Currently, there are nearly 300 Sunbelt offices and 1,500 Sunbelt brokers listing and selling businesses in more than 20 countries.

Click here for Sunbelt business broker franchise opportunities in the United States.
Click here for Sunbelt business broker franchise opportunities around the world.

We offer our franchisees the following, making us an excellent franchise opportunity:

Best Technology
Sunbelt’s proprietary internet and intranet websites provide its franchisees with cutting edge client and deal management systems, making it easier to track and market listings.

Best Access
Sunbelt’s public website receives more than 2,000,000 visitors a year and gives its franchisees greater visibility in the competitive business brokerage marketplace. Our network of affinity partners also gives our franchisees preferred access and pricing to many of the products needed for daily operations in their offices.

Best Resources
As a Sunbelt office owner, you will be a part of the most seasoned and well-trained network of professionals in the business brokerage industry. Collectively, there are an estimated 1,400 Sunbelt business brokers worldwide, making Sunbelt the world’s largest business brokerage firm. Whether it is through innovative training practices, online forums or convention meetings, we work hard to leverage and disseminate their collective expertise for the benefit of each individual office owner.

Best Value
Sunbelt franchise opportunities are unique among business brokerage franchises in that we do not charge our franchisees a percentage of their commissions.

United States
Depending on the type of transaction being conducted and the territory in which you practice, various federal and/or state licensing requirements may exist. A member of the Sunbelt Corporate staff can help you determine what (if any) requirements may exist.

We also recommend that, as part of your consideration process of our franchise opportunities, you consult with a state licensed attorney and with your state’s real estate commission for a better understanding of any applicable laws and regulations.

International
Different countries may have different laws and regulations when it comes to either being a business broker or purchasing a franchise. If you are interested in licensing a Sunbelt office from an existing Master Franchisee, he can assist you in determining any applicable laws or requirements. If you want to become a Sunbelt Master Franchisee, the Sunbelt corporate office can offer guidance in this area. In either event, we recommend that you consult with an attorney knowledgeable in laws of the country in question.

United States
Sunbelt offers its office owners comprehensive initial and ongoing training opportunities. All new Sunbelt office owners attend a total of six days of new office owner training at our Corporate offices. The first three days of this training are devoted to understanding the business brokerage process and developing fundamental skills in that area. The last two days are devoted to office management, broker recruitment/development and understanding the various systems Sunbelt utilizes.

Beyond initial training, each month we host a 3-day, broker training session in various offices around the United States. All of our broker training sessions incorporate IBBA training materials, are taught by IBBA certified instructors and are eligible for IBBA credit. We supplement our live training sessions with multi-media training modules that focus on specific aspects of the business brokerage process.

International
International office owners and Master Franchisees are always welcome to attend any of the training sessions we host in the United States. The Sunbelt corporate office offers training in London twice each year (spring and autumn). Additionally, most of our Master Franchisees offer regular training sessions which have been adapted to address issues particular to their marketplace. For training details for a specific country, please contact the respective Master Franchisee.

United States
We do not have specific requirements for becoming a Sunbelt office owner. Generally speaking, Sunbelt office owners have at least one of the following attributes:

• Experience in owning and operating a small business.

• Knowledge of and familiarity with reading and analyzing financial statements.

• Experience in transaction-based industries (i.e. accounting, banking or law).

• Sufficient liquid net worth to support business operations for 12 months.

• The desire to help people through what could be the most meaningful monetary and personal transaction of their lives.

We do require all new office owners to obtain their Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) designation from the International Business Broker Association (IBBA) within 24 months of purchasing their office.

International
The Master Franchisee in the country in which you are interested in operating may or may not have specific ownership requirements. For additional information, please contact them directly. If you are interested in becoming a Sunbelt Master Franchisee, please contact the Sunbelt corporate office.

United States
We have developed a 7-step process that allows you to thoroughly evaluate the Sunbelt franchise opportunity. The process normally takes 45-60 days to complete and consists of the following steps:

• Submit the Sunbelt Franchise Information Request Form to our Corporate offices.

• A member of the Sunbelt staff will call you within 24 hours to introduce themselves, answer any questions you may have about business brokerage, Sunbelt or the franchise purchase process and initiate the information disclosure process.

• Within 24 hours of this introductory phone call, you will be sent (via email) two important items.

• The first is the Sunbelt Franchise InfoPack – a collection of materials that will enhance your understanding of both business brokerage and the Sunbelt franchise experience.

• The second item is the Sunbelt Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (“UFOC”) which contains detailed information on the costs of the franchise, a listing of all current Sunbelt franchisees and a sample license agreement for your review.

• Within 5 business days of receiving the InfoPack and UFOC, Sunbelt will contact you to answer questions you may have about the information you have received. At that time, your Sunbelt representative will invite you to attend one of our New Franchise Seminars. These sessions are held monthly at either our Cleveland or Phoenix corporate office. It is an opportunity for you to meet personally with current and prospective Sunbelt franchisees, as well as members of the corporate staff.

• Having completed the steps above, you will have the information necessary to determine whether the Sunbelt franchise opportunity is right for you. If it is right for you, your Sunbelt representative will provide you with a Personal Information Profile for completion. This document includes a personal financial statement and authorizes Sunbelt to perform its own due diligence – a process that may take up to 5 business days. During that time, you will also complete the New Franchise Set-Up Form which will finalize the details of your Sunbelt franchise and serve as the base document for your Sunbelt Franchise Agreement.

• Within 72 hours of receiving a satisfactory due diligence report and a completed New Franchise Set Up Form, you will receive two copies of your Sunbelt Franchise Agreement which you will execute and mail back to the Sunbelt corporate office.

• Upon receipt of your signed license agreements, Sunbelt will execute them on its behalf and send you an original version for your files. That same day, your Sunbelt representative will contact you to introduce you to the members of our staff who will manage the set up of your office’s billing, intranet access and email accounts. Your Sunbelt representative will also coordinate the delivery of the materials that comprise your Sunbelt Starter Kit – all of which you will receive during your first week as a franchisee.

As you consider purchasing a Sunbelt franchise, members of our corporate staff are always available to answer your questions and guide you through the steps above.

International
Please contact the Master Franchisee in the country in which you are interested in operating for information on a Sunbelt franchise oppotunity.

United States
Our territories vary in price based upon their population. Unlike most franchise systems, Sunbelt does not collect a percentage of the overall commissions our franchisees earn. Instead, we charge a low, monthly flat fee. The grid below summarizes our territory definitions and their respective costs:

International
Please contact the Master Franchisee in the country in which you are interested in operating for information on the cost of purchasing a Sunbelt Franchise. Please click here for a select list of Sunbelt Master Franchise opportunities.

Yes, the process of doing so is very similar to the normal franchise purchase process except that the price and terms of payment are set by the current office owner. Please click here for a list of Sunbelt offices currently for sale.