Compare Marketplace Fees, Vetting, and Net Proceeds

Calculate expected proceeds for each venue

Use the complete fee schedule, not the number on a comparison blog.

Expected sale price
- listing fee
- success commission
- minimum fee adjustment
- escrow or payment fee
- optional broker or promotion services
- expected seller-paid closing costs
- holdback or contingent amount
= expected cash proceeds before tax

Ask whether taxes apply to fees and whether the commission changes at different price tiers. Confirm who pays escrow, currency-conversion, wire, or withdrawal charges.

Run a side-by-side scenario

Hypothetical example in U.S. dollars:

Venue A
Expected price:                 $120,000
Illustrative total venue cost: -$18,000
Estimated proceeds:             $102,000

Venue B
Expected price:                 $108,000
Illustrative total venue cost:  -$8,640
Estimated proceeds:              $99,360

Venue A costs more but nets slightly more in this scenario. Change the expected prices or costs and the answer can flip. These percentages are illustrative and are not the current published fees of any named marketplace.

Define what “vetting” actually includes

For Empire Flippers (opens in a new tab), Flippa (opens in a new tab), or any alternative, ask:

• Does the venue verify seller identity and authority?
• Does it review revenue, costs, traffic, policy, or rights?
• Are buyers asked for identity or proof of funds, and at what stage?
• Does a check confirm only that a document exists, or that the underlying claim is accurate?
• Who resolves inconsistencies?

Vetting lowers some uncertainty. It does not turn an asset or buyer into a sure thing.

Value the broker and closing support

Support may include positioning the listing, screening inquiries, scheduling calls, organizing diligence, coordinating escrow, or guiding a role change. Ask for the exact service level and response expectations.

Estimate your own time under each route:

Seller hours x reasonable value of seller time = process workload cost

This isn't a formal accounting deduction unless your reporting supports it. It is a useful decision cost. Twenty hours of filtering messages is not free just because no invoice arrives.

Check terms that can change the decision

Read for:

• Exclusivity and minimum listing period.
• Minimum commissions or fees.
• Cancellation and withdrawal costs.
• How price changes are approved.
• What happens if a buyer backs out.
• What evidence starts and ends the inspection period.
• Dispute, chargeback, and escrow-release procedures.
• Post-close support and seller obligations.

Do this before signing the listing agreement, not after a buyer appears.

The honest caveat

You cannot know in advance what each venue would produce. Use ranges and update them after the marketplace reviews the asset. If a broker suggests a price, ask for the profit definition, multiple logic, comparable evidence, and likely deductions.

Never present estimated proceeds as guaranteed cash.

Your next move

Once the venue and process are chosen, prepare for live buyers. Section 4 covers qualification, negotiation, closing, escrow release, and the work that remains after the money arrives.

Continue to Navigate the Sale and Closing.