Murphy Business and Financial Corporation

What Murphy Business and Financial Corporation does

Murphy Business and Financial Corporation LLC, founded in 1994 by Roger J. Murphy and headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, is one of North America's largest business brokerage and M&A advisory networks, operating a franchise model of over 250 business brokers across more than 125 offices in 38 U.S. states and Canada. The firm serves small and mid-sized business owners seeking to buy, sell, or value businesses, with a segmented service portfolio that includes core Business Brokerage for Main Street businesses (typically under $5 million in revenue), a Lower Middle Market M&A advisory sub-brand (Murphy Merger & Acquisition Advisors, targeting companies with EBITDA over $1 million), Business Valuation Services, Business Consulting, Machinery and Equipment Appraisals, and a Franchise Resale Program for franchisors and franchisees. Services are delivered through independent franchise offices with local market coverage, supported by a centralized marketing, technology, and franchise development function led by a corporate team including CEO Veronica Cardinale Ellinger, COO Evelyn Correa, and CFO John Graves.

The company's revenue mechanics combine three streams: transaction-based commissions on completed business sales (typically a percentage of the deal value), professional services fees for valuation and appraisal reports (Broker's Opinion of Value, Certified Valuation Reports, and USPAP-compliant M&E appraisals), and franchise fees and ongoing support revenue from the broker network. Operations are supported by proprietary systems including MOMS (Murphy Online Management System) for listings and broker operations, established valuation methodologies (USPAP-compliant), and affiliations with national and international business brokerage networks that extend buyer/seller reach. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, varying with transaction value, complexity, and report type. Customer acquisition is driven by a multi-channel approach spanning content marketing (blog, free downloadable guides), SEO, referrals from the broker network, and franchise development marketing to recruit additional brokers. The firm was founded in 1994, has facilitated over $4.3 billion in cumulative closed transactions, and currently operates under CEO Veronica Cardinale Ellinger following a transition from prior CEO Tom Coba.

Name

Murphy Business and Financial Corporation

Legal name

Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC

Website

https://murphybusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Murphy Business is a franchise-model business brokerage and M&A advisory firm with 250+ brokers and 125+ offices across 38 U.S. states and Canada, serving SMB owners and lower middle market enterprises with business sales, acquisitions, valuations, and franchise resale services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Brokerage Services

akta.pro primary industry

Lower Middle-Market Business Brokerage (FSAEAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-side/Sell-side) (BPAHADAC), Franchise Resale & Franchise Brokerage (Transfers/Resales) (FSAEAIAG), Fairness Opinions & Independent Financial Advice (BPAHAOAF)

Keywords

• Business brokerage services
• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Business valuation services
• Franchise resale programs
• Machinery equipment appraisal

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Brokerage Commissions: Commission-based revenue from facilitating business sales and acquisitions. Brokers earn commissions on completed transactions when businesses are bought or sold through their services.
2. Business Valuation Services: Professional appraisal and valuation services for business sales, exit planning, financing, and other purposes. Revenue generated from valuation reports and appraisal services.
3. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise development, including initial franchise fees and ongoing support services to franchisees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Murphy Business is a business brokerage and M&A advisory firm operating as a franchise network of more than 250 brokers across 38 U.S. states and Canada. Its core offerings include business brokerage (helping owners sell and buyers acquire businesses), lower middle market M&A advisory, business valuation services, business consulting, machinery and equipment appraisals, and franchise resale services for franchisors and franchisees. Revenue is generated from commissions on transactions, professional services fees, and franchise fees.

Product overview

Murphy Business & Financial Corporation LLC is a business brokerage and M&A advisory firm operating as a franchise network of over 250 brokers across 38 U.S. states and Canada. The company offers a unified suite of services centered on business brokerage (selling and buying businesses), lower middle market M&A advisory, business valuation, business consulting, machinery & equipment appraisals, and franchise resale services. The portfolio includes the core Business Brokerage service, Lower Middle Market / M&A division (Murphy Merger & Acquisition Advisors), Business Valuation Services, Business Consulting, Machinery and Equipment Appraisal Services, and Franchise Resale programs for both franchisors and franchisees. Operations are supported by the proprietary MOMS (Murphy Online Management System) internal platform for listings management. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Murphy Merger & Acquisition Advisors (MMAA): M&A advisory division focused on companies with EBITDA of over $1 million, serving private equity groups, corporate buyers, and wealthy individual buyers.
• Murphy Valuation Services
• Murphy Franchise Resale Program

Products and services

• Business Brokerage

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $4.3 billion in completed business transactions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BEAM CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026BEAM Collaborative, a nonprofit focused on strengthening local businesses, partnered with Murphy Business Sales - West Pittsburgh to support Main Street businesses with revenue under $5 million through ownership transitions. The collaboration combines BEAM's data-driven education and succession planning tools with Murphy Business Sales' expertise in valuations and business sales. The partnership includes joint educational programs and workshops designed to help keep local businesses community-owned.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sunbelt Business Advisors: One of the largest business brokerage networks in North America, with a comparable franchise-driven model serving Main Street and lower middle-market buyers and sellers. Directly competes with Murphy on transaction volume, geographic coverage, and franchise recruitment.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Direct franchise-model competitor in business brokerage, franchise resale, and M&A advisory. Overlaps with Murphy across nearly every service line, including franchise resale programs and lower middle-market deal making.
• VR Business Brokers / Mergers & Acquisitions: Long-standing North American business brokerage network serving SMBs, with a franchise structure and service mix very similar to Murphy's. Competes head-to-head on Main Street transactions and franchise resale mandates.
• Generational Group: Lower middle-market M&A advisory firm that directly overlaps with Murphy's MMAA division, focusing on companies typically in the $5M–$50M revenue range with private equity and strategic buyer relationships. Closest direct peer on the M&A side.
• BizBuySell: The largest online marketplace for buying and selling small businesses in the U.S. While not a franchise broker, it competes with Murphy on Main Street listings, buyer discovery, and increasingly on direct SMB transactions that bypass local brokers.
• MidStreet Mergers & Acquisitions: Franchise-model M&A advisory focused on lower middle-market transactions, frequently in the same $1M+ EBITDA sweet spot Murphy targets. Competes directly for Main Street and lower middle-market seller mandates.
• Morgan & Westfield: Business brokerage and M&A advisory serving SMBs and lower middle-market sellers, with a service mix (brokerage, valuation, M&A) closely aligned to Murphy's. Overlaps on transaction sizes and target customer profile.

Emerging players

• Acquire.com: Online marketplace for buying and selling small (mostly tech-enabled and online) businesses. Represents the digital-first threat to traditional broker-mediated SMB transactions and overlaps with Murphy's Buy-a-Business service for online-friendly SMBs.
• Axial: Member-based deal network for lower middle-market business sales and capital raises. Competes with Murphy's MMAA division for mandates and buyer sourcing among private equity groups, family offices, and independent sponsors.

Others

• IBBA (International Business Brokers Association): Industry association of which Murphy-affiliated brokers are members. Not a competitor but a peer in the professional ecosystem that shapes certification standards (CBI, BVI) Murphy brokers rely on for credibility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/murphybiz

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Murphy Business and Financial Corporation