-reported numbers are labeled as such.

⚠Many brokers have generic specialties listings that don't reflect actual deal history.

⚠Our coverage is deeper in Houston and Dallas than Austin and San Antonio.

⚠We don't have real transaction data at scale — the 'sold deals' system is being built.

⚠Broker scores will be low early on because most haven't claimed their profiles.

⚠We are not a licensing authority and cannot verify license status in real time.

Have questions about the methodology?

We're committed to transparency. Reach out directly.