Last Updated on December 23, 2025 by Ewen Finser
So, you’ve grown your ecommerce site to a seven-figure valuation, and you’ve decided now is the time to sail off into the sunset. No more last-minute shipping panics or heated arguments with overseas suppliers for you.
However, before you start thinking about what cocktail you’re going to order first on your celebratory Caribbean cruise, you need to make sure you get your exit right. The best way to do this (especially in your lofty valuation bracket) is to hire a good broker. You need someone who understands the nuances, and that’s where this roundup of brokers for eCommerce exits comes in.
Why a Business in the $1 Million+ Segment Is Different
Selling a business worth over $1 million is very different from selling one worth $100k. Once you cross into the seven-figure range, your buyer pool and deal structure start to change in significant ways. Brokers who specialize in this segment operate more like M&A advisors than simple listing agents.
Some of the key differences you’ll need to consider include:
- Buyer sophistication: At the $1M+ level, you’re often selling to private equity funds, search funds, or aggregators. Only very experienced buyers operate individually at this level. Whether it’s a fund or a solo buyer you’re dealing with, they’ll expect clean financials, proper documentation, and a professional process. Some brokers are much better than others when it comes to providing this level of service.
- Deeper due diligence: Seven-figure buyers don’t just glance at a P&L and Google Analytics. They dig into cohorts, product-line margins, supplier agreements, and ad account data, and they’ll sometimes commission third-party “quality of earnings” reports. Brokers who specialize in 7- and 8-figure deals understand how due diligence works at this level and will help you prepare months in advance.
- More complex deal structures: Seven-figure deals often involve SBA loans, bank financing, earn-outs, seller notes, or equity rollovers. A good broker in this segment knows what “normal” looks like, where you can push back, and how to structure terms so you’re not taking on unnecessary risk after closing.
- Higher stakes on valuation: A 0.5x difference in your valuation multiple can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars at this level. Specialist brokers know current market multiples for your size, niche, and growth profile. They can position your numbers correctly so you’re not leaving money on the table, or overpricing and sitting on the market for months.
- Greater emphasis on confidentiality: When your business is bigger, leaks are more damaging. If staff, suppliers, and competitors learn that you’re selling, your operations can face real disruption. Brokers in this segment typically have tight NDA processes, pre-qualified buyer lists, and clear protocols about how and when sensitive info is released. Smaller-fry operators don’t tend to take this quite as seriously.
So, what should you look for in a seven-figure broker?
- A clear track record of closing seven-figure deals, not just listing them.
- Comfort with structured deals (earn-outs, seller financing, SBA, etc.).
- Strong financial literacy and access to legal and tax professionals for specialist assistance where this becomes necessary.
- A well-defined buyer network (PE, aggregators, strategic buyers).
- A structured, step-by-step sale process that protects your time and confidentiality.
If a broker can’t talk in detail about these topics, they’re probably not the right fit for a $1mn+ exit.
Why an eCommerce Business Is Different
Not all online businesses are created equally. Selling a content site or SaaS app is very different from selling a brand that ships physical products; ecommerce brings its own operational complexity (inventory, logistics, ad spend, marketplaces), so you need a broker who understands all of this.
Specifically, your sale partner should have a good grasp of:
- Inventory and working capital: Physical inventory brings its own set of considerations when it comes to valuation and negotiation. Your broker needs to have plenty of experience managing these.
- Channel and platform risk: Many ecommerce brands depend heavily on Amazon, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, or another single platform. If you’re in this position, you’ll want a broker who knows how to present this type of business attractively.
- Marketing-driven performance: Valuations live and die on metrics like AOV, ROAS, MER, LTV, CAC, and email revenue share. Your broker will need to know how to assess these accurately.
- Seasonality and SKU concentration: If your brand is highly seasonal or dependent on a small number of “hero products,” your broker will need to know how to normalize earnings across seasons and explain SKU concentration (or diversification) in a way that reassures buyers rather than scaring them off.
The Best $1mn+ eCommerce Brokers for You to Consider
Quiet Light Brokerage
Quiet Light is a boutique brokerage founded in 2007 by Mark Daoust, and it has built a strong reputation for mid-market online business sales. Its people spend most of their time working on deals in the $250k-$25mn price range, but they work on bigger deals as well.
Pros of Quiet Light
- Experienced advisors: Every Quiet Light broker has either bought or sold a business themselves. This isn’t a given in the industry, and there’s really no substitute for this kind of real-world experience.
- Low commission: Quiet Light charges a maximum 10% success fee for businesses up to $1mn, with tiered reductions for higher sale prices. This usually works out cheaper than competitors’ rates.
- Personalized, hands-on service: High-touch service is the name of the game with Quiet Light. You get a dedicated advisor to walk you through the entire sale process; this one individual will do your valuation, make your listing, negotiate with buyers on your behalf, and keep you updated as matters progress. Not every broker dedicates a single account manager in this way, and having a single point of contact can really help to keep things smooth and convenient.
- Vetted buyer network: Quiet Light has cultivated a large database of pre-qualified buyers (including repeat investors). New listings are confidentially shared with this network, leading to more interest and multiple offers for high-performing e-commerce businesses. Serious buyers are required to verify funds and sign NDAs, so you avoid time-wasters and maintain privacy.
Cons of Quiet Light
- Conservative valuations: Some sellers report that Quiet Light’s valuations tend to be on the low side. I’m always hesitant to list this as a drawback, as conservative pricing isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s better to get a sale over the line for a slightly lower fee than to leave your listing gathering dust at a more optimistic price point. However, if you want a broker that’s going to list your company for as high a price as possible, you might be better off looking elsewhere.
- Mid-market focus: If you’re eyeing up an eight- or nine-figure exit, you might be better off working with an agency that specializes in larger deal sizes.
