Sailfish Equity Advisors Review

Sailfish Equity Advisors is a Florida-based business brokerage and M&A advisory firm headquartered at 700 S. Rosemary Avenue in West Palm Beach.

With over 25 years of operating history and more than 1,000 closed transactions, the firm works with small and lower middle market business owners who are looking to sell, scale, or acquire a company.

The firm operates on a 100% success-based fee model, which means they collect no retainers or monthly fees. Payment only happens when a deal closes.

The firm is led by two managing partners: Rajiv Khatri and Sarah Khatri. Rajiv's background is in scaling companies to $50 million or more and executing high-level exits across sectors including digital media, e-commerce, and travel.

He also brings a network of private equity firms and strategic buyers that the firm uses to source deal opportunities. Sarah's background is in marketing and leadership coaching.

She holds certification as a John Maxwell trainer and has spent more than 20 years working in entrepreneurship and branding.

Her focus at Sailfish is on how businesses are positioned and marketed to potential buyers, which is an area many brokerages leave to chance.

Together, the two cover both the financial and marketing sides of a transaction.

That combination is actually less common than you'd expect in the brokerage world, where many firms either lean heavily financial or lack real go-to-market expertise.

Sailfish offers four main service areas:

The sell-side service is their core offering. The process runs from an initial confidential valuation through buyer outreach, screening, deal structuring, and close.

For business owners who aren't ready to sell yet, the scaling advisory service helps address the issues that suppress valuation, things like over-reliance on the owner, weak recurring revenue, or financial statements that don't tell a clean story.

The firm also advertises a direct acquisition option in select cases, where Sailfish itself may purchase a business when speed and certainty are the priority.

Sailfish works across a wide range of sectors. Their stated focus areas include:

• Construction and trades (HVAC, roofing, specialty contractors)
• Healthcare and medical practices
• Technology and SaaS businesses
• B2B and professional services
• Retail and consumer brands
• Manufacturing and distribution
• Marine, recreation, and tourism
• Financial and real estate services

Given Florida's economic mix, the breadth of industries makes practical sense.

South Florida draws a different buyer profile than the Panhandle, and the types of businesses that trade in each market vary considerably. A firm covering the state needs fluency across sectors.

Sailfish positions itself as a statewide firm, not a single-market shop.

The website breaks the coverage into three general zones: Northwest Florida from Pensacola to Panama City, Central Florida around Orlando and Tampa, and South Florida covering Miami, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.

The corporate office in West Palm Beach puts them close to the South Florida deal market, which is among the most active in the country for business transfers.

They also reference national buyer outreach, meaning the pool of buyers they market to is not limited to Florida residents.

The 100% success-based model is worth examining closely because it's one of the more significant structural decisions a brokerage can make. Firms that charge upfront retainers collect revenue regardless of outcome.

A pure success-fee model means the firm earns nothing unless the transaction closes. For sellers, that's a meaningful alignment of incentives.

The downside, from a buyer's perspective, is that a commission-driven structure can create pressure toward closing rather than toward finding the right deal at the right terms.

That said, this model is fairly standard among business brokers, and the practical risk varies by firm.

The testimonials on the firm's website offer a reasonable cross-section of client experiences. One client, Paul D., noted that the Sailfish team helped him scale his construction company strategically before facilitating a sale, rather than pushing him toward an immediate transaction. 

Another client, Brien Batchelor, described the team as knowledgeable, efficient, and focused on his interests. H.S. called the firm "relentless" in managing the transaction to close.

These reviews are published by the firm itself, so independent third-party reviews should always be checked before making a hiring decision.

For sellers, the process follows a structured path:

1. Initial consultation and business valuation
2. Strategic positioning and financial preparation
3. Confidential buyer marketing and outreach
4. Buyer screening and introductions
5. Deal structuring and negotiation
6. Due diligence management
7. Closing

One detail that stands out: the firm explicitly states they handle approximately 95% of the work involved in a sale, allowing owners to keep running their business without becoming consumed by the transaction.

That matters. A sale process that pulls an owner away from operations can actually damage the business mid-deal, which is one of the more underappreciated risks in M&A.

No review would be useful without noting a few things worth evaluating:

• Sailfish is primarily Florida-focused. If your business is headquartered elsewhere, the buyer network and market expertise may be less relevant.
• The firm works with businesses ranging from under $1 million to over $10 million in revenue, which is a wide band. Ask specifically about their track record in your size range and industry.
• Success-based fees align interests toward closing, but sellers should review the engagement agreement carefully to understand the fee percentage, exclusivity period, and any carve-outs.
• The firm holds Florida broker license BK3531707, which can be verified through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Sailfish Equity Advisors is a credible option for Florida business owners looking for brokerage and M&A advisory services, particularly those who want a team with direct entrepreneurial experience on both the buy and sell sides.

The combination of a no-upfront-fee model, statewide coverage, and leadership backgrounds in scaling and exiting real businesses gives them a differentiated position in the Florida market.