Professional services business valuation benchmarks for New Zealand
Valuation evidence for New Zealand professional, scientific and technical services businesses, drawn from 285 verified IT, engineering, accounting and design business sales recorded by licensed NZ business brokers. Indexed price trends, median time-to-sell, recent comparables and a regional heatmap, covering ANZSIC Division M nationwide.
The state of the NZ professional services business sales market
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (ANZSIC Division M) covers knowledge businesses: computer system design, engineering and design consultancies, accounting practices, scientific testing and advertising agencies. Bizstats has recorded 285 sales in the category, and at roughly 55% it is one of the most Auckland-weighted industries.
These are asset-light businesses whose value lies in people, intellectual property and client relationships rather than plant or stock. That shows in the data: with only a small number of recorded sales each year, the indexed median sale price is highly volatile, ranging from 46 to 283 and sitting at 120 by 2025.
The striking signal is time-to-sell. The median has fallen to 1.5 months, the fastest of any Bizstats industry, so buyer demand for clean, well-documented practices with a transferable client base is clearly strong. Yet that demand has not lifted the SDE multiple: the index sits at 98, still close to its baseline with no sustained re-rating. That gap, strong demand alongside a flat multiple, is what marks key-person risk as the main brake on what buyers will pay: they compete hard for these businesses but will not pay more per dollar of earnings while much of the value can walk out the door with the owner.
Sale price and SDE multiple figures are indexed to 2010 = 100. The +% values show cumulative change since the 2010 baseline. The full dollar medians, by sub-category, are available in a Bizstats valuation report.
Indexed median professional services sale price
Median sale price for New Zealand professional services business transactions, indexed to 2010 = 100. The underlying dollar medians by sub-category are published in the Bizstats valuation report.
Commentary: The professional services price index is highly volatile, ranging from 46 to 283 on a 2010 = 100 basis and sitting at 120 by 2025, a 20% cumulative move. With only a handful of recorded sales behind each year's median, no single year is a reliable reading; the multi-year trend is the signal.
Indexed median professional services SDE multiple
Median SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) multiple paid for New Zealand professional services businesses, indexed to 2010 = 100. The price index tracks what businesses sell for; the SDE multiple index tracks what buyers are paying per dollar of earnings. Actual multiples by sub-category are published in a Bizstats valuation report.
Commentary: The SDE multiple index has ranged across an 80-157 band and sits at 98 by 2025, close to the 2010 baseline. Key-person risk is the central valuation question for knowledge businesses: a practice that depends on the founding owner is discounted, while one with capable staff and documented systems holds the multiple.
What buyers pay for in a professional services business sale
The average split of the sale price into tangible assets, stock and intangibles (brand, customer base and other non-physical value) for NZ professional services business transactions, year by year. Each bar is a 100% view: it shows the mix, not the dollar value.
- Tangibles
- Stock
- Intangibles
| Year | Tangibles | Stock | Intangibles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 12% | 1% | 87% |
| 2013 | 9% | 1% | 90% |
| 2014 | 11% | 0% | 89% |
| 2015 | 6% | 0% | 94% |
| 2016 | 7% | 0% | 93% |
| 2017 | 18% | 2% | 80% |
| 2018 | 11% | 0% | 89% |
| 2019 | 3% | 0% | 97% |
| 2021 | 3% | 0% | 97% |
| 2022 | 3% | 0% | 97% |
| 2024 | 14% | 0% | 86% |
| 2025 | 1% | 0% | 99% |
Commentary: Professional, scientific and technical firms are the most intangible-led category on the site: their value is people, knowledge and client relationships, not equipment. By 2025 the median sale split about 1% tangible assets, 0% stock and 99% intangibles. The intangible share has moved from 87% in 2012 to 99% (+12 points): buyers are paying almost entirely for the client base, recurring fees and reputation.
