Business Broker

Business Broker in Malibu, CA

Martin Navarro is a Malibu business broker who helps owners along Pacific Coast Highway, at the Malibu Country Mart and Cross Creek, and Malibu residents who own companies across Southern California confidentially sell and buy businesses. Every engagement is handled personally, with no upfront fees.

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

Serving Malibu

Selling or Buying a Business in Malibu

Malibu is its own incorporated city stretching along 21 miles of coastline. Its commercial activity is concentrated around the Civic Center, Cross Creek, the Malibu Country Mart, and the Malibu Lumber Yard, and along Pacific Coast Highway, with high-end restaurants, boutique retail, wellness and fitness businesses, surf and outdoor shops, and hospitality serving residents and visitors. Pepperdine University adds year-round activity.

Malibu businesses face conditions found almost nowhere else: coastal permitting, limited commercial space, seasonal tourism, PCH access, and repeated wildfire recovery. Malibu is also home to many owners of companies in entertainment, consumer brands, real estate, and finance. Whether your business is on PCH or across the state, Martin handles the sale confidentially and personally.

As your Malibu business broker, Martin handles businesses of every type and works with owners selling companies up to 50 million dollars. He handles every engagement himself and serves Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

Every Type of Business

Malibu Businesses Martin Sells

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

Restaurants and Hospitality

Destination restaurants, cafes, and hospitality businesses along PCH and in the Civic Center.

Boutique and Specialty Retail

Apparel, home, surf, and lifestyle retail at Cross Creek, the Country Mart, and the Lumber Yard.

Wellness and Fitness

Wellness centers, fitness studios, med spas, and recovery businesses serving an affluent clientele.

Real Estate and Property Services

Property management, landscaping, pool, and estate services businesses.

Consumer Brands

Lifestyle, apparel, and wellness brands founded and owned by Malibu residents.

Professional Services

Financial, legal, and design firms serving Malibu and the Westside.

What Your Malibu Business Is Worth

Most small and mid sized 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 adjusted for your lease, assets, growth, and how dependent the business is on you. Larger companies are valued on a multiple of EBITDA.

In Malibu, the lease is often the most valuable thing a business owns. Commercial space is scarce and coastal rules make new locations hard to create, so a long, assignable lease in a prime center adds real value. Buyers also look closely at seasonality, PCH closures, and how the business has recovered from past fires. Strong brands with loyal customers and documented earnings sell at the top of the range.

Want a quick estimate first? Use the free business valuation tool, then read how to sell a business and the documents you need to sell a business.

Licenses and Permits When You Sell in Malibu

Malibu is its own city and sits entirely in the Coastal Zone, so a sale involves city, county, coastal, and state steps. Handling these steps early keeps the deal on schedule.

City business registration. The buyer confirms and completes any City of Malibu business registration requirements before taking over.
Los Angeles County health permit. Food, beauty, and wellness businesses need their Los Angeles County Department of Public Health permit reissued to the new owner, usually after an inspection.
ABC alcohol license. Restaurants, bars, and markets transfer the state Alcoholic Beverage Control license through escrow, and the application is started early because ABC review can take weeks.
Coastal development and use permits. Malibu's Local Coastal Program governs use, signage, and changes to the property. A buyer planning any change confirms it with the city early.
Lease assignment and bulk sale escrow. The landlord's consent to assign the lease is negotiated alongside a standard California bulk sale escrow with published notice to creditors.

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

Example: a Malibu wellness business with a loyal membership base and about 450 thousand dollars in Seller's Discretionary Earnings was marketed confidentially. A long assignable lease in a prime center and documented membership retention drove multiple offers. This example is anonymized and illustrative.

Working With Martin Navarro

Martin Navarro is a Malibu 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.

Credentialed and accountable. California DRE salesperson license number 02372118, and a member of the California Association of Business Brokers, the International Business Brokers Association, M&A Source, and ACG Los Angeles.
Background that fits the work. U.S. Marine Corps veteran with dual California State University, Northridge degrees in Business Management and Accounting.
Aligned with you. No upfront fees. Martin is paid only when your business sells and the deal closes.
Regional coverage. Serving Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County, and throughout Southern California.

FAQ

Malibu Business Broker, Common Questions

How much is my Malibu business worth?

Most Malibu businesses sell for roughly 2x to 4x Seller's Discretionary Earnings, and larger companies on a multiple of EBITDA.

A long, assignable lease in a prime center and a loyal customer base push value higher. A valuation on your actual numbers is the only reliable answer.

What does a Malibu business broker charge?

There are no upfront fees to work with Martin Navarro.

He is paid a success fee only when your Malibu business sells and the deal closes.

How long does it take to sell a business in Malibu?

Most sales take 6 to 12 months from engagement to closing.

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

Can I sell my Malibu business confidentially?

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

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

What licenses transfer when I sell a business in Malibu?

The buyer completes any City of Malibu business registration, a reissued Los Angeles County health permit for food businesses, and transfer of any ABC alcohol license.

Coastal permits may apply to changes of use or signage. Martin coordinates each step with your escrow and attorney.

Do you sell all types of businesses in Malibu?

Yes. Martin handles businesses of every type, from main street shops to lower middle market companies.

That includes retail, services, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and franchises, with deals up to 50 million dollars.

What areas around Malibu do you cover?

Martin serves Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and Westlake Village.

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

Thinking about selling your Malibu 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.

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