Trent Lee — #1 ranked business broker in the U.S. seven years in a row, with 600+ closed sales totaling over $200M in deals and more than $15M in personal commission.

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  Early hustle: Painted address numbers on neighborhood curbs and mowed lawns — learned value creation early.

  
  


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  Current role: Licensed business broker & appraiser. Specializes in small to mid-sized businesses, valuations, and finding qualified buyers through cash, SBA loans, or seller financing.

  
  


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  How he got here:

  
  
  
  
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    Inspired watching his father sell his 700-employee company (private equity deal).

    
    
  
  
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    Learned firsthand how CPAs, attorneys, and buyers operate in M&A.

    
    
  
  
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    Started and sold businesses (financing consulting & medical alert response center). Frustrated with brokers he worked with → became one himself.

    
    
  
  
  
  


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  How to become a business broker:

  
  
  
  
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    Licensing depends on the state (some require real estate + broker permit, others none).

    
    
  
  
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    Associations like IBBA help standardize training/education.

    
    
  
  
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    Strong background in accounting, contracts, negotiations, and marketing is essential.

    
    
  
  
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    Challenge: takes 12+ months before first commissions hit; most fail because they run out of money before their first big close.

    
    
  
  
  
  


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  Earnings potential:

  
  
  
  
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    Smaller deals: 8–15% commission. Larger/private equity deals: lower %.

    
    
  
  
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    First year = expect $0 while building pipeline.

    
    
  
  
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    Year 2+, even a few deals ($500K–$2M businesses) → six figures+.

    
    
  
  
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    Industry is older (often second careers), but huge opportunity for those who survive the ramp-up.

    
    
  
  
  
  


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  Why brokerage over ownership?

  
  
  
  
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    Trent opts not to buy businesses himself. Brokerage gives income without employees, leases, or headaches.

    
    
  
  
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    He’s built wealth through business sales commissions, investing proceeds into 24 fully paid rental properties.

    
    
  
  
  
  


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  Why so few business brokers?

  
  
  
  
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    Most owners don’t even know brokers exist (unlike real estate).

    
    
  
  
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    Lack of awareness & high skill bar keeps supply small — which means big opportunity for specialists.

    
    
  
  
  
  


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  For Buyers:

  
  
  
  
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    Buying an existing business = easier path to cash flow than startups.

    
    
  
  
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    Zero-money-down deals are rare clickbait; you’ll usually need ~10% down. Can come from:

    
    
    
    
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      personal cash/savings,

      
      
    
    
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      self-directed retirement accounts,

      
      
    
    
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      equity partner, or

      
      
    
    
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      combination of buyer + seller financing.

      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
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    Buying with 0% down = 100% leverage → dangerous if market fluctuates. Better: leverage smartly so downturns = inconvenient, not devastating.

    
    
  
  
  
  

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  Brokerage is a lucrative but long game; plan financially for the first year with no income.

  
  


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  For buyers, don’t chase unicorn “zero down” structures — get creative but realistic with 10% in.

  
  


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  Buying an existing cash-flowing business is almost always better than starting from scratch.

  
  

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  Email: trent@fcbblv.com 

  
  

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