Empire Flippers has built a strong reputation as a trusted broker and marketplace for buying and selling online businesses. One of its key selling points is its transparent approach to fees and agreements, ensuring that both buyers and sellers understand the costs involved upfront. Unlike many competitors, Empire Flippers does not charge hidden fees and operates on a clear success-fee model.
This article provides an in-depth analysis of Empire Flipper Fees, agreements, and additional transparency measures.. It also compares Empire Flippers with alternative platforms to help buyers and sellers make informed decisions.
This structure allows for a lower effective fee as the sale price increases.
Example Calculations: Let’s break down the commission fees for different sale prices.
✅ Example 1: Let’s say you sold a business for $900,000
First $700,000: 15% fee → $105,000Remaining $200,000: 8% fee → $16,000Total Commission: $121,000 Effective Commission Rate: 13.44% ✅ Example 2: Business Sold for $7,000,000
First $700,000: 15% fee → $105,000Next $4.3 million (up to $5M): 8% fee → $344,000Remaining $2 million: 2.5% fee → $50,000Total Commission: $499,000 Effective Commission Rate: 7.13% Commission Calculator Empire Flippers provides a commission calculator on its website to help sellers estimate their exact commission costs. You can find it at this URL in the seller dashboard. Sellers can input their expected sale price to get a precise fee breakdown before listing their business.
For Buyers: No Fees and Secure Transactions Unlike many other online business marketplaces, Empire Flippers doesn’t charge buyers any fees for browsing, bidding, or when they buy a business. However, buyers must meet certain verification requirements to ensure security and transparency before gaining full access to business details.
Buyer Verification Requirements: Identity Verification: You’ll need to provide a government-issued ID and proof of funds to confirm their identity.Liquidity Verification: Buyers must verify their financial capacity by linking a bank account or crypto wallet to show they have sufficient funds.Access to Listings: Only verified buyers can unlock detailed business listing information, including traffic data, financials, and seller interviews. This verification process ensures that only serious buyers can access sensitive business details, especially for ecommerce transactions, protecting both parties in the transaction.
Agreements and Process Transparency Empire Flippers prioritizes transparency and fairness in all aspects of buying and selling online businesses. From strict vetting criteria for listings to a secure transaction process, the platform ensures that both sellers and buyers can engage in safe, reliable, and profitable transactions. Here’s how they maintain clarity and trust throughout the process:
Listing Criteria for Sellers: Ensuring Quality and Legitimacy To maintain the integrity of its marketplace, Empire Flippers’ vetting team imposes strict listing requirements for sellers. These criteria help filter out low-quality businesses and protect buyers from scams or underperforming assets.
✅ Minimum Eligibility Requirements for Business Listings:
The business must generate at least $2,000/month in net profit . It must have at least 12 months of revenue history to show stability. No manipulated SEO practices (e.g., black-hat tactics, artificial backlink schemes). Only 9% of submitted businesses pass the review and get approved for listing. Why This Matters: Empire Flippers’ rigorous vetting process ensures that only legitimate, profitable businesses are listed. This minimizes fraud risks and helps buyers invest confidently in businesses with proven performance and long-term viability.
Fixed Pricing for Listings: Standardized Business Valuations Empire Flippers follows a transparent and consistent valuation formula, much like a professional broker typically based on a monthly profit multiple, to determine the listing price of a business.
📌 List Price = Monthly Net Profit × Valuation Multiple
This ensures fair and market-driven pricing, avoiding excessive markups. Buyers cannot exceed the listed price in all cash transactions. The valuation reflects industry standards, market trends, and business stability. Why This Matters: By removing bidding wars and negotiation ambiguities, Empire Flippers simplifies the buying process and ensures a fair value of the business while buyers pay a justified price.
Secure Escrow and Migration Process: Protecting Both Parties Empire Flippers offers free escrow and migration services to ensure a secure, seamless transaction process.
✅ How It Works:
Buyer submits payment into Empire Flippers’ secure escrow account. Empire Flippers holds the funds while assisting in transferring digital assets (e.g., website, domain, accounts). Once migration is complete and both parties confirm, the migration team ensures a smooth transition before funds are released to the seller. Why This Matters: This escrow process eliminates risks by ensuring that:
✔ Sellers only receive payment once the buyer fully owns the business.
✔ Buyers only release funds when they confirm they’ve received everything as agreed.
Cooling-Off Period: Buyer Protection Mechanism In certain cases, buyers may cancel the transaction after purchasing a business if it significantly underperforms compared to the financial claims in the listing.
