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Case Study:
Sale Of A Lakeland Title Company
Check out our case study detailing exactly how we were able to successfully sell a mid-sized title company in Lakeland, Florida for $2.5 million.
Client
Mid-Sized Title Company
Industry
Title Insurance & Closing
Location
Lakeland, FL
Sale Price
$2,500,000
The Client
The client was a title insurance company in Lakeland with a satellite office in Tampa who was looking to sell their business. This case study is going to detail everything that went into closing their particular deal. Before we get into the specifics of each step, take a look at some of the general information on the company.
*It is important to note that due to the nature of this deal and business acquisitions as a whole identifiable information will be left out of this case study. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance to our clients.
- Years in Business: 10
- Number of Employees: 10
- Real Estate: None
- 2016 Revenue: $1,120,000
- 2017 Revenue: $1,340,000
- 2018 Revenue (Most Recent): $1,620,000
How did the client find us?
We were able to obtain the interest of this particular owner through our direct mail campaign. They received one of our informational packets and decided to contact us. This particular owner was actually not even considering listing their business for sale until the initial letter and subsequent meeting.
What were the client's expectations?
The client wanted a timely deal because they were planning on relocating their family to another state. However, at the end of the day this particular owner was expecting what any business owner should expect when working with a business broker; first class service, attention to detail, quick responsiveness and the best price possible for their company.
The Strategy
Due to our extensive experience here at Cemo Business with selling title insurance companies, the particular strategy for closing this deal was targeted and efficient. We have done this type of acquisition many times over, ranking as Florida’s #1 business broker service for title companies. Below we will breakdown each strategic area we utilized to sell this business.
How did we negotiate?
We worked backwards. Instead of waiting for a buyer to apply for an SBA loan. From the outset, we worked with an SBA lender to pre-qualify the company for the size of a loan to meet the owners desired purchase price. The lender analyzed everything; tax returns, partial financials, and other information to come up with a loan amount a creditworthy buyer would be able to obtain to buy the company. From there, we based the list price.
Once an SBA lender prequalifies a seller, our clients then are “armed”, such that their price, and reasons behind the price, are unequivocal and unassailable. We advertised that the company is “pre-qualified by SBA”. This sends a very clear message to experienced investors that the target company is deemed viable not only by Robert Cemovich, a sales and acquisitions specialist, but also by a reputable lender who is ready and willing to loan the funds to buy the company at our price. This also motivates the buyer to propose a more reasonable starting price.
Key Tactic: Once the buyer seems serious, we then require the buyer to submit his
financials to show he is indeed capable of buying the company. Many buyers balk when having to produce financials. Such buyers are immediately eliminated. Thus, we weed out the buyers, in one sense, by reviewing the buyers financials. We then work with the same SBA lender to get the buyer prequalified. This makes the deal almost definite to close.
The Deal
Closing this deal was a quick and easy process. We found that all the work and research that we put into the early stages of this client relationship really paid off in the end. Check out the charts below to see some of the specifics of both the business itself and the closing process.
Organization:
| Years Established | Full Time Employees | Owner Time Commitment | Asset Value |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10 Years |
10 |
45 Hours Per Week |
$45,623 |
Non Compete Details:
| Non Compete Distance | Non Compete Time | Owner Transition Training | Cost of Training |
|---|---|---|---|
|
50 Miles |
5 Years |
4 Weeks |
No Cost |
Listing:
| Listing Price | Sale Price | Potential Buyers | Time to Close |
|---|---|---|---|
|
$2,750,000 |
$2,500,000 |
Communicated with 6 total |
60 Days |
How Did We Do?
Here at Cemo Business we hold ourselves to the highest standards. Each deal is a unique opportunity to perfect our process and exceed our client’s expectations. We feel that this approach to selling a business is what sets us apart and makes us one of Florida’s premier business broker services. The information below is meant to provide an individual analysis of how we performed on this deal.
Overall this was a timely and well structured deal for all parties involved. We were able to garner a great deal of interest from investors, receiving inquires from dozens of potential buyers. After screening we ended up with 6 highly qualified buyers and began to carry out detailed talks to see what options were best for the client. We are very happy with the level of buyer interest we attracted.
The sale price for us was within the range we had target when we first sat down with the buyer. Title companies offer clean financials, but are not a commonly sought out industry. Robert Cemovich’s experience both in practicing law and owning a title company himself really assisted us in the negotiating process. The owner was very happy with how the sale of his business went, which is ultimately priority #1 for us here at Cemo Business.
We hope that this case study provided you incite into how we operate and what our business broker services could do for you and your business. If you’d like to see our selling process specifically, please visit our selling a business page.