Sunbelt Business Advisors

What Sunbelt Business Advisors does

Sunbelt Business Advisors is the trade name under which Business Transition Group, LLC, a privately held Maryland LLC, operates as a regional franchise office of the Sunbelt Business Network, the self-described largest business brokerage firm in the world. The firm, headquartered in Bethesda with an additional Baltimore presence, serves small and lower mid-market business owners and prospective buyers primarily in Maryland and the broader Mid-Atlantic, with deal specialization in the $1MM to $50MM range. Its core offerings include business brokerage services (buying and selling main-street and mid-market businesses), mergers and acquisitions advisory, business valuation, a Targeted Acquisition Program (TAP) for buyers, franchise resale brokerage, and a dedicated dental and medical practice transition practice.

The firm's underlying technology is a conventional business brokerage platform and deal-management workflow rather than a proprietary software product; the only named differentiated process is the TAP, which screens businesses against buyer-specified criteria (industry, geography, revenue, headcount) and conducts targeted outreach. Revenue is generated entirely on a commission basis with a stated minimum commission of $10,000 per closed transaction and no upfront retainers on M&A engagements; individual brokers are compensated as 100% commission independent contractors. The firm is led by President & CEO Majid Zarinbaksh (CBI, M&AMIC candidate) and supported by a professional dental consultant, with affiliations to IBBA and M&A Source and approved referral-broker relationships with major franchisors including Subway, GNC, Senior Helpers, and Papa Johns.

Name

Sunbelt Business Advisors

Legal name

Business Transition Group, LLC

Website

https://sunbeltmd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sunbelt Business Advisors is a Bethesda-based franchise of the Sunbelt Business Network providing business brokerage, M&A advisory, valuation, franchise resale, and dental/medical practice transition services to SMB and lower mid-market business owners and buyers in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic, on a commission-based model with a $10,000 minimum per closed transaction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Brokerage Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Lower Middle-Market Business Brokerage (FSAEAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), Professional Practice Brokerage (Medical/Dental/Legal/Accounting) (FSAEAIAI), Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)

Keywords

• Business brokerage
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Business valuation
• Franchise consulting
• Practice sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethesda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Commissions: Commission-based compensation on completed business sale transactions. Minimum commission of $10,000 per deal, with potential for significantly higher earnings on larger transactions.
2. M&A Advisory Fees: Advisory services for businesses in $1MM to $50MM range. No retainer fee charged upfront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sunbelt Business Advisors facilitates the buying and selling of businesses through professional business brokers who provide valuations, confidential marketing, buyer screening, negotiation, financing assistance, and transaction closing support. The firm also provides M&A advisory services for lower mid-market companies in the $1MM to $50MM range, business valuation using cost, market, and income approaches, and specialized services for dental and medical practices and franchise transactions.

Product overview

Sunbelt Business Advisors operates as a business brokerage firm offering a unified suite of services centered on business buying, selling, and advisory. The core offerings include business brokerage services for buying and selling businesses, M&A advisory for lower mid-market transactions ($1MM-$50MM), and business valuation services using multiple valuation methodologies. The company also provides specialty practices in dental and medical practice sales, franchise consulting, and a Targeted Acquisition Program (TAP) for buyers seeking specific acquisition criteria. All services are supported by online seller and buyer registration portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Brokerage Services Facilitates the buying and selling of businesses, connecting business owners with prospective buyers through confidential marketing, valuation, negotiation, and transaction services. Targeted at entrepreneurs and SMB owners looking to buy or sell businesses.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Expert M&A advisory services for lower mid-market companies in the $1MM to $50MM range, including exit planning, buyer identification, valuation, negotiation, financing assistance, due diligence, and closing support. No upfront fees charged.
• Business Valuation Services Provides Broker Opinion of Value, practice valuations, and business valuation analysis using cost, market, and income approaches to determine fair market value for selling, buying, or transition planning.
• Dental & Medical Practice Services Specialized acquisition and sale services for dental and medical practices, including practice valuation, transition support, and acquisition financing assistance through practice-preferred lenders. Targeted at practice owners and buyers in the healthcare sector.
• Targeted Acquisition Program (TAP) Custom acquisition program that screens companies against buyer-specified industry, geographic area, revenue, and employee criteria. Retained advisors conduct database screening, targeted outreach, and assist with negotiation, financing, due diligence, and closing for buyers.
• Franchise Consulting Expert guidance for buying or selling franchises, including evaluation of franchise disclosure documents (FDD), assistance with multi-unit franchise transitions, and acting as an approved referral broker for major franchisors. No consultation fee is charged for franchise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sellers offering terms receive on average 86% of asking price vs. 70% for all-cash transactions

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)coreOthersProfessional association membership providing credibility, continuing education, and industry networking for business brokers.
• M&A SourcecoreOthersProfessional association for M&A intermediaries providing continuing education and industry networking. M&AMIC designation holders and candidates are members.
• M&A SourcecoreOthersMr. Zarinbaksh is a member of M&A Source which provides continuing education and industry networking to M&A intermediaries.
• Various Franchisors (Subway, GNC, Jerry's Sub, Senior Helpers, Home Helpers, Blimpie, Serve Pros, Flippin Pizza, Handy Man, Pappa Johns, Kiddie Academy, etc.)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved referral broker helping franchisees sell existing franchises. Walk clients through franchise buying/selling process without consultation fee.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Transworld Business Advisors: Large U.S. franchise network of business brokers and M&A advisors that mirrors Sunbelt's model: local franchise offices serving SMB and lower-middle-market M&A transactions ($1MM-$50MM range) with commission-based fees. Most direct structural comparable.
• Murphy Business & Financial Corporation: National franchise network providing business brokerage, valuation, and M&A advisory to SMB and mid-market clients. Closely comparable in target market, transaction size, and referral-driven GTM motion.
• VR Mergers & Acquisitions (VR Business Brokers): Franchise-based business brokerage and M&A intermediary serving SMB sellers and buyers across U.S. regional markets. Comparable service offering, deal-size focus, and commission economics.
• Generational Group: U.S. M&A advisory firm focused exclusively on lower-middle-market transactions ($10MM-$250MM), providing sell-side representation, valuation, and consulting. Overlapping deal-size sweet spot and seller-representation service set.
• Benchmark International: Global M&A advisory firm specializing in lower-middle-market and mid-market transactions across multiple sectors. Comparable sell-side advisory model with similar transaction-size sweet spot.
• First Choice Business Brokers: National franchise business brokerage with regional offices serving SMB M&A transactions. Direct comparable in service mix, franchise structure, and target deal size.
• Austin Financial Advisors: National business brokerage network offering services to SMB and middle-market business owners for buying, selling, and valuing businesses. Comparable franchise-style distribution and target customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Sunbelt Business Network: Parent franchisor of the subject company, operating 300+ offices worldwide with 9,000+ listings. While structurally a parent and not a competitor at the local level, it sets the platform, brand, and referral infrastructure on which the subject firm depends and thus is the most relevant incumbent anchor.

Emerging players

• BizBuySell: Largest online business-for-sale marketplace connecting SMB buyers and sellers; serves as both an indirect lead source for traditional brokers and a partial substitute that pressures broker commissions and per-deal economics.
• Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions: Dental and medical practice transition services affiliated with the Henry Schein distribution platform. Operates as a specialized, channel-integrated counterpart to the subject firm's dental/medical practice vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunbelt-of-greater-baltimore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sunbelt Business Advisors