✅ Key Considerations:
If the business’s performance is not as advertised, the buyer may be eligible for a refund. The specifics of the cooling-off period and refund eligibility depend on the case and Empire Flippers’ policies. This serves as an additional safeguard against misleading financial claims or sudden downturns in revenue. Why This Matters: This feature helps build trust and reduce buyer risk, making it safer to invest in online businesses without fear of misrepresentation.
Additional Transparency Measures Empire Flippers is committed to ensuring a transparent, secure, and data-driven marketplace for buyers and sellers of online businesses. Through quarterly reports, a strict vetting process, and in-platform communication, they provide an open and fair environment for transactions. Here’s how these measures enhance the buying and selling experience:
1. Quarterly Reports and Marketplace Data To maintain full transparency, Empire Flippers publishes quarterly reports that offer insights into key marketplace trends. These reports can be accessed at the official URL on their website. These reports provide data-backed confidence for buyers and sellers by showcasing:
✅ Total Sales Volume
The overall value of businesses sold on the platform during the quarter. Helps sellers understand market demand and the value of the business. ✅ Business Categories in Demand
A breakdown of which business models (e.g., Amazon FBA, Shopify stores, SaaS) are performing well. Allows sellers to assess market viability before listing. ✅ Success Rates
The percentage of businesses that sell within a given timeframe. Indicates the effectiveness of Empire Flippers in matching buyers and sellers. ✅ Pricing Trends
Tracks the valuation multiples businesses are selling for. Helps buyers make informed purchasing decisions and sellers set realistic price expectations. Why This Matters These reports remove speculation and guesswork, offering real-time insights into the marketplace. Both buyers and sellers can leverage this data to make strategic business decisions.
2. Detailed Vetting and In-Platform Communication Empire Flippers enhances transparency and trust by ensuring direct communication between buyers and sellers and providing professional guidance throughout the process. For more details, check their official URL .
✅ Strict Vetting Process
Only 9% of submitted businesses get approved for listing. This significantly reduces the risk of low-quality or fraudulent businesses entering the marketplace. ✅ Direct Buyer-Seller Communication
Potential buyers can engage directly with sellers within the platform to ask questions about financials, monetization methods, and verify details. This fosters a clear, open dialogue before committing to a purchase. ✅ Dedicated Advisors
Empire Flippers assigns dedicated advisors to guide both parties through the buying/selling process, whether it’s an ecommerce store or a writing studio. These advisors provide insights, address concerns, and ensure due diligence is conducted correctly. Why This Matters By allowing secure, in-platform communication and offering professional guidance, Empire Flippers ensures that both buyers and sellers have the necessary support to make informed decisions.
3. Refundable Deposits for Buyers To maintain fairness in transactions, Empire Flippers allows buyers to place refundable deposits when they express interest in a business listing.
✅ How Refundable Deposits Work:
Buyers place a deposit to unlock the full details of a website or business listing. If, during due diligence, the buyer discovers any discrepancies or issues, the deposit is refundable. A small banking transaction fee may apply. Why This Matters This measure protects buyers by ensuring they don’t commit funds to businesses that fail to meet their expectations after due diligence.
4. Comparing Empire Flippers with Alternative Platforms Empire Flippers operates as a premium brokerage, competing with Flippa and Investors Club , but offers key advantages in terms of vetting, escrow, and exclusivity.
Feature Empire Flippers Flippa Investors Club Success Fees 15%-2.5% (blended) Up to 10% $0 Listing Fees $0 $29–$699 $0 Buyer Fees $0 Membership options Optional membership Vetting Process Strict (9% approval rate) Light Strict Escrow/Migration Free & included Paid extra Included Exclusive Listings 2-month exclusivity period None None
Key Takeaways from This Comparison: Higher Success Fees but More Services: While Empire Flippers charges higher success fees (15%-2.5%), they offer more value through free escrow, migration support, and post-sale assistance.No Listing Fees for Sellers: Unlike Flippa, which charges up to $699 for premium listings , Empire Flippers does not charge a fee to list a business.Strict Vetting Process Empire Flippers only approves 9% of applications , creating a curated marketplace with higher-quality listings, particularly for ecommerce businesses. Flippa, on the other hand, has a light vetting process, which increases the risk of low-quality businesses being listed. Secure Escrow & Migration: Empire Flippers provides a free escrow service, assisted by a dedicated migration team, while Flippa charges extra for these services.Exclusive Listings: Businesses listed on Empire Flippers remain exclusive for two months, ensuring a curated selection rather than an open auction-style marketplace. Why This Matters While Empire Flippers may have higher success fees, it operates as a full-service broker, offering superior vetting, security, and transaction support, making it a more trusted option for serious buyers and sellers.
