Selling your business
You only get to do it once. Do it right.
Rockfield's core competency is selling privately held New Zealand businesses. With a team of proven professionals across multiple industry specialisations and a focus on results, we are leading experts in business sales.
Why Rockfield
A different kind of brokerage.
Most owners sell only one business in their lifetime. It deserves more care than the industry usually gives it. We are deliberately small, deliberately experienced, and deliberately selective about the businesses we represent.
Every engagement is led personally by a senior broker — never handed off to a junior after the listing is signed. Our reputation is built one transaction at a time, with owners who may only ever sell one business and need it done right.
Confidentiality is the first promise. Information is released to qualified buyers only, under NDA, in the order and at the moments that protect your position.
Our process
Five stages, end to end.
01
Listen
We start with your story — the business you've built, the people in it, what a successful exit looks like for you.
02
Prepare
Rigorous preparation of the Information Memorandum, financial normalisation and a defensible value position before any buyer sees the listing.
03
Reach
Targeted, confidential outreach to qualified buyers across New Zealand and selectively offshore — never a public auction.
04
Negotiate
We hold the table on price, terms and structure, protecting value through diligence and into settlement.
05
Settle
Coordinated handover with your accountant and lawyer — clean settlement, careful transition of staff and customer relationships.
Valuations
From appraisal to AES2 Standard.
With expert business valuers and decades of real-world experience, we complete simple appraisals through to comprehensive AES2 Standard Valuations for banks, accountants, shareholders, disputes and exiting shareholders.
A defensible value position is the foundation of any successful sale — and the evidence base whenever value is contested. Whether you need a market appraisal to inform a decision, or a formal AES2 report to stand up to scrutiny, we deliver work that holds.
Questions owners ask
Selling a business in New Zealand — the questions we're asked most.
How long does it take to sell a business in New Zealand?
Most well-prepared New Zealand businesses sell within six to nine months from listing to settlement. Preparation of the Information Memorandum and financial normalisation typically takes three to six weeks, confidential marketing and buyer qualification two to four months, and due diligence through to settlement a further two to three months. Businesses with clean financials, low owner dependency and a transferable lease move materially faster than those without.
What are business broker fees in New Zealand?
Rockfield works on a success-based commission payable at settlement, agreed in writing before we begin. There is no charge for our initial market appraisal or for the confidential conversation that precedes an engagement. Where a business has previously completed our Value Builder programme, that investment is deducted from the sale fee. We quote the fee against the specific business rather than applying a published rate card.
How is confidentiality protected when selling a business?
Your business is never publicly named. Listings are marketed under a generic profile describing the sector, region and financial shape without identifying details. Every buyer signs a confidentiality agreement and is financially qualified before receiving the Information Memorandum, and sensitive material — customer lists, key contracts, staff details — is released in stages as a buyer proves genuine intent. Staff, customers and suppliers learn of a sale on your timetable, not the market's.
Do I need a valuation before selling my business?
You need a defensible value position, which is not always a formal report. A market appraisal is usually sufficient to set expectations and price a listing. A comprehensive or AES2 Standard Valuation becomes necessary when the number must withstand scrutiny — bank finance, shareholder exits, relationship property, or any situation where value may be contested. We will tell you which you actually need in the first conversation.
What makes a business harder to sell?
The most common value discounts are owner dependency (the business cannot operate without you), customer concentration, unclear or unnormalised financials, a short or non-transferable lease, undocumented systems, and key staff without contracts. Most of these are fixable given twelve to twenty-four months of deliberate work, which is exactly what our Value Builder programme addresses.
Will I have to stay on after the sale?
Usually for a short handover — commonly two to twelve weeks, occasionally longer where relationships or technical knowledge need transferring. Extended earn-outs or employment periods are negotiable rather than standard, and the less dependent the business is on you personally, the shorter and cleaner the transition tends to be.