Marketing & Digital Agencies
Sell your agency without regret.
Performance, creative, and digital agencies with retained clients and a team that delivers without you in every meeting.
Free · 3 minutes · Anonymous
Track record
$250M+
Closed transactions
10,000+
Vetted buyers
$5M–$50M
Seller revenue
Who is buying
Buyers in your inbox? We know which ones close.
We track who is acquiring agencies, which capabilities they are missing, and what they have paid recently. Before you go to market, we can tell you which buyers are likely to bid and why.
Holding companies adding capability
Agency groups buying a service line or a region they lack. They pay for retained clients, a second tier of leadership, and clean margin by client.
Strategic roll-ups
Platforms building scale
Private equity-backed agencies buying add-ons to grow revenue and cross-sell. They look for recurring retainers, documented delivery, and founders willing to stay through a transition.
PE-backed platforms
Long-hold owners
Patient capital that buys and keeps. They favour steady, profitable agencies with low client concentration and a management team that can run it.
Family offices
What buyers pay for
Three numbers decide what an agency is worth.
01
Retained revenue share
Revenue on retainers or multi-year contracts. Project work counts, but buyers pay most for work that renews.
02
Client concentration
Your largest client as a share of revenue. Below 15% is comfortable. Above 25%, buyers start to structure around it.
03
Net revenue retention
Revenue from last year's clients this year, including upsell. Above 100% means the book grows without new logos.
Client testimonials
“Breakwater's expertise was invaluable throughout our acquisition of a competitor. Their third-party perspective helped us navigate emotional dynamics smoothly, keeping negotiations professional and productive.
The acquisition quickly exceeded expectations, delivering immediate returns and positioning us strongly for future growth.”
Murray Seward
Acquisition · Canadian Outback Rafting
“When I first planned on selling my business, I thought I could do it without any support. But now that I have gone through the process, I was relieved to have the Breakwater team there to support me along the way. They certainly added value!”
Zac Roff
Exit · Valkyrian Canning
Common questions
Have specific questions? Schedule a confidential consultation call below:
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Most run six to nine months from engagement to close. Preparation is where time is saved or lost.
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It is the most common issue in agency sales, and a fixable one. Introducing a second relationship owner on your top accounts a year before a sale protects the price.
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Yes. Buyers will look at how often project clients come back. Three years of repeat-client history often counts almost as much as a retainer.
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In most agency deals the team is what the buyer is paying for. Retention terms for key people are negotiated while there is still competition for your business.
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Most of our clients already have tons of inbound buyer interest - so why hire Breakwater?
Well, these clients also want to maximize their exit potential with the least amount of work possible. This is where Breakwater comes in to generate far more value than our fees.
Proof
Don't take our word for it. Hear it from our clients.
Two founders, real numbers, shared with their permission.
68.6%
Strategic buyers
Share of agency deals: agencies, consultancies, and holding companies still complete most transactions.
+17.4%
Private equity
Growth in PE agency deals: platforms are adding capability and scale.
39.5%
Digital marketing
Share of marketing services deals: the largest segment, and still growing.
Market reports
The agency market in 2026.
Multiples depend on your numbers. We share the range on a confidential call.
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Technology & Digital Services
Agencies, MSPs, and software companies with retained clients and recurring contracts.
Exit planning
Plan your exit with us, years before you sell.
Eligible companies get free monthly P&L reviews and exit-planning meetings, until you decide to sell.
P.S. You are going to sell this once. Do it with your eyes open.
Exit Audit
See your business the way a buyer will.
Find out if you qualify for free exit planning, and what to fix first.
Free · Confidential · No obligation