The U.S. small business acquisition market closed the first quarter of 2026 with 2,345 completed transactions representing $2 billion in total enterprise value, according to the BizBuySell Quarterly Insight Report. Overall deal volume declined 1% year over year but recovered 3% sequentially from Q4 2025 levels.

Broker sentiment reflects cautious optimism. Nearly two thirds of business brokers surveyed expect deal volume to increase over the next six months. Just 10% anticipate a decline. Approximately 34% of brokers describe current conditions as favoring buyers, 32% say conditions favor sellers, and 27% call it an even market.

The median transaction sale price held steady at $350,000 across all sectors. Service businesses led valuation gains, with sale prices rising 13% year over year. Manufacturing was the most active acquisition category, with deal volume rising 16% year over year, though the median sale price fell 23% to $775,000 as lower-valued asset sales entered the transaction pool.

A new SBA rule effective March 2026 requiring U.S. citizenship for 7(a) and 504 loan applicants has narrowed the pool of qualified buyers for the approximately 43% of small business acquisitions that rely on SBA financing.

Boomer-owned businesses are increasingly entering the market, with 49% of current listings reported as originating from sellers over age 60. Business brokers building their search visibility and content authority can find support for business broker SEO services at relyoncontent.com.

Source: BizBuySell Insight Report -- https://www.bizbuysell.com/insight-report/