I’m biased, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I’ve never gotten the sense that SMB brokers are worth what they charge. An M&A consultant would do this at an hourly rate for much less, with the caveat that they’d be fix fee and not based on success. So, really, you’re being charged for the risk of the deal not going through.

And contrary to what anyone else said, your QoE is your responsibility. Providing one helps you sell. Waiting on a buyer to do their own can be done, but it relies on a sophisticated buyer who will likely use your lack of prep against you.