You’ve reached a point in your business where it’s time to consider selling your company. In narrowing down your list of businesses brokers you may have two options left: Website Closers vs Viking M&A. How do you ultimately choose between these two best business brokers?
Website Closers is a tech-focused firm, specializing in businesses that mainly operate online or have an online presence. In other words, we are the go-to of those who plan on selling a SaaS company and those who want to sell ecommerce business. We serve companies nationwide, and as a website broker, we have led cross-border deals.
Viking M&A is a multi-sector specialist due to the wide range of expertise of its business brokers. While they work across 30+ different sectors, they specifically highlight five as their major focus areas:
They also mention their focus on small to medium-sized Southeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. companies and operate in 18 offices across Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington DC focusing on small to mid-sized business sales in these areas.
Viking M&A takes pride in its aggressive yet confidential marketing strategies to qualified buyers. Its complimentary valuations give sellers insights into the company’s current financial standing. They facilitate flexible structures like minority ownership retention or seller involvement post-sale to bridge valuation gaps while controlling risk.
One excellent example is how Viking M&A was able to structure the transaction for The Lab Zone in such a way that the company, moving forward, will serve the interests of the seller (who wants to focus on product development) and the buyer (who is better at business development, growing, and operations).
Website Closers focuses on strategies for tech/online businesses. As a website brokerage firm, our brokers perform the following functions:
Both Viking M&A and Website Closers attract a mix of individual, strategic, and financial buyers rather than primarily institutional investors or tech-specific strategics, with strong evidence of high buyer quality.
As one of the best online business brokers, Website Closers has a wide pool of connections ranging from strategic tech buyers (companies expanding via synergies), financial buyers (PE/investors focused on ROI) to individuals with rich industry expertise. Due to our online business brokerage screening rigorously for pre-qualified, serious parties with proof of funds, we yield high seller satisfaction via vetted networks.
Viking M&A focuses on individual buyers (entrepreneurs seeking ownership), strategic buyers (industry peers expanding geographically/products), and financial buyers (PE groups for platforms/add-ons), prioritizing qualified, vetted prospects through confidential marketing for 900+ successful deals.
Both Website Closers and Viking M&A deliver due diligence support that makes way for smooth closings through the following:
The business brokers online offer sell-side due diligence checklists (financials, legal, operations), initial vetting of profits/brand integrity, buyer screening (POF, background), and guidance through 30-60 day buyer-led reviews, ensuring transparency to spot red flags early.
Viking coordinates pre-offer buyer requests, creates secure data rooms for document sharing, gathers/analyzes info with sellers/buyers, negotiates closing docs (e.g., training, non-competes), and stays involved post-offer for on-time closings via proactive checklists.
Most brokers, including Website Closers and Viking M&A, charge commission-based fees called success fees. It is a range between 8-15% of the final price without the seller paying anything upfront. You might wonder why they don’t require upfront fees. The reason is simple: these firms have refined their processes to achieve consistently high success rates (Website Closers 90%+, Viking 85%), allowing them to work confidently on a contingency basis.
Website Closers has consistently gained an average of over 4.5/5 ratings from third-party review sites and is being praised for hands-on support, excellently vetted buyers, and smooth processes. Although Viking M&A doesn’t have as many ratings as Website Closers does, the firm prides itself being among the top regional performers with strict confidentiality practices, well-managed buyer network, and quick closings.
| Feature | Website Closers | Viking M&A |
| Service Areas | Nationwide, Cross-border | Nationwide with a focus on Southeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. companies |
| Industry Specialization | Tech companies and online businesses | Multi-sector, majoring in five industries (HVAC, Manufacturing, Service, Wholesale and distribution, and Architecture), With experience closing businesses in 30+ industries |
| Value Maximization | Metrics-focused improvements, negotiations with the goal of achieving the best terms, arrangements for financing | Aggressive and confidential promotions, flexible structures for decreasing valuation gaps |
| Buyer Pool | Individual, financial, and strategic buyers | Individual, financial, and strategic buyers |
| Due Diligence Support | General due diligence support | General due diligence support + Pre-offer buyer requests coordination |
| Fees | Commission based (8-15% of the final price) | Commission based (undisclosed percentage) |
| Success Rate | Over 90% | Over 85% |
| Seller Experience and Ratings | Generally positive, 4.5 on average based on third-party reviews on website brokers | Generally positive |
Viking M&A and Website Closers are both reputable brokers for business sale, but neither is universally “better” because they are built around different strengths, sectors, and seller priorities. Viking M&A excels with privately held, traditional lower middle market companies that value regional presence, face-to-face guidance, and a highly structured process, while Website Closers stands out for tech, ecommerce, and other digital-first businesses that need global reach, online-focused business valuation for sale engagements, and sophisticated digital buyer networks.
In practice, the smarter move is to treat them as specialized business selling brokers and choose the one whose track record, industry focus, and deal size sweet spot best match your company and exit goals, rather than looking for a single winner. For some owners, that will mean Viking M&A’s regional, hands-on approach; for others, it will mean Website Closers’ digital expertise and worldwide buyer pool—what matters most is which team’s specialization, strategy, and communication style fits the way you want to sell your business.
In general, brokers that sell businesses are middlemen. Since they take on this role, they work in the interests of their clients, but at the same time, view all aspects from an objective perspective, because at the end of the day, both sides need to be in agreement to push the deal through.
For example, when representing a seller, a broker must objectively evaluate the business’s financials and documentation rather than simply accepting the owner’s optimistic projections at face value. Conversely, when working with buyers, the broker needs to help them see past temporary market challenges and recognize a business’s proven ability to navigate difficult conditions.
If we focus on the term “broker,” then there’s no real difference between these two terms. On the topic of M&A though, there are roles called M&A advisors. This is where the difference becomes more apparent.
M&A advisors typically work on larger, more complex transactions and bring a deeper level of strategic guidance to the table. While business brokers who sell businesses focus primarily on facilitating the sale of transactions of main street and lower middle market companies.
Business brokers use a mix of the following:
Before anything sensitive about the business for sale is shared, potential acquirers are given nondisclosure agreements that they must sign and abide by.
In most small to mid-market transactions, the broker’s fee is paid by the seller out of the sale proceeds. While the buyer may factor the presence of a broker to sell business into their overall offer, the formal engagement and payment obligation usually rest with the business owner who hires the broker.
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