Consulting Agency Valuation Multiples (2026)
Consulting agencies convert well when delivery is decoupled from the founder and revenue is supported by retainers or master services agreements. The 4.5× EBITDA midpoint expands toward 5.8× when senior staff stay and contracts are multi-year.
Lookup my business multiple
Pick your industry and enter revenue + EBITDA / SDE. We'll triangulate three valuation methods and show what buyers typically pay for businesses like yours.
Premium drivers
- ↑Multi-year retainer or master services agreements
- ↑Productized service offerings with documented playbooks
- ↑Senior delivery team that stays through earnout
- ↑Marquee logos that signal pricing power
Discount drivers
- ↓Founder-led delivery for top accounts
- ↓Project-based work with no recurring revenue
- ↓Heavy reliance on a single partner channel
- ↓Junior-heavy bench with high turnover
Who buys consulting agency?
Strategic acquirer (larger consulting firm), management-led ETA buyout, or a private equity platform building a vertical specialist
Typical timeline + revenue band
- Days to close: 90–210
- Revenue band these multiples apply to: $1.00M–$5.00M
- NAICS: 541611 (Professional Services)
5 levers that lift your Consulting Agency multiple by 30-50%
- 1Lock in recurring revenueConvert the top of your consulting agency revenue stack into multi-year contracts, retainers, or auto-renewing subscriptions. Buyers pay 25-40% more for revenue they don't have to re-win every quarter.
- 2De-risk customer concentrationAim for no single customer above 15% of revenue. If you have a > 25% client, get them on a multi-year master services agreement before going to market.
- 3Document the business out of the ownerStrategic acquirer (larger consulting firm), management-led ETA buyout, or a private equity platform building a vertical specialist will discount aggressively for any function that lives in the owner's head — sales, key vendor relationships, pricing, hiring. Run the next 90 days like the owner is on a 6-week vacation.
- 4Clean up the financialsGet a Quality of Earnings-ready trailing 12 months: GAAP-aligned, owner add-backs documented, no commingled personal expenses. This alone moves the multiple 0.5-1.0× upward in this category.
- 5Match the deal to the right buyer poolstrategic acquirers and operator buyers compete on different terms. List with someone who has run a process for consulting agency acquisitions — generic SMB brokers will leave 20%+ on the table.
FAQ — Consulting Agency valuations
What's a typical consulting agency valuation multiple?▾
Typical consulting agency valuations land near 2.8× SDE, 4.5× EBITDA, or 0.9× revenue. Strong operators reach 3.6× SDE / 5.8× EBITDA / 1.2× revenue, while weaker operators stay closer to 2.2× SDE / 3.6× EBITDA / 0.7× revenue.
How long does it take to sell a consulting agency?▾
Most consulting agency deals close in 90–210 days from listing. Strong operators with clean financials and a documented buyer pool close on the lower end.
Who buys a consulting agency business?▾
Strategic acquirer (larger consulting firm), management-led ETA buyout, or a private equity platform building a vertical specialist
What pushes a consulting agency valuation to the high end?▾
Multi-year retainer or master services agreements. Productized service offerings with documented playbooks. Senior delivery team that stays through earnout. Marquee logos that signal pricing power.
What forces a discount when selling a consulting agency?▾
Founder-led delivery for top accounts. Project-based work with no recurring revenue. Heavy reliance on a single partner channel. Junior-heavy bench with high turnover.