What is my dental practice worth in California?
Value comes from documented earnings, not a rule of thumb off a message board. A buyer’s lender reviews the documented earnings, so the numbers have to hold up on paper. Collections, hygiene retention, PPO versus fee-for-service mix, equipment age, and the remaining term of your lease all move the result.
A practice cannot be priced responsibly without reading your returns first, so we do not give a number over the phone.
Will my staff and patients find out?
That is your decision. A confidential listing shows only the general area and the practice type in public. Full financials sit behind a signed non-disclosure agreement in a secure document vault, and they are released only to buyers who have already demonstrated they can finance the purchase.
How long does it take?
Many California sales take several months from signed listing agreement to close. Practices with clean books, a lease with real remaining term, and a landlord who will assign move at the fast end. The delays are almost always documentary rather than about price: incomplete tax returns, a month-to-month lease, or a landlord who will not consent to assignment. A lease review before you go to market is the cheapest month you will ever buy back.
Should I sell to a DSO or to a private buyer?
It depends entirely on what you want the day after closing. A DSO transaction can involve different terms than a private sale, such as an earnout, a post-sale work commitment, or equity rollover rather than cash at close. A private buyer — usually an associate ready for ownership — typically means a clean exit on a schedule you set. Neither is right in the abstract. It should be decided before the practice goes to market, not after an offer is already sitting on the table.
Does a California practice broker need a license?
Yes, where the transaction touches real property or a lease assignment. Brokering a business opportunity in California is licensed activity, and any solicitation a licensee sends must carry their name and eight-digit DRE license number. Ours is on every page of this site, including the bottom of this one. Ask any broker you speak with for theirs, and verify it with the Department of Real Estate before you sign anything.