How it works — step by step

How to Buy or Sell an Accounting Practice on AFS

Q: Can buyers see my identity or my financials?

No. A public listing shows only the practice type, region and a recurring-fee band. Your name, exact location and exact financials stay masked, and are shared only with a buyer you personally engage.

Q: What happens when I decline a buyer?

The buyer is politely notified that their interest was not taken further. Your identity and private listing details are never revealed to a declined buyer.

Q: Why do buyers need to be verified?

Verification keeps the market serious: sellers review real, confirmed buyers with capacity and funding information rather than anonymous enquiries, so nobody’s time is wasted.

Q: Do I still need a broker?

No — AFS replaces the broker. You run the process yourself, at your own pace. If you want support, optional services such as valuation, legal agreements and transaction financing are available on request.

Q: When do I pay the success fee?

Only when the deal is done. The fee is calculated on the final sale price and becomes payable once the transaction concludes — nothing is owed before that.

No broker, no gatekeeping. Buyers and sellers connect directly and privately — you stay in control the whole way.

Traditionally you’d hand your practice to a broker who controlled the buyers and took a large commission. AFS replaces that with a direct process you run yourself.

For Sellers

List privately, stay in control

Create your free seller profile

Private, never shared without your say-so.

Registration is free and takes minutes. Your profile is stored under POPIA-compliant confidentiality and is never shown to anyone without your say-so.

List your practice privately

Publish only practice type, region and a recurring-fee band; identity, exact location and financials stay masked.

Your asking price is expressed as a band (for example 1.0x–1.3x recurring fees) so buyers can gauge value without ever seeing your books.

See who's interested

When a verified buyer expresses interest, you're notified and can view their full profile first.

You always see the buyer's credentials, capacity and funding status before anything about you is shared.

Decide who to engage

Engage (details shared, private chat opens) or decline (buyer politely notified; you stay anonymous).

Engaging unlocks your full details to that buyer only and opens a private chat between you. Declining keeps you anonymous — the buyer is simply told the opportunity is no longer available.

Conclude the sale directly

Close on your terms; pay a 1% success fee only when the deal completes (2% if we did the matching).

Negotiate directly, agree terms, and pay the 1% success fee only on completion — 2% if we did the matching for you.

For Buyers

See the market, engage with consent

Register and get verified

Free buyer profile; verification keeps the market serious.

A free buyer profile tells sellers who you are, what you're looking for and how you'll fund it. Verification protects sellers and keeps enquiries genuine.

Browse the market

See public detail, filter by region/type/fee band; sensitive info masked until a seller engages you.

Filter by province, practice type and recurring-fee band. Sensitive fields stay masked until a seller chooses to engage with you.

Express interest

The seller is notified and reviews your profile.

Your profile goes to the seller, who reviews it before deciding anything. Your enquiry is never visible to other buyers.

Get the seller's decision

Engage unlocks full details + a private chat; decline notifies you promptly.

An engage decision unlocks the seller's full details — identity, exact location and financials — plus a private chat. A decline is communicated promptly so you can move on.

Do due diligence and close

Use valuation/legal/financing services if needed; conclude directly with the seller.

Use our valuation, legal or financing services if you need them, then conclude the purchase directly with the seller.

The comparison

The Old Way vs the AFS Way

Aspect	Traditional Broker	AFS — Direct
Who sees it	Only the buyers on the broker's own list.	Every verified buyer on the market.
Your details	Handled and shared by the broker.	Masked until you approve a specific buyer.
Who decides	The broker decides who gets introduced.	You decide — review each buyer profile first.
Cost	A large commission on the sale price.	1% success fee (2% with Done-For-You matching).

Privacy by design

What Stays Private, and When

Every listing uses a two-tier disclosure model. Here is exactly what a buyer sees before and after a seller engages them.

Before engagement

What every registered buyer sees — nothing more.

Practice typeAccounting & tax

RegionEast Rand, Gauteng

Recurring-fee bandR3m – R4m per year

Owner & firm name

Exact location

Annual turnover

Client concentration

After the seller engages you

Full details unlocked — shared with that one buyer only.

Practice typeAccounting & tax

RegionEast Rand, Gauteng

Recurring-fee bandR3m – R4m per year

Owner & firm nameJon Doe CA(SA) · Doe & Associates Accounting

Exact locationBoksburg, Gauteng

Annual turnoverR4.6m

Client concentrationNo client above 8% of fees

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it cost to sell my practice on AFS?

Listing and browsing are free. AFS charges a 1% success fee, payable only once your sale completes. If you use our AFS Spotlight marketing or Done-For-You matching service, the fee rises to 1.5% or 2%. There are no upfront or monthly charges.

Can buyers see my identity or my financials?

What happens when I decline a buyer?

Why do buyers need to be verified?

Do I still need a broker?

When do I pay the success fee?

Ready to Run It Yourself?

Free to register. Your details stay private until you choose to share them.

Create Your Free Seller Profile Register to Browse Practices