FE International
Founded in 2010 by Thomas Smale, FE International has closed deals collectively worth over $1 billion. It’s known as a specialist in the mid-seven and eight-figure range, and a lot of its biggest sales have been in the ecommerce space.
Pros of FE International
- Broad reach: FE International has a database of thousands of active buyers and a strong reputation among high-net-worth individuals and funds looking for online business acquisitions. For a seller, this means FE can discreetly present your $1mn+ ecommerce business to serious, qualified buyers around the world. FE International also leverages a large email list and attend industry conferences, often finding buyers who might not be trawling public marketplaces.
- Rigorous vetting and quality control: FE International is known for only bringing “good” businesses to market (and for rejecting a large percentage of the sellers who apply to be listed). For those who make the cut, the implied quality of their offering is a big credibility boost.
- Suitability for larger exits: If your e-commerce business might sell for well above $1mn, FE International’s experience in this market segment is a major plus. The agency has handled plenty of 8-figure deals, and it has connections with buyers capable of writing big checks. FE brokers also understand how to structure complex deals (such as those involving earn-outs, equity rollovers, etc.).
Cons of FE International
- Fee structure: FE International’s approach to pricing is its biggest drawback, in my view. It doesn’t publish a standard commission table (as many competitors do), which means you’ll probably need to negotiate your commission rate. This adds quite a bit of friction to the process. Additionally, anecdotal evidence suggests that it typically charges around 15% commission on midmarket deals, which places it among the more expensive options at your disposal for a seven-figure exit.
- Less single-point contact: FE International tends to involve multiple team members throughout the process, which can make the experience feel a bit impersonal. You might interact with an analyst for valuation, a different broker who handles buyer communications, and then a legal coordinator for closing.
- Highly selective listing process: FE International’s high standards are a double-edged sword; a lot of good businesses get turned away. If your ecommerce business has irregular financials, is very young, or is borderline in some metrics, FE might decide against working with you.
Website Closers
Website Closers is one of the longest-running brokers in the digital business space, operating since 1998. It handles bigger deals, on average, than the other brokers discussed here, working a lot in the eight- and nine-figure range.
Pros of Website Closers
- Wide buyer network: Website Closers has built a large network of strategic and financial buyers, including private equity groups, search fund buyers, and overseas investors. Its brokers are very good at proactively shopping listings to this network, and its approach often leads to high-quality sales in the large-cap section of the market.
- Specialization in ecommerce: Website Closers deals with all kinds of digital businesses but has significant experience with ecommerce retail and Amazon businesses. Some members of its large broker team are even more specialized, working solely on Amazon FBA or Shopify businesses. This level of domain knowledge means better valuation accuracy and more precise negotiation experience.
Cons of Website Closers
- Opaque fee structure: Like FE International, Website Closers does not publicly disclose its commission rates, and these may be subject to negotiation.
- Variable communication and responsiveness: Because Website Closers has a large team and a lot of deals in motion, the level of attention you get may vary. Website Closers has a reputation for being less responsive than other brokers in this space, especially if you have a smaller listing.
- Potential bias toward larger deals: Website Closers deals with many multi-million dollar listings. If your ecommerce business is only slightly above the $1mn mark, you won’t receive as much attention here as you would elsewhere. Sellers with mid-7-figure businesses tend to get the red-carpet treatment, whereas low-7-figure or high-6-figure sellers need to ensure they advocate for themselves to stay top-of-mind.
- Inconsistent broker quality: Some brokers at Website Closers are all-stars with dozens of sales under their belt; others, not so much. The brokerage tends to let their people learn on the job, which can lead to mixed results for sellers expecting top-class service. Again, this is likely a bigger risk if yours is a smaller sale.
Ecom Brokers
Ecom Brokers is a newer boutique brokerage that specializes explicitly in ecommerce businesses. The company is based in the UK, but it works with ecommerce business owners globally (North America, Europe, etc.).
Pros of Ecom Brokers
- Specialization: If you’re looking for an ecommerce specialist, Ecom Brokers is (as the name suggests) a solid option. It doesn’t deal with any other kind of company. The advantage for you as a seller here is that you’re dealing with brokers who understand the nuances of product-based businesses intimately. All the company’s brokers will have a strong working knowledge of inventory management, seasonality, ad attribution, marketplace accounts, and all the moving parts of an ecommerce company.
- Founder-led, experienced team: When you work with Ecom Brokers, you’re directly interacting with its co-founders and a small team; you’re not going to be passed off to a junior representative.
- Lower, flexible commissions: Ecom Brokers uses price as a differentiator; it’s cheaper than most of its competitors. It also offers flexible pricing models, allowing you to choose a higher flat fee in return for a lower success fee or vice versa.
- Global reach: Based in the UK, Ecom Brokers has facilitated plenty of successful cross-border deals. If you have an eye on the international market, this is worth bearing in mind.
Cons of Ecom Brokers
- Smaller buyer network: As a newer and smaller firm, Ecom Brokers doesn’t have the gigantic buyer list that larger brokers or marketplaces boast. Its network is high-quality, but limited in terms of size.
- Short track record: Ecom Brokers is a relatively young company. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that the brokerage has less of a track record to inspect.
- Less US focused presence: While global reach is a plus, the flip side is that Ecom Brokers is not as entrenched in the US market as some of its competitors. If the bulk of likely buyers for your business are American (which is often the case for US-based Amazon FBA or DTC brands), some US buyers might not be as familiar with Ecom Brokers compared to a known local brokerage.
Choosing the Right Broker for a $1M+ eCommerce Exit
Ultimately, the right broker for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. Broadly speaking, I think Quiet Light is the pick of the bunch; however, it’s always good to do your own research and figure out where the best alignment for your own company lies.