Why do Restaurant Brokers prequalify buyers

Why do Restaurant Brokers prequalify buyers before providing the restaurant name and financials? The answer is simple to protect the confidential information on the restaurant for sale. Restaurant buyers sometimes don’t understand the process of buying a restaurant and what’s involved. Many potential buyers understand they must first sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or confidentiality agreement.

After the Non-Disclosure Agreement (DNA) is signed, restaurant buyers expect instantly to get the name and financials of the restaurant for sale. Buyers sometimes will request a copy of tax returns, profit and loss statements, a copy of a lease, etc. A professional Restaurant Broker should now ask buyers to provide proof of funds once this occurs.

Why do Restaurant Brokers prequalify buyers? The short answer is that only 2% of buyers that inquire about a restaurant for sale will buy. A Restaurant Broker usually must communicate with 60-75 buyers before a restaurant is sold.

Dallas Restaurant Broker Dominique Maddox says, “we prequalify buyers by getting proof of funds in the form of a bank statement, brokerage statement, 401K, or letter from a banker before providing their name, address, and financials on our restaurant listings”.

EATS Broker reasons to qualify a buyer:

  • To protect the confidentiality of the listing agreement, limit the number of buyers with the information on the listing.
  • Ensure the buyer has enough liquid assets to be approved by the landlord.
  • Ensure the buyer has enough liquid assets to be approved by the Franchisor.
  • To confirm, buyers can put down 10%-20% for SBA lending

Protecting the confidentiality of our client’s listing is a top priority at EATS Broker. Once the buyer signs the non-disclosure agreement and submits proof of funds, we provide the name and financials of the restaurant for sale.

For more information on the restaurant market and other available consulting services or restaurant valuations, contact Dominique Maddox at 404-993-4448 or email at [email protected]. Visit our website at www.EATSbroker.com.