Listed for sale

Listed on BizBuySell? Your records are priced somewhere else

Listings on BizBuySell cover asking price, assets and cash flow. Nowhere do they capture the business's archive of job records, files and email, and no marketplace we reviewed tells sellers that AI companies will license that archive.

That archive is quoted on its own terms, by a different kind of buyer, with size floors many listings miss. Here is how to tell if yours is one of the ones that qualifies.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 3 min read 11 sources

Q2 2026 closed deals: 2,117
Total value: About $1.8B
Average deal: About $850K
Change vs prior year: Down 10%

In this guide

Pewter

What sold on the marketplace last quarter

BizBuySell counted 2,117 closed transactions in the second quarter of 2026, worth roughly $1.8B in total. Both figures fell about 10% against the prior quarter and the prior year. Dividing one by the other gives an average near $850K a deal (our arithmetic).

Acquirers are being choosier. Anything that adds cash or certainty to an owner's exit gets more attention in a slower market.

Which listings data buyers can use

Cash flow does not interest data buyers; headcount and history do. The usual floor is 20 to 30 staff, though some use peak headcount and a few set none. Plenty of listed businesses are run by the owner plus a few people, and those generally fall short. Better to learn that up front.

The marketplace has plenty of insurance agencies, freight brokers and CPA practices, and those happen to match the sectors data buyers say they want most: finance, logistics and accounting.

Running a license while you are on the market

Data buyers work with operating companies and move quickly: offers within days to two weeks, payment typically three to six weeks after signing. Before you start, tell your broker and any buyer already in diligence, because the license will surface in their review anyway.

Which email system you use, and since what year
Whether staff work in Slack or Teams
What your CRM or job system holds
Where old files and shared drives live

Questions to put to any data buyer

Is this a license of a copy, or a sale of the records outright?
Is it exclusive, and for how long? Can I license the same data elsewhere later?
Which systems and date ranges are in scope, and can I leave folders or whole tools out?
Who removes names and personal details, how, and do I approve a sample before anything leaves?
When does payment arrive, and does the clock start at signing or at your acceptance of the delivery?
Do I pay anything, and does anyone in the chain take a cut?
How long do you keep the copy, and what happens to it if you are acquired?

FAQ

Questions, answered

Does BizBuySell list data as an asset?

Not as a separate line. Listings describe cash flow, assets and price, and say nothing about licensing the company's records.

What did the typical BizBuySell sale fetch?

Dividing roughly $1.8B by 2,117 closed deals in Q2 2026 gives an average near $850K.

Is my company big enough?

The usual floor is somewhere from 20 to 30 staff. Some buyers publish none at all. Mode accepts law firms with 6 people and accounting firms with 10, and Pewter goes by your highest-ever headcount. Our match quiz sorts it out in two minutes.

What could a license pay?

For a business that is still trading, most buyers publish bands of roughly $100K to $2M. Treat those as marketing claims. They are no price for you. Only a written offer from a buyer whose criteria you meet tells you what your data is worth.

Would a license hold up my sale?

It does not have to, since offers come quickly. Sequence it with your broker so the acquirer hears about it at the right moment.

Is my broker owed a fee on a data deal?

Check your engagement letter. Some are written to cover any deal involving the business, so settle the question with your broker before signing with a data buyer.

Find the buyers that fit your company

Answer a few questions about your size, tools and history. We show which buyers want a company like yours. Free, no files.

Match my company What is my data worth?

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Sources

Every number on this page links back to one of these.

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