Calhoun Companies

What Calhoun Companies does

Calhoun Companies

Name

Calhoun Companies

Legal name

Calhoun Companies

Website

https://calhouncompanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calhoun Companies is a privately held, Edina, Minnesota-based business brokerage and M&A advisory firm founded in 1908, serving small- to mid-sized business owners and buyers in the upper Midwest with commission-based transaction advisory, valuation, and commercial real estate services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Brokerage Services

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Investment Sales Brokerage (BPAJABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Real Estate Brokerage (Leasing & Sales) (FSAEAJAB)

Keywords

• Business brokerage services
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Business valuation services
• Commercial real estate brokerage
• Business transition advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Edina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Business Brokerage Commissions: Commission-based fees on successful business sale transactions. The company charges no upfront seller fees, earning revenue only upon deal closure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Calhoun Companies is a business brokerage firm that facilitates the sale, purchase, valuation, and transition of small- to mid-sized businesses. The firm connects buyers and sellers, advises on mergers and acquisitions, provides commercial real estate services tied to ownership transitions, and delivers business valuation services. Revenue is earned through commissions on successfully closed transactions, with no upfront fees charged to sellers.

Product overview

Calhoun Companies is a business brokerage firm offering a unified suite of services centered on business transitions. The core offerings include business brokerage (matching buyers and sellers), commercial real estate services, mergers and acquisitions advisory, and business valuation services. These services work together to guide small- to mid-sized business owners through the complete process of selling, buying, or transitioning their businesses, from initial valuation through closing. The company operates as a service-based firm rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Brokerage Services Facilitates the sale and purchase of small- to mid-sized businesses, connecting buyers and sellers throughout the transaction process from valuation to closing.
• Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory services for business combinations and acquisitions, guiding clients through complex M&A transactions including sell-side and buy-side advisory.
• Commercial Real Estate Services
• Business Valuation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Average of 63 deals closed per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)coreOthersProfessional association membership providing industry credentials, networking, and best practices for business brokerage operations
• M&A SourcecoreOthersProfessional network for M&A advisors and business brokers facilitating deal flow and professional development
• Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North DakotacoreOthersBBB accreditation providing trust and credibility for customers, company president Andy Kocemba serves on the board
• NFIB - The Voice of Small BusinessminorOthersSmall business advocacy organization membership supporting connection with small business owners

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Newmark Group: Newmark is a global commercial real estate advisor with capital markets, leasing, and valuation services. Comparable in commercial real estate brokerage and valuation service lines, though Newmark focuses on larger institutional assets while Calhoun focuses on SMB.
• Cushman & Wakefield (North American): Cushman & Wakefield is a global commercial real estate services firm offering brokerage, valuation, and advisory. Overlaps with Calhoun's commercial real estate brokerage and valuation offerings, though Cushman operates at a much larger scale and asset class.

Others

• CBI (now part of EBI) / Restaurant Realty: BusinessesForSale.com is a global online marketplace aggregating business listings and broker advertisements. While primarily a listing platform, it competes for marketing attention alongside traditional brokerages like Calhoun that list deals online.

Emerging players

• BizQuest: BizQuest is an online business-for-sale marketplace aggregating listings from brokers and individual sellers. Adjacent competitor to traditional brokerages like Calhoun, providing DIY listing access that may reduce demand for full-service intermediaries.
• BizBuySell: BizBuySell is the largest online marketplace for buying and selling small businesses, with hundreds of thousands of listings. It partially overlaps with Calhoun by connecting buyers and sellers, though it operates as a listing platform rather than a full-service intermediary.

Direct peers

• Sunbelt Business Advisors: Sunbelt is the largest business brokerage franchise network in North America, specializing in the sale of small to mid-sized businesses. Calhoun's own brokers (e.g., Jon Tichich) came from Sunbelt, making it a directly comparable franchise model with similar deal-size focus and revenue model.
• VR Business Brokers: VR is an established business brokerage franchise network serving SMB buyers and sellers across the US. It competes directly with Calhoun on small-business M&A, business valuations, and franchise resales with a similar regional-franchise structure.
• Transworld Business Advisors: Transworld is a leading business brokerage and M&A franchise firm focused on lower middle-market transactions and franchise resales. It directly competes with Calhoun in matching buyers and sellers of small to mid-sized businesses and franchises across regional territories.
• Murphy Business & Financial Corporation: Murphy is a business brokerage franchise specializing in the lower middle market with a focus on business valuations, M&A, and business sales. Directly comparable in service mix (brokerage + valuation), customer segment (SMB owners), and commission-based revenue model.
• Generational Equity: Generational Equity is a large M&A advisory firm for the lower middle market, providing business sales, valuation, and transition services. Comparable service portfolio to Calhoun, with similar deal size focus and commission-based compensation model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CalhounCompanies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calhoun-companies
• Xx.com/CalhounCos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Calhoun Companies