“Main Street” M&A market shows stable pricing, rising deal volume, and financing challenges ahead.

DealStream, one of the world’s largest online platforms connecting buyers, sellers, and intermediaries in the business-for-sale marketplace, just released the findings of its Q3 2025 Market Survey.

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The survey is based on responses from 580 active participants, including 75% seeking to buy a business, 19% selling, and 20% identifying as intermediaries. Together, their perspectives provide a real-time look into the evolving dynamics of the “Main Street” M&A market, where businesses are typically valued at $5 million or less. With thousands of members connecting on its platform daily, DealStream is uniquely positioned to measure sentiment and capture market shifts as they happen.

Key Findings from Q3 2025

“The results indicate a balanced but cautious marketplace,” said Robert Brauns, Founder and CEO of DealStream. “While business prices are expected to remain steady or trend slightly downward, surprisingly deal volume is anticipated to increase, even as financing becomes harder to secure.”

• Economic Outlook:

50.8% of respondents rate current economic conditions as “normal”, while 23.4% view them as good and 25.8% consider them bad.

• Market Advantage:

Buyers currently hold the upper hand, with 33.1% saying conditions favor buyers, 18.6% favor sellers, and nearly half (48.4%) viewing the market as neutral.

• Business Pricing Expectations:

Pricing pressure is leaning downward. 38.4% expect prices to fall, 38.9% anticipate prices staying the same, and 22.7% expect prices to rise.

• Deal Volume Outlook:

Despite financing challenges, 47.1% expect the number of businesses sold to increase over the next six months, while 34.3% expect activity to remain steady and 18.6% anticipate declines.

• Financing Conditions:

Access to credit remains the wildcard. 44.3% expect financing to become harder to obtain, 34.1% foresee no change, and 21.6% believe conditions will improve.

The Bottom Line

The Q3 2025 DealStream Market Survey paints a picture of a stable but competitive “Main Street” M&A market. While financing challenges remain, sentiment across buyers, sellers, and intermediaries points to increased deal activity in the months ahead.

Consensus Highlights:

• The economy remains steady.

• The market leans slightly toward buyers.

• Business prices are expected to stay stable or trend downward.

• Deal volume is expected to rise.

• Financing conditions remain uncertain but challenging.

About DealStream

DealStream (formerly MergerNetwork) is a global online marketplace for buying and selling businesses, real estate, capital, and professional services. With hundreds of thousands of members worldwide, DealStream connects entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors to opportunities across industries and markets.

For more information, read DealStream’s Q3 2025 Market Survey Report.

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