Selling a small SaaS business without a broker is entirely possible, and many founders do it to save the commission, which can be a large share of a small deal. What you give up is the broker's buyer network and deal management, so you need to replace both with your own process. The founders who sell successfully without a broker are the ones who prepare the business like a product launch: clean numbers, clear documentation, and a disciplined screening process.

Preparation comes first and takes longer than founders expect. Gather twelve to twenty-four months of verified revenue from your payment processor, a profit and loss statement, churn and retention data, and a list of every tool, cost, and contractor. Write a short operating manual covering how support, deployments, and billing actually work. Buyers pay more for businesses they can understand quickly, and a tidy data room signals a tidy business.

Valuation should be set before you list, not negotiated from scratch with each buyer. Research recent sales of similar-sized SaaS businesses on public marketplaces, and anchor your asking price to a multiple of annual profit that reflects your growth, churn, and owner workload. Price slightly above your walk-away number to leave room for negotiation, but avoid fantasy pricing: overpriced listings sit, and a stale listing attracts only lowball offers.

Screen buyers before sharing sensitive data. Use a simple non-disclosure agreement, share financials in stages, and ask early questions about budget, timeline, and technical ability. Serious buyers answer directly and respect the process; tire-kickers ask for everything while committing to nothing. A short introductory call usually reveals which category a buyer falls into, and it saves weeks of wasted diligence.

For closing, use escrow and a written asset purchase agreement, even for small deals. Templates from marketplaces or a brief lawyer review are far cheaper than a dispute. Transfer assets in a documented sequence, domain, code, accounts, then payment provider, and agree on a transition period with defined hours. Selling without a broker means doing the broker's job yourself, but for a well-prepared small SaaS, that job is a few focused weeks, not a mystery.

A good marketplace listing reads like an investor summary, not a sales pitch. Lead with verified numbers: monthly recurring revenue, profit, churn, and growth trend, then describe the product, the customer, and the owner's weekly workload in plain language. Include what the buyer gets on day one, such as code, accounts, documentation, and transition support, and be honest about weaknesses, since buyers trust listings that name a flaw and explain it more than listings that claim perfection. A clear, factual listing filters out dreamers and attracts buyers who are ready to move.

Expect a flood of questions once you list, and answer them in batches with a standard information pack rather than custom replies to everyone. When a buyer is serious, they will propose a letter of intent outlining price, structure, and diligence scope; read it carefully, since its exclusivity clause may block you from talking to other buyers for weeks. Keep the exclusivity period short, require a deposit or proof of funds for longer exclusivity, and never stop marketing the business until a binding agreement is signed. Momentum matters: deals that drag tend to die, so set deadlines for each stage.

Buyers pay more when transition support is clear, so define it in the agreement: how many hours, over how many weeks, covering which topics, and at what response time. A typical small SaaS transition runs 30 days of full availability followed by 60 days of part-time questions, with the seller introducing the buyer to key customers and contractors. Put a price on extra support beyond the agreed period, so goodwill does not become unlimited free consulting. A well-structured transition protects the buyer, respects the seller's time, and makes the whole deal feel professional to both sides.