Unlocking the Small Business Market: What Zillow Did for Homes, SMB.co Is Doing for Businesses

Then Zillow came along. Suddenly, all you had to do was type in your address, and there it was… your home’s estimated value, details on square footage, and even how it compared to the house next door.

It wasn’t just convenient. It changed everything. For the first time, homeowners had power in their hands. Buyers could see what was really on the market without relying on brokers. Sellers could plan ahead by knowing what their homes might fetch.

Zillow didn’t just build a website, they made the housing market more transparent, accessible, and dynamic.

For home buyers and sellers alike, Zillow marked a seismic shift and made the housing market:

1. Liquid

By standardizing and aggregating fragmented housing data, Zillow didn’t just make information easier to see, they made the market itself more liquid. Liquidity means homes could move faster because buyers and sellers finally had a common language of value. Instead of opaque listings and hidden MLS records, people could compare properties side by side, understand relative worth, and act with confidence. More information → more trust → more transactions.

2. Empowered

Homeowners could instantly see their “Zestimate”, an automated valuation of their property. For the first time, regular people could understand the potential worth of their biggest asset without calling an agent. This transparency gave homeowners a sense of control over when and how they might sell.

3. Discoverable

Perhaps the biggest breakthrough: discovery. Buyers no longer needed a broker just to see what was available. They could browse on their own, filter by price, location, size, and school district, and then bring that knowledge to an agent. The home search process became self-serve.

The result? Zillow didn’t just make house hunting easier. They created clarity, confidence, and momentum in the housing market.

The small business market: Today’s equivalent of pre-Zillow real estate

Now, let’s turn to the $10 trillion small business market, an equally massive but far more fragmented space.

There are over 36 million small businesses in the United States, representing 99.9% of all companies and nearly half of private-sector jobs. And yet:

• Most small businesses never hit a public listing site when it’s time to sell. Honestly, most small businesses are deemed “too small” to be worth the support of many advisors in this space…
• Owners don’t know where to start, and many simply close their doors when they retire.
• Buyers waste months or years chasing outdated listings with fuzzy financials, inflated prices, and owners who aren’t truly ready to sell.

This market is where residential real estate was 20 years ago: opaque, fragmented, and inefficient. That’s the gap SMB.co is closing.

How SMB.co unlocks the small business market

Standardizing fragmented data = unlocking liquidity

Unlike residential real estate, there’s no MLS for small business deals. That means information is fragmented, inconsistent, and often hidden.

SMB.co is adding millions of businesses, both on and off the market, and creating a standardized layer of data where none existed before. Our proprietary Bestimate valuation gives every owner a baseline estimate of their company’s value.

This unlocks liquidity. Suddenly, the market is no longer limited to the fraction of businesses that make it onto listing sites. Buyers and sellers alike can participate with far more clarity.

Empowering 36M+ small business owners

Just like Zillow gave homeowners instant insight into their property value, SMB.co empowers small business owners to understand theirs. Owners can:

• See their estimated valuation at any time.
• Compare how they stack up to similar businesses in their industry or geography.
• Track progress toward increasing their equity years before selling.

For many, this is the first time they’ve had visibility into what their business might be worth. That knowledge can change their strategy, motivate improvements, and prepare them for a smoother exit.

Reimagining discovery for buyers

Buyers no longer have to rely solely on stale listings. SMB.co provides:

• On-Market Listings: Traditional deals that everyone can see.
• Off-Market Access: Where the real magic happens. With SMB.co, buyers can send intro requests, and our team privately reaches out to owners who fit the profile, even if they haven’t listed yet.

This creates deal flow where none existed before. Instead of passively waiting for something to pop up on a broker’s site, buyers can proactively generate opportunities tailored to their goals.

Self-serve, yet still supported

Like Zillow, SMB.co makes the discovery process self-serve. Buyers can search, filter, and define their “buy box.” But we don’t stop there. We also provide tools to streamline the transaction: NDAs, LOIs, due diligence, and a secure deal room, all in one place.

For owners, that means peace of mind. For buyers, it means less time chasing paper and more time evaluating opportunities.

Why does this matter? No small business left behind!

Zillow made real estate accessible to everyday buyers and sellers. SMB.co is doing the same for small businesses, but with an even bigger mission: ensuring that no small business is left behind.

Too many businesses quietly shut down, not because they lack value, but because the process to sell is too complex, opaque, or inaccessible. By bringing transparency, data, and proactive outreach into the small business market, SMB.co helps preserve legacies, protect jobs, and connect buyers with opportunities they would otherwise never find.

We believe the small business market deserves the same clarity, accessibility, and efficiency as the housing market. And we’re building the tools to make that happen.

What’s next for buyers and owners?

Whether you’re a buyer ready to uncover hidden opportunities or an owner curious about what your business is worth, SMB.co is built to make the journey:

• Faster: No more months wasted chasing dead ends.
• Smarter: Data-driven valuations and insights guide your decisions.
• More Transparent: On-market listings + hidden off-market gems, all in one place.

‍