
The Economics of Hiring an M&A Advisor: Are They Worth the Fees?
Selling your business may be the most important financial decision you ever make. Faced with that possibility, a key question…
Welcome to the latest issue of The Winning M&A Advisor, the Axial publication that anonymously unpacks data, fees, and terms from the winning M&A engagement letters of professional M&A advisors using Axial to win new sell-side business.
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Engagement Letter Details | |
Retainer Required | Yes - $40K |
Retainer Payment Terms | Non-refundable, up front payment |
Engagement Duration | 12 months |
Success Fee | Based on the total transaction value, calculated below. |
3% - up to $22.5M | |
5% - above $22.5M | |
Retainer Applied to Success Fee | Yes - 100% applied |
Minimum Success Fee | $500,000 |
Special Terms | |
Tail Period: 24 months - the advisor is owed a success fee if a deal is closed with a party introduced during the engagement term. |
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As part of every Advisor Finder process, we ask the business owner or management team to provide a rationale for why they hired a given advisor. The following attributes contributed to the selection of the Winning M&A Advisor:
The Business | |
Timeline | |
Reaches Out To Axial | 12/20/2024 |
Begins Interviewing M&A Advisors | 2/5/2025 |
Signs The Winning Engagement Letter | 4/8/2025 |
Business Data | |
Industry | Business Services, Industrial Services |
Revenue Range | $20M - $25M |
EBITDA Range | $4M - $5M |
Desired Transaction | |
Transaction Type | Majority Sale (Over 50%) |
Reason For Transaction | Business Growth Plateau; Seeking Personal Liquidity |
Transaction Timeline | 6-12 Months |
Advisor Recommendation #1 (Winning M&A Advisor) | |
Firm Type | M&A Advisory Firm |
Generalist / Specialist | Generalist |
Deals Marketed on Axial L12 | 6 |
Deals Marketed on Axial All-Time | 146 |
Average Revenue of Deals | $19,025,145 |
Average EBITDA of Deals | $3,159,100 |
Advisor Recommendation #2 | |
Firm Type | M&A Advisory Firm |
Generalist / Specialist | Specialist |
Deals Marketed on Axial L12 | 5 |
Deals Marketed on Axial All-Time | 14 |
Average Revenue of Deals | $23,079,495 |
Average EBITDA of Deals | $2,153,780 |
Advisor Recommendation #3 | |
Firm Type | Investment Bank |
Generalist / Specialist | Generalist |
Deals Marketed on Axial L12 | 10 |
Deals Marketed on Axial All-Time | 159 |
Average Revenue of Deals | $27,551,624 |
Average EBITDA of Deals | $4,475,827 |
Axial is the trusted deal platform serving the lower middle market ($2.5-$250M TEV).
Over 3,500 advisory firms and 3,000 corporate and financial buyers have joined Axial to efficiently connect with relevant capital partners, source actionable deals, and build new relationships.
Visit the Closed Deals page to see selected transactions that have been sourced and closed via Axial.