Sunbelt Business BrokersFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Sunbelt Business Brokers franchise requires a total initial investment of $61K – $115K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $61K – $115K
- 37th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 25th pct Real Estate
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 8th pct Real Estate
- Units
- 130
- 48th pct Real Estate
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Real Estate · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Real Estate avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- Total investment $61K – $115K including a $50K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 36/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- MMI Business Brokers, LLC
- Parent company
- SB Administrative Services, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 7100 E. Pleasant Valley Road, Suite 300, Independence, Ohio 44131
- Auditor
- Ciuni & Panichi, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.8M
- vs $1.5M prior year
Overview
About
Sunbelt Business Brokers franchisees operate as intermediaries facilitating the sale of small-to-mid-market businesses, earning commissions on successful transactions. Day-to-day work involves lead generation, client prospecting, business valuation, deal structuring, and negotiation between buyers and sellers. Revenue is entirely transaction-dependent with no recurring revenue model.
- CEO
- Brian Knoderer
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2005
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 44
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $45K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $0 | $20K |
| Total initial investment | $61K | $115K |
Source: Sunbelt Business Brokers 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $61K – $115K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $45K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- Monthly Marketing Fee · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 4.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $2K |
| Total fee load | 4.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Real Estate averages
How Sunbelt Business Brokers Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 130
- Opened
- 9
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 0.8%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +6.6%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +7.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 36 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- $5.0M
- Median loan
- $423K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Sunbelt Business Brokers's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 5 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 5 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 5-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Sunbelt presents moderate-to-caution risk due to missing financial disclosure, unprotected territories, slow growth, and opaque fee structures that prevent meaningful ROI analysis before investment.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ciuni & Panichi, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 36 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD (Item 19) — impossible to assess ROI or validate $61-114k investment viability
- 02MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk — multiple franchisees can operate in same area with no exclusivity
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (6.6% YoY) on 130-unit system suggests market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 04MINORHigh initial franchise fee ($49,500) represents 81% of minimum investment with no guaranteed performance metrics
- 05MED4% monthly royalty + undisclosed marketing fee structure lacks transparency on total cost of revenue
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 60 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Ohio |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- Sunbelt Brokerage Management System (SBMS)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Sunbelt Brokerage Management System (SBMS)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
103 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Sunbelt Business Brokers · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Sunbelt Business Brokers franchise?
The total investment to open a Sunbelt Business Brokers franchise ranges from $61K – $115K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Sunbelt Business Brokers franchise owners earn?
Sunbelt Business Brokers does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Sunbelt Business Brokers's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Sunbelt Business Brokers (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Sunbelt Business Brokers franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Sunbelt Business Brokers has 130 total units in the United States, including 8 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 9 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Sunbelt Business Brokers a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Sunbelt Business Brokers as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 36 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.