Lisiten Associates has been brokering the sale of businesses since 1982. Based in Midtown Manhattan at 330 East 38th Street, the firm serves sellers and buyers across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and beyond.
Founder Mel Lisiten built the company around a single operating principle: complete confidentiality at every stage of a transaction.
Over four decades, that focus has translated into a client roster ranging from small main street retailers to corporations with up to $100 million in annual sales, and a track record that's drawn coverage from outlets including USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.
Key Takeaways
- Lisiten Associates has operated since 1982, accumulating over 106 industry awards and a claimed 91% sell-through rate.
- The firm lists on 57 global websites in 11 languages, reaching private equity groups, family investment offices, and high-net-worth buyers worldwide.
- All client information is protected by strict NDAs, and confidentiality is treated as the core service, not an add-on.
Who Is Lisiten Associates?
Mel Lisiten is a business broker, investment banker, and M&A advisor. He founded Lisiten Associates as a boutique brokerage, and it has stayed that way intentionally.
The firm focuses on privately held companies rather than public transactions, working with family-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and small-to-mid-market corporations.
Every member of the Lisiten team has a background as a business owner or entrepreneur, which shapes how the firm evaluates businesses and communicates with sellers navigating the sale of the most significant asset they've ever built.
Lisiten Associates is a member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA), the Better Business Bureau, and the Real Estate Board of New York.
These affiliations matter for buyers and sellers who want to know that a broker operates within recognized professional frameworks.
What the Numbers Look Like
| Metric | Lisiten Associates | Industry Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sell-through rate | 91% | ~29% |
| Years in business | Since 1982 (40+ years) | Varies |
| Global listing websites | 57 in 11 languages | Varies |
| Industry awards | 106+ | N/A |
| Businesses sold (total) | 600+ | N/A |
| USBLA "Best Broker North America" wins | 18 consecutive years | N/A |
The 91% sell-through rate is the figure that separates Lisiten Associates most clearly from the broader market. The national average sits around 29%, meaning most businesses listed with the average broker never close.
Whether that gap comes from marketing reach, buyer network depth, or how the firm qualifies listings is hard to isolate from the outside, but the number has appeared consistently in media coverage for many years.
How the Marketing Works
Once a seller contracts with Lisiten Associates, the firm deploys the listing across up to 57 global websites within 48 hours, in 11 languages.
The listing also reaches a proprietary buyer database, and the firm holds active membership in five invitation-only global private investment clubs totaling over 65,000 members, including private equity groups, family investment offices, and high-net-worth individuals.
Most business owners selling for the first time don't realize that international capital actively hunts for U.S. small-to-mid-market acquisitions. Lisiten Associates has spent four decades building relationships in that space.
The firm also uses television and radio marketing, including appearances on WABC 77, which branded it "the Number One Business Brokerage in North America."
Sectors and Business Types Served
The range of businesses Lisiten Associates has sold is genuinely broad. Past transactions include:
- Hotels and theaters
- Aerospace and technology companies
- Manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors
- Medical and health-related businesses
- Internet marketing, IT services, and web design firms
- Restaurants, catering operations, and food wholesalers
- Franchise re-sales and licensing of business concepts
- Retailers ranging from small independents to regional chains
- Legal services, financial services, and advertising agencies
The firm also works with franchisors and has experience taking startups through the licensing and franchising process from inception.
That's a niche within a niche, and it means Lisiten Associates functions as more than a transaction intermediary in certain cases.
The Confidentiality Framework
This deserves its own section because it's treated as the core service, not an afterthought. Lisiten Associates requires strict non-disclosure agreements before any material details about a business are shared with prospective buyers.
Sellers get need-to-know information about buyers, and buyers get need-to-know information about the business. The practical effect: a seller's employees, customers, suppliers, and competitors have no way of knowing the business is on the market until the seller chooses to tell them.
A premature leak can trigger employee departures, customer defection, or supplier anxiety — any of which can reduce the final price or kill a deal entirely.
Services Beyond the Transaction
Not every business owner who contacts Lisiten Associates is ready to sell. The firm also offers consulting for owners who want help with valuation, growth strategy, marketing, or operational planning useful for anyone who is a few years out from a planned exit and wants to maximize what the business will command when the time comes.
Financing support for buyers, including SBA loan assistance, rounds out the service offering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size businesses does Lisiten Associates work with?
The firm works with privately held businesses generating up to $100 million in annual sales, from main street operations to established mid-market companies.
Is the initial consultation actually free?
Yes. Lisiten Associates offers a free confidential consultation and a free business valuation through its cash flow calculator tools at freebusinessvaluations.com.
Does Lisiten Associates only operate in the Northeast?
The firm's primary footprint covers New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Its buyer network is global, however, and the firm has completed international transactions through its investment club relationships and multilingual platforms.
How can a buyer access listings?
Buyers register on the Lisiten Associates website, complete an NDA, and gain access to confidential business details. Listings span multiple states and include businesses with real estate included.
What Sets Lisiten Associates Apart
What Sets Lisiten Associates Apart
Lisiten Associates has built verifiable credentials behind its claims: four decades of operation, 18 consecutive years winning the USBLA "Best Broker North America" award, media coverage from credible national outlets, and a sell-through rate roughly three times the industry baseline.
The multilingual global advertising infrastructure is not something most regional brokers have invested in. Brokers who have personally owned and run companies also bring a different sensibility to the table, and sellers working through the most significant financial transaction of their lives tend to notice that difference.
Conclusion
Lisiten Associates has earned its reputation as one of the more credible and capable business brokerages operating in the Northeast, with a reach that extends well beyond it.
For business owners weighing a sale, the combination of global marketing infrastructure, strict confidentiality protocols, and a 91% sell-through rate makes the firm a strong candidate to have that first conversation with.