Potential Hidden Costs and Additional Considerations Empire Flippers is known for its transparent pricing structure, but buyers and sellers should still be mindful of potential third-party costs that may arise during a transaction. These costs are not directly imposed by Empire Flippers but can still impact the total financial outcome of a sale or purchase. Here’s a breakdown of the most common hidden costs and considerations:
1. Wire Transfer Fees Banks may charge wire transfer fees when transferring funds, especially for international transactions.
✅ What to Expect:
Domestic wire transfers usually cost $15 – $30 per transaction. International wire transfers can cost $35 – $50 , depending on the bank. Some banks charge both sender and receiver , meaning both parties may incur fees. 📌 How to Reduce Costs:
Use low-fee online payment services like Wise (formerly TransferWise) or Revolut , which offer cheaper international transfer rates. Ask your bank about fee structures before initiating a wire transfer. If both parties have accounts in the same bank, internal transfers may be free or lower in cost. 2. Negotiated Exceptions While Empire Flippers generally stick to its fixed success fee structure, there have been instances where fees were waived or negotiated based on:
✅ Factors That May Influence Fee Adjustments:
Large-volume sales: Higher-value transactions may qualify for negotiated fees.Long-time customers: Repeat sellers or buyers might receive special consideration.Market conditions: If a business struggles to sell, Empire Flippers may offer flexibility on commissions. 📌 How to Take Advantage of Negotiated Fees:
Ask about potential discounts if you’re selling a high-value business.Leverage competition —if you have offers from other marketplaces like Flippa or Investors Club, Empire Flippers may offer better terms to keep the deal.Keep an eye on historical reports —some users have successfully negotiated fee reductions in special cases. 3. Currency Exchange Fees If buyers and sellers operate in different currencies, conversion fees may impact the final payout.
✅ What to Expect:
If a buyer in the U.S. purchases a business from a seller in Europe , they may need to convert USD to EUR , incurring a currency exchange fee . Banks and traditional money transfer services charge 2%-5% on currency conversion. Payment platforms like PayPal may charge even higher conversion fees. 📌 How to Reduce Currency Exchange Costs:
Use a currency exchange service with lower fees , such as Wise, Revolut, or OFX .If possible, hold and transact in USD to avoid unnecessary conversions. Negotiate payment terms that allow for direct currency deposits in your preferred bank. Conclusion: Why Choose Empire Flippers? Empire Flippers’ clear fee structure, strict vetting process, and free escrow services make it a preferred marketplace for high-value online businesses. While success fees are higher than some alternatives, Empire Flippers helps sellers sell at higher multiples with access to a premium buyer network and secure transactions. Buyers enjoy a fee-free and safe purchasing experience.
Whether you’re looking to buy a content site, SaaS business, or Amazon FBA store, if you’re looking to sell your online business or buy one, Empire Flippers remains one of the most reliable platforms for buying or selling a website or online business. Here at Softlist.io , we provide expert insights, valuation tools, and growth strategies to help maximize your business’s worth. Start optimizing today and sell with confidence!
FAQs What is the commission on Empire Flippers? Empire Flippers charges a tiered success fee based on a business’s sale price: 15% on the first $700,000 , 8% on amounts between $700,000 and $5,000,000 , and 2.5% on any amount above $5,000,000 . This ensures sellers only pay when their business sells.
Are there any upfront fees to list a business on Empire Flippers? No, Empire Flippers does not charge upfront listing fees; sellers only pay a commission once their business is successfully sold.
Do buyers have to pay any fees on Empire Flippers? No, buyers do not pay any fees to browse, bid, or purchase a business, but they must complete identity and liquidity verification before accessing full business details.
How does Empire Flippers ensure secure transactions? Empire Flippers provides a free escrow and transfer process, ensuring a seamless handover of assets. It holds the buyer’s funds in escrow until the business is fully transferred and confirmed by both parties.
Can sellers or buyers negotiate Empire Flippers’ success fees? While Empire Flippers generally maintains its fixed commission structure, sellers of high-value businesses or repeat users may sometimes negotiate fee adjustments under specific conditions.
