CBI (Certified Business Intermediary)

Definition

A broker certification requiring coursework, exams, and closed deals.

Why It Matters

Directory membership alone is a paid listing, while this credential is the closest thing Main Street brokerage has to vetting, and holders are a minority worth filtering for. Business brokerage is unlicensed in most states, so a buyer has almost nothing else to sort a careful intermediary from someone who took a weekend course. It is a filter rather than a guarantee: what a credentialed broker gives you in practice is cleaner financials, a seller who has been prepared for diligence, and fewer listings that fall apart at underwriting.

In numbers: Two brokers list the same $4M shop; one carries the CBI mark, which says they cleared the IBBA's coursework and ethics bar. It says trained, not honest: verify the numbers the same either way.