Vol. VI · September 2026The 2026 business reviewReviews · Buying · Advising
The Acquisitions.com Review
A long read on buying a business, and on the people who help others do it
Full review · 2026 edition

Acquisitions.com, Reviewed: Buy a Business, or Become the Advisor Who Helps People Buy One

Around $10 trillion of privately owned businesses will change hands as their owners retire. We spent weeks inside both sides of Acquisitions.com: the buyer who wants to own a company, and the advisor who wants a practice of their own.

By the Acquisitions.com Editorial Team · 15 min read

Our verdict

4.4/5
★★★★½

"One partner from the first deal to the exit."

I. The verdict

Not a brokerage and not a franchise. A full ecosystem.

Most people who want to own a business never buy one. The search is lonely, and the broker works for the seller. Acquisitions.com was built to fix that. It puts a dedicated advisor on the buyer's side, uses AI to scan 15+ marketplaces a day, and brings in funding partners. After closing, it stays involved with AI implementation and roll-up capital.

In 2026 it also opened the advisor seat itself. Sales professionals, executives and owners can now run their own acquisition advisory practice under the Acquisitions.com name, one advisor per state.

Two doors, one firm: own a business that already makes money, or build a practice helping others do it.
II. Two ways in

Which side of the table are you on?

Door one

You want to buy a business

  • Dedicated buy-side advisor
  • AI + off-market deal sourcing
  • LOI, due diligence, funding partners
  • Target: 60–120 days to close
Want to buy a business? →
Door two

You want to become an advisor

  • Practice built in 7–14 days
  • Ads and VA paid by the firm
  • 50–100 booked calls/month goal
  • $30K in 2 months or fee back
Want to become an advisor? →
III. The buyer's side

What it's like to buy a business with an advisor

You don't spend nights on listing sites. You have one call about what you want to own, how much you can put in, and how fast. If it fits, you sign a short agreement and pay a retainer. From there the advisor's AI agents and VA scan the marketplaces and reach owners who haven't listed. The advisor brings you matching businesses, structures the offer, and introduces the banks, investors, accountants and lawyers the deal needs.

The money usually works like this: you bring about 10% of the price (which can come from investors), the seller often carries part, and a bank funds the rest. Banks won't fund a start-up. They will fund a business that already makes money.

Deals listed on the firm's site include a 30-year-old $5M business, an $8M landscaping company, and a Seattle ship-repair business with $900K in cash flow.

IV. The advisor's side

What it's like to be one of its advisors

Every buyer above had a deal maker next to them. That's the seat the firm opened in 2026. It builds your funnel, calendar and CRM and goes live within 7–14 days of certification. It runs and pays for the ads, with a goal of 50–100 booked buyer calls a month, and it recruits, trains and pays your VA.

You take the calls, sign the clients and stay close to each buyer, for about two hours a day. You get paid three times on one client: a retainer at signing (typically $10,000), a 1–3% success fee at closing, and a referral fee when the loan funds. That's about $30,000 on a $1M deal, as an illustration.

There's no franchise fee, no royalty and no revenue share. The one-time program fee is covered on the call; have $20,000+ accessible.

V. The ledger

Scores, strengths and trade-offs

AreaScoreWhy
Track record4.510+ years, $1B+ advised, named deals on the site
Buy-side advisory4.5Dedicated advisor on the buyer's side, which is rare in this market
Advisor program4.5Done-for-you launch, ads paid, written guarantee
AI implementation4.028 agents; 30–60% cost cut is an average, not a promise
Transparency4.0Targets labelled as targets; program fee disclosed on the call
Overall4.4Recommended for buyers and would-be advisors

In its favour

  • Someone on the buyer's side of the table
  • Off-market sourcing, not only listings
  • Advisors get ads and a VA paid for by the firm
  • No royalty, one advisor per state
  • Same firm after closing: AI, roll-ups, capital

Against it

  • Buyers bring the down payment and sign the loan
  • Retainer is paid before a business is found
  • Advisor program fee is $20K+
  • Advisor program is new in 2026
  • Timelines and multiples are targets
VI. Compared

Against the alternatives

PathBuyer's sideIf you want to be the advisorAfter closing
Acquisitions.comDedicated advisor + AI sourcing$20K+ one-time, ads paid, no royaltyAI + roll-up capital
Business brokerNobody; the broker works for the sellern/aNothing
Brokerage franchise*n/a$74,855–$97,185 to open, 8% royaltyNothing
Search fund / DIYYou, alone, 12–24 monthsBuild it all yourselfYou run it

*Transworld Business Advisors, 2020 franchise disclosure document.

VII. Questions readers ask

Frequently asked

Do I need to be rich to buy a business?

No. The buyer typically brings about 10% (which can come from investors), the seller often carries part, and a bank funds the rest.

What does working with an advisor cost a buyer?

A retainer at signing (typically $10,000) and a success fee at closing (typically 1–3%). Current terms are confirmed on the call.

Is the advisor program a franchise?

No. There's no franchise fee, no royalty and no revenue share. Clients pay the advisor directly, with one advisor per state.

What does it take to become an advisor?

An application, interview, background check and certification, then the one-time program fee and an open state.

Do advisors need a licence?

In most cases no, according to the program, but it varies by state and deal structure. Ask about your state on the call.

So, is Acquisitions.com legit?

It appears so: a ten-year-old firm with the record it claims, and programs specific enough to check. Its multiples and cost figures are its own targets, and it says so.