How much does an M&A advisor cost?

RightExit's standard success fee is a modified double Lehman schedule: 12% of the first $1M, 10% of the second, 8% of the third, 6% of the fourth, 4% of the fifth, then 4% of value between $5M and $10M and 3% above $10M. A $10,000 onboarding retainer is collected up front and fully credited at close.

Can I choose a lower success fee?

Yes. On the choose-your-rate path you pick the success fee you want to pay at close, and one half of the difference from the standard schedule is collected up front as a retainer, credited in full against the fee at close.

TRANSPARENT, SUCCESS-BASED FEES

Know exactly what a right exit costs.

No hidden retainers, no surprises. Choose our standard 12-10-8-6-4 schedule with a $10,000 credited onboarding retainer — or choose your own rate and put a share of the savings up front. Either way, the retainer is credited back at close.

Expected sale price

$1M$3M$10M$50M

Our standard schedule: 12% of the first $1M, 10% of the next, then 8%, 6% and 4% through $5M, 4% from $5M to $10M, and 3% above $10M. A $10,000 onboarding retainer starts the engagement and is credited back at close.

ESTIMATED SUCCESS FEE

$300,000

That's an effective rate of 10.0% on a $3,000,000 sale.

First $1M — 12% of $1,000,000$120,000

$1M–$2M — 10% of $1,000,000$100,000

$2M–$3M — 8% of $1,000,000$80,000

Less onboarding retainer (paid up front)−$10,000

Due at close$290,000

The $10,000 onboarding retainer is collected up front and fully credited toward your success fee at close, so it's subtracted above rather than added on top. Total engagement cost is $300,000.

WHY WE PUBLISH OUR FEES

Aligned incentives, in plain sight

We win when you win

Our fee is success-based. The bigger and better your exit, the better we've done our job — our interests sit on the same side of the table as yours.

A graduated schedule

12% of the first $1M, then 10%, 8%, 6% and 4% through $5M, 4% from $5M to $10M, and 3% above $10M. Every extra dollar you get paid adds to our fee too.

Or choose your own rate

Prefer a lower rate at close? Pick it. One half of the difference is collected up front as a retainer — and credited back in full against your fee at close.

FEE FAQ

The questions owners actually ask

What is the success fee?

Our standard schedule is a modified double Lehman: 12% of the first $1M, 10% of the second, 8% of the third, 6% of the fourth and 4% of the fifth, then 4% of value between $5M and $10M and 3% of anything above $10M. A $10,000 onboarding retainer starts the engagement and is credited back at close.

How does "choose your %" work?

You pick the success fee rate you want to pay at close. We calculate the difference between that and the standard schedule, and one half of the difference is collected up front as a retainer. It is credited in full against your success fee at close, so you keep the rest of the savings.

What if I don't know what my firm is worth?

Start with our free ExitReady Assessment. It gives you a data-driven value estimate, then you can return here to see your exact fee.

Are there any hidden costs?

No. The success fee and the credited onboarding retainer are the whole picture. Any third-party costs (legal, tax) are yours to control and always disclosed in advance.