Sage Advisory Group
Sage Advisory Group is a Southern California-based business brokerage and M&A advisory firm led by Margot Cote-Murphy, Principal Broker. It publicly states a focus on companies generating $2 million-$15 million in annual revenue and describes services spanning marketing, buyer qualification, valuation, due diligence, negotiation, and transaction facilitation.
What stands out about Sage Advisory Group
Sage Advisory Group publicly presents a sell-side, marketing-led business brokerage and M&A advisory model for business owners and corporations seeking to transfer companies generating $2 million-$15 million in annual revenue. Its stated industry experience includes manufacturing, distribution, construction, equipment leasing, warehousing, transportation, professional services, property management, property maintenance, and janitorial companies.[1][2][3][4][6]
What does Sage Advisory Group do?
Sage Advisory Group is a California business brokerage and M&A advisory firm led by Margot Cote-Murphy, identified by the firm as its Principal Broker. Sage describes its work as serving owners and corporations transferring privately held businesses.[1][2]
Sage publicly states that it provides sell-side business brokerage and M&A advisory services, including company preparation, marketing, buyer-prospect vetting, due diligence support, negotiation of sale terms, and transaction facilitation. Its broader service description also includes assistance with selling or acquiring a company, business valuations, and Main Street business sales.[3][4]
Owners comparing intermediaries can also review Auxo’s business broker, M&A advisor and investment bank comparison, advisor-selection guide, and M&A advisor fee guide.
Published criteria: Sage publicly states that it represents business owners and corporations seeking to transfer companies generating $2 million-$15 million in annual revenue.[3]
What should a business owner evaluate before hiring Sage Advisory Group?
An owner evaluating Sage should clarify the proposed fee structure, including any retainer, success fee, minimum fee, tail period, and termination rights. The owner should also confirm which legal entity and licensed broker would be the contracting and broker-of-record parties, consistent with Sage’s stated brokerage affiliation.
For a company involving owned commercial real estate, the owner should establish whether the business and property would be marketed together or separately. Sage has publicly described a wine-industry engagement involving that issue, where the commercial property ultimately sold to one buyer while the business did not. Owners may also wish to request transaction examples under appropriate confidentiality arrangements, including buyer type, valuation basis, and consideration structure.[3][4][8]
What is the proposed fee structure, including any retainer, success fee, minimum fee, tail period, and termination rights
How will the company and any owned real estate be marketed together or separately
What size transactions does Sage Advisory Group handle?
Sage-hosted sold listings identify an absentee HOA-management operation with 10,795 doors managed across two Western states and a wine-storage transportation business in Temecula. The firm’s homepage also includes a seller testimonial stating that an electronic document processing company listed in November 2019 sold and transferred to the buyer of choice in November 2021.[1][6][7]
The firm’s stated transaction work includes company sales, acquisition assistance, valuations, and Main Street business sales. Sage also describes support across marketing, buyer qualification, due diligence, negotiation, and transaction facilitation.[3][4]
Sage describes itself as a California business brokerage firm and states that its principal broker provides services for privately held companies in the United States. Its published industry experience includes manufacturing, distribution, construction, equipment leasing, warehousing, trucking and transportation, professional services, property management, property maintenance, and janitorial companies.[2]
What does Sage Advisory Group publicly disclose about fees and engagement terms?
The cited Sage sell-side page does not publish a universal success-fee percentage, minimum fee, tail-period provision, termination schedule, or standard engagement-letter terms. The cited HOA-management sold listing identifies the listing price and operating metrics but does not identify the buyer or final transaction consideration.[3][6]
California Department of Real Estate records identify Margot Jayne Cote-Murphy as a licensed broker, license ID 00977254, with the DBA Sage Advisory Group active as of April 12, 2019. The record states no disciplinary action and no other public comments. Sage’s What We Do page states that business sales are brokered by eXp Commercial of California, Inc., CA DRE #02134436.[4][5]
Sage describes a marketing-led transaction model using a proprietary system and CRM to generate nationwide buyer leads and source acquisition matches. The firm states that it vets buyers for financial and experiential fit and aims to avoid presenting unqualified or unfit buyers to sellers.[1][3]
Questions to ask before hiring Sage Advisory Group
What is the proposed fee structure, including any retainer, success fee, minimum fee, tail period, and termination rights?
Which legal entity and licensed broker will be the contracting and broker-of-record parties?
How will the company and any owned real estate be marketed together or separately?
What buyer categories and financing capabilities are currently active for the seller's sector and revenue range?
What transaction examples can be discussed under appropriate confidentiality arrangements, including closing date, buyer type, valuation basis, and consideration structure?
Sources & research notes
- Official website / firm overview
- Official website / firm overview
- Services / capabilities
- Services / capabilities
- Structure / regulatory context
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- Property / asset focus
How this profile was researched
Auxo profiles are prepared from publicly available primary and authoritative sources and reviewed for entity identity, factual support and disclosure consistency. When a fact cannot be supported by the reviewed public record, the profile identifies it as something to confirm directly rather than inferring it.
Independent research profile
This profile was prepared by Auxo Capital Advisors from publicly available information believed to be reliable and is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. It is not an endorsement, recommendation, ranking, solicitation, or representation regarding the profiled firm, its services, qualifications, transaction experience, regulatory status, financial condition, or suitability for any particular person, company, transaction, or investment.
Information obtained from third-party and public sources may be incomplete, inaccurate, outdated, or subject to change, and Auxo Capital Advisors makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Readers should conduct their own independent diligence and consult appropriate professional advisers before engaging any advisor, intermediary, investor, lender, acquirer, or other transaction counterparty.
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