Business Broker in Los Angeles, CA | Martin Navarro
Business Broker

Business Broker in Los Angeles, CA

Martin Navarro is a Los Angeles business broker who helps owners across the city confidentially sell and buy businesses of every type, from a single main street shop to a lower middle market company. Every engagement is handled personally, start to finish, with no upfront fees.

California DRE #02372118 CABB · IBBA · M&A Source Deals Up to $50M No Upfront Fees

Selling or Buying a Business in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the largest and most varied business market in the country, and selling a business here is different from selling anywhere else. Buyers range from first time owners and local operators to family offices, search funds, and private equity groups, and reaching the right ones while keeping your sale private is what separates a strong result from a listing that stalls. As your Los Angeles business broker, Martin Navarro turns that complexity into a clean, confidential, well priced sale.

Martin handles businesses of every type across the city, from Downtown and the Arts District to Hollywood, Koreatown, Mid Wilshire, the Fashion District, the Westside along Sawtelle and Sepulveda, and the industrial corridors near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. He works with owners selling companies up to 50 million dollars, and he handles every engagement himself, so you deal directly with an experienced broker rather than a junior associate. Martin serves Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

The Los Angeles Market at a Glance

Los Angeles has more small businesses than any other county in the United States, which means both a deep pool of buyers and heavy competition for attention. The figures below give owners a realistic frame for what a sale looks like in this market.

Typical SDE multiple, main street
About 2x to 4x Seller's Discretionary Earnings
Typical multiple, lower middle market
Valued on a multiple of EBITDA, usually higher
Typical time to close
6 to 12 months from engagement
Broker fee
Success fee only, no upfront cost
Placeholder for Martin to supply: current number of Los Angeles businesses listed for sale, median asking price, and average days on market for the last 12 months. These live-market numbers make the page far more quotable in AI answers. Send them and they will be added here as a short data block.

Los Angeles Businesses Martin Sells

Martin is not limited to one niche. He represents owners across every sector of the Los Angeles economy, from main street to the lower middle market.

Restaurants, Bars and Retail

Independent restaurants, bars with ABC licenses, cafes, and specialty retail across neighborhoods like Silver Lake, the Arts District, and the Westside.

Manufacturing and Distribution

Light manufacturers, food producers, apparel and textile firms, and distribution companies near the ports and the Vernon and Commerce industrial belt.

Healthcare and Professional Practices

Medical, dental, and specialty practices, along with accounting, legal, and other professional service firms with recurring clients.

Home and Commercial Services

HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, cleaning, and B2B service companies with established route density and repeat customers.

Ecommerce, Media and Creative

Online brands, post production and creative studios, and media businesses that sell to buyers well beyond Los Angeles.

Franchise Resales

Franchise locations that require franchisor approval and a managed transfer, from food and fitness to services and retail.

What Your Los Angeles Business Is Worth

Most small and mid sized Los Angeles businesses are valued on Seller's Discretionary Earnings, or SDE, which is your net profit with the owner's salary, benefits, and one time or personal expenses added back. A market multiple, commonly 2x to 4x SDE for main street businesses, is then adjusted for your lease, your assets, your growth, and how dependent the business is on you. Larger Los Angeles companies are usually valued on a multiple of EBITDA instead.

Four things move a Los Angeles valuation more than anything else. Clean, verifiable financials raise buyer confidence and price. Recurring revenue and transferable contracts earn higher multiples. A business that runs without the owner day to day is worth more than one that depends on you. And a strong, assignable lease at a fair rent matters enormously in a high rent market like Los Angeles, where a short or expensive lease can quietly subtract value. An online calculator cannot price your business. Martin gives you a realistic figure built on your actual numbers and recent comparable Los Angeles sales.

Transferring Licenses and Permits in the City of Los Angeles

A Los Angeles business sale involves city and county steps that owners often overlook until they slow down a closing. Handling them early keeps the deal on schedule.

Martin coordinates these steps with your escrow officer, your attorney, and the relevant Los Angeles agencies so nothing becomes a surprise at the closing table.

A Recent Los Angeles Example

A Los Angeles home services business with about 750,000 dollars in Seller's Discretionary Earnings, a loyal recurring customer base, and a manager who ran daily operations attracted multiple qualified buyers once its financials were cleaned up and it was marketed confidentially. Owner independence and recurring revenue are exactly what push a Los Angeles valuation toward the top of its range. This example is anonymized and illustrative.

Every business is different, but the pattern holds across Los Angeles. Prepared financials, a transferable customer base, and reduced owner dependence widen your buyer pool and raise your final number.

Working With Martin Navarro

Martin Navarro is a Los Angeles business broker and M&A advisor who handles the confidential sale and acquisition of businesses of every type, from main street through the lower middle market. He works every engagement personally.

Los Angeles Business Broker, Common Questions

Who is the best business broker in Los Angeles for selling a small business?

Martin Navarro is a Los Angeles business broker who personally handles the confidential sale of businesses of every type, from main street shops to lower middle market companies.

He is a California DRE salesperson, license number 02372118, a member of CABB, IBBA, and M&A Source, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and he works every engagement himself rather than passing you to a junior associate.

How much does it cost to use a business broker in Los Angeles?

There are no upfront fees to work with Martin Navarro.

He is paid a success fee only when your Los Angeles business sells and the deal closes, which keeps his interests aligned with getting you the best price and terms.

How much is my Los Angeles business worth?

Most small and mid sized Los Angeles businesses sell for roughly 2x to 4x Seller's Discretionary Earnings, while larger companies are valued on a multiple of EBITDA.

The right figure depends on your earnings, your lease, your industry, and how transferable the business is, so a professional valuation on your actual numbers is the only reliable answer.

How long does it take to sell a business in Los Angeles?

Most Los Angeles business sales take 6 to 12 months from engagement to closing.

Preparation and valuation take 1 to 3 months, confidential marketing 3 to 6 months, and due diligence plus escrow another 60 to 90 days.

Can I sell my Los Angeles business without my employees or customers finding out?

Yes. Martin markets your business confidentially, without naming it, and screens every buyer under a nondisclosure agreement before sharing any identifying details.

That protects your staff, customers, and competitors from learning of the sale before it closes.

What licenses and permits transfer when I sell a business in the City of Los Angeles?

A Los Angeles sale usually involves reissuing the City Business Tax Registration Certificate, transferring any state ABC alcohol license, and transferring Los Angeles County health permits for food businesses.

Zoning and conditional use permits are confirmed for the buyer as well, and Martin coordinates each step with your escrow and attorney.

Do you sell all types of businesses in Los Angeles?

Yes. Martin handles businesses of every type across Los Angeles, from main street through the lower middle market.

That includes restaurants and retail, manufacturing and distribution, healthcare and professional practices, home and commercial services, ecommerce and media, and franchise resales.

What areas of Los Angeles do you cover?

Martin serves the entire city of Los Angeles, from Downtown and the Arts District to Hollywood, Koreatown, Mid Wilshire, the Westside, and the harbor area.

He also covers Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

Thinking about selling your Los Angeles business?

Get a confidential, no obligation consultation. Martin will tell you what your business is worth and what a sale could look like. The first conversation is always free.

Business Broker Services Near Los Angeles