Most Florida business sales take six to twelve months — and the difference between a fast deal and a stalled one is decided before the listing ever goes live. Here is the honest, stage-by-stage timeline: valuation, confidential marketing, buyer screening, due diligence, financing, and closing. Plus the Florida-specific friction points — license transfers, lease assignments, seasonality — that catch owners off guard.

Most Florida business brokers charge a success fee of 8–12% on Main Street deals, paid at closing — but the percentage is the least interesting part. This guide breaks down how fees scale on larger deals, which upfront charges should make you pause, and why the cheapest fee usually costs sellers the most.

The SBA just doubled the amount a buyer can borrow to purchase a business — from $5 million to $10 million. For Florida owners, that means a deeper pool of financeable buyers and bigger deals that banks will actually fund. Here's the seller's field guide: what changed, what SBA-ready books look like, and how to find the buyers who can close.

Owner-operated Florida HVAC companies often sell for 1.5x–3.5x SDE, while larger firms with real maintenance-agreement revenue can trade at 4x–12x+ EBITDA. That spread is not luck — it is built. Here is the 2026 valuation math, the seven drivers buyers actually pay for, and a self-audit you can run before any buyer hands you a number.