How to Choose a Home Care M&A Advisor: 6 Things That Matter

By Cory Mertz, Managing Partner — Mertz Taggart  |  Updated March 2026

If you’ve decided to explore selling your home health, home care, or hospice agency, one of the first, and most important, decisions you’ll make is who to work with.

There are a lot of firms reaching out to agency owners right now. Some are well-established advisory firms with deep healthcare experience. Others are generalist brokers. Some are newer entrants still building their track records. And increasingly, buyers themselves are reaching out directly, hoping to start a conversation before you’ve engaged any representation at all.

Here's something we believe strongly: finding a buyer for your agency is the relatively easy part. There's no shortage of active buyers in home-based care right now, and most of them are personable, credible operators. But here's the question that matters more: how do you know which buyer is the ideal buyer for you and your agency?

That's where the process makes the difference. What separates a good outcome from a great one is having an advisor who can run a confidential, competitive process that surfaces the right buyers, maximizes your value, navigates diligence, and gets you to a closing with few surprises. That takes a particular kind of firm.

1. Does the Firm Have Credibility with the Buyer Community?

This is one of the most overlooked factors, and one of the most important. The firm representing you needs to have earned the respect of the buyers and investors who are active in home-based care M&A.

That credibility directly affects how buyers respond to the marketing materials, how they view the financial adjustments your advisor presents, and how negotiations unfold.

Buyers respond well to firms they know, firms that have a reputation for thorough preparation and honest advocacy. When a respected advisory firm brings a deal to market, buyers take it seriously from the start. They know the process will be well-run, the information will be credible, and the advisor will hold them accountable throughout. 

You can get a feel for this by asking about the firm’s experience with active buyers in the space, the kinds of transactions they’ve recently brought to market, and how they position clients with sophisticated buyers. A strong advisor should be able to answer those questions clearly and confidently.

2. How Will the Firm Protect Confidentiality?

Confidentiality is one of the biggest concerns owners have when considering a sale, and for good reason.

If word gets out prematurely, it can unsettle your employees, your referral sources, and your patients.

Ask your prospective advisor how they handle confidentiality at each stage: 

• How do you curate your target buyer or investor list?

• Will your agency be listed publicly, or is the outreach targeted and discreet?

Some firms rely on online listings or broad-market blasts that can give competitors and local agencies clues about your intentions. A thoughtful advisor tailors the process to your situation, reaching the right buyers without exposing your business to unnecessary risk.

Every transaction is different, and a good advisor will customize their approach based on your specific goals, your local market, and your timeline.

3. What Is the Firm’s Track Record in Healthcare M&A?

Experience matters, but the kind of experience matters even more.

You want a firm that has completed meaningful transactions in the home-based care space specifically, not just healthcare broadly, and not just a handful of deals.

Ask about the number and types of transactions they’ve closed. Look for evidence that they’ve worked with agencies similar to yours. Client testimonials and case studies can give you a sense of how the firm handled the complexities that come with healthcare deals.

A firm with a strong track record in your sector will also know the active buyer landscape well, including who’s acquiring, what they’re looking for, and what terms are realistic in the current market.

→ See examples of completed transactions on our Transactions page.

4. Will the Firm Be Candid with You About Valuation?

This one is worth paying close attention to.

When you’re evaluating advisors, you’ll likely get a sense of what they think your agency is worth. Be cautious of any firm that leads with an unusually high valuation, especially before they’ve done any real analysis. An inflated number can feel good in the moment, but it’s often a tactic to win the engagement rather than an honest assessment of what the market will bear.

Most advisory engagements include a one-year term, plus a tail period of 18–24 months covering any buyers the firm introduced during the engagement. That’s a meaningful commitment. You want to make sure you’re entering it with a firm that’s being straight with you, not one that overpromised to get your signature.

The right advisor will let the market determine value through a well-run competitive process, and they’ll help you understand the range of likely outcomes based on real data and current M&A marketplace.

5. How Will the Firm Communicate and Negotiate on Your Behalf?

Selling a home care agency is a complex process with a lot of moving parts: attorneys, accountants, due diligence teams, and multiple buyer conversations happening simultaneously.

Your advisor is the person managing all of it on your behalf.

Their ability to communicate clearly, keep you informed without overwhelming you, and advocate for your interests in negotiations is what separates a good experience from a stressful one.

During your initial conversations with an advisor, pay attention to how they communicate with you: 

• Are they responsive? 

• Do they explain things in plain language? 

• Do they listen to what matters to you, or do they default to a one-size-fits-all pitch? 

The way a firm treats you before they have the engagement is usually a good indicator of how they’ll treat you after.

On the negotiation side, look for a firm that’s comfortable holding firm when it matters, on price, on deal terms, on timeline, while maintaining constructive relationships with the other side. The best outcomes happen when your advisor earns both your confidence and the buyer’s respect.

6. Does the Firm Truly Understand the Home-Based Care Industry?

Healthcare M&A is not the same as selling any other business. Home health, home care, and hospice agencies operate in a world of state licensing, Medicare certification, Medicaid reimbursement, and clinical compliance requirements that directly affect valuation and deal structure. An advisor who doesn’t understand these dynamics can miss things that cost you real value.

Industry expertise also means knowing how buyers in this space think and operate. Strategic acquirers (larger home care companies building regional scale) evaluate deals differently than PE firms assembling healthcare platforms.

A knowledgeable advisor can position your agency in a way that resonates with both buyer types and highlights the specific value drivers that matter in your sector.

Ask your prospective advisor about the subsectors they’ve worked in and how they stay current on market trends. An advisor who publishes original research, speaks at industry conferences, and engages with the home-based care community is more likely to bring the depth of insight you need.

Choosing Well Is Worth the Time

Deciding to sell your agency is often the biggest decision of an owner’s career. For most home care owners, the business represents not only their livelihood but also their life’s work, their team, and their reputation in the community.

The firm you choose to represent you will shape every part of the experience, from the initial valuation guidance through closing and beyond.

Take the time to ask the right questions. Talk to more than one firm. Pay attention to how they make you feel, not just what they promise.

And remember: the goal isn’t just to find someone who can sell your agency. It’s to find someone who will protect your interests, maximize your value, and help you feel confident through every step of the process.

Want to learn more about how we work? We’re happy to walk you through our process, answer your questions, and help you understand your options — with no pressure and no obligation.

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About the Author

Cory Mertz, M&AMI, is a managing partner at Mertz Taggart, where he advises home health, home care, and hospice owners on selling their businesses. With nearly two decades in healthcare M&A and more than 160 completed transactions across the firm, Cory brings firsthand experience to every conversation.