BizBuySell Releases Q3 2026 Insight Report
BizBuySell, CoStar Group's business-for-sale marketplace, published its Q3 2026 Insight Report showing 2,132 closed small-business transactions, essentially flat sequentially and down 7% year over year. Median sale prices rose 17% year over year to $350,000, but buyer confidence fell to 49 and seller confidence to 47 — the first two consecutive annual declines in both measures since tracking began in 2013. The softening sentiment reflects financing conditions, inflation, and margin compression; 27% of owners considering a sale say conditions have them thinking about selling sooner than planned.
Key figures
- Median sale price
- $350,000
- Median sale price yoy
- +17%
- Buyer confidence index
- 49
- Q3 closed transactions
- 2132
- Transaction yoy change
- -7%
- Seller confidence index
- 47
- Avg cash flow multiple change
- +2.6%
- Owners considering early sale
- 27%
- Owners saying inflation not easing
- 67%
- Owners reporting higher fuel energy costs
- three in four
AI analysis
The rest of the AI analysis, red flags and sentiment are part of Signal8 Pro.
AI-generated analysis of a public disclosure. Not investment advice; verify against the original document.