Median time-to-sell for NZ professional services businesses
Median months from listing to unconditional sale for NZ professional services business transactions. A leading indicator of buyer demand. Tighter time-to-sell signals stronger competition for available stock.
Commentary: Time-to-sell has fallen to 1.5 months by 2025, the fastest of any Bizstats industry, down from 4 months in 2010. Clean, well-documented professional services businesses with a transferable client base draw motivated buyers, and asset-light deals complete quickly once a buyer commits.
Recent professional services business sales in NZ
A sample of recent anonymised professional services transactions. Each row shows ANZSIC sub-category, region, revenue, SDE and sale month, with revenue and SDE rounded to the nearest $100,000. Full anonymised comparables with exact sale prices and SDE multiples are in a Bizstats valuation report.
| ANZSIC | Region | Revenue | SDE | SDE X | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer System Design and Related Services | Tasman | $600,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Apr 2026 |
| Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services | Auckland | $1,100,000 | $300,000 | ••• | Feb 2026 |
| Other Specialised Design Services | Auckland | $500,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Jan 2026 |
| Other Specialised Design Services | Otago | $100,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Dec 2025 |
| Accounting Services | Auckland | $200,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Oct 2025 |
| Computer System Design and Related Services | Auckland | $1,800,000 | $300,000 | ••• | Sep 2025 |
| Scientific Testing and Analysis Services | Auckland | $100,000 | $100,000 | ••• | Sep 2025 |
| Computer System Design and Related Services | Bay of Plenty | $1,300,000 | $500,000 | ••• | Jul 2025 |
| Advertising Services | Auckland | $300,000 | $200,000 | ••• | Jun 2025 |
| Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services | Auckland | $2,000,000 | $700,000 | ••• | Mar 2025 |
See what they actually sold for. A Bizstats valuation report unlocks exact sale prices, SDE multiples and time-to-sell for professional services businesses by ANZSIC sub-category.
Create a Bizstats report →Sample drawn from 285 verified professional services transactions, updated as new sales are recorded by our network of licensed NZ business brokers.
Professional services business sales by NZ region
Professional services transaction activity and median time-to-sell mapped across New Zealand's 16 regions. Auckland leads with 157 recorded sales, around 55% of the national total. Several regions fall below the reporting threshold for time-to-sell. Switch the metric to compare regions.
| Region | Transactions | Median time-to-sell (months) |
|---|---|---|
| Northland | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| Auckland | 157 | 3 |
| Waikato | 9 | Insufficient sample |
| Bay of Plenty | 32 | 3 |
| Gisborne | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| Taranaki | 2 | Insufficient sample |
| Manawatu | 2 | Insufficient sample |
| Hawke's Bay | 4 | Insufficient sample |
| Wellington | 20 | 6 |
| Tasman | 3 | Insufficient sample |
| Nelson | 5 | Insufficient sample |
| Marlborough | 1 | Insufficient sample |
| West Coast | 0 | Insufficient sample |
| Canterbury | 41 | 4 |
| Otago | 8 | Insufficient sample |
| Southland | 1 | Insufficient sample |
Put these professional services benchmarks to work
Apply Bizstats professional services benchmarks to a specific business: your own, a target acquisition or a comparable you're researching. Three free tools, no signup, real insights.
Work out Seller's Discretionary Earnings for an IT, engineering, accounting or consulting business, step by step.
Calculate SDEStart hereApply professional services multiples to your SDE and get a market value estimate in seconds.
Try for FreeCalculate the return on investment for a professional services business purchase.
Calculate ROIProfessional services business valuation FAQ
ANZSIC Division M covers knowledge businesses: computer system design and IT, engineering and design consultancies, accounting practices, scientific testing and advertising agencies. Bizstats has recorded 285 sales across the category.
Faster than any other category Bizstats tracks. Median time-to-sell has fallen to 1.5 months, down from 4 months in 2010. Asset-light businesses with a transferable client base and capable staff attract motivated buyers and complete quickly.
It is a smaller market, and each year's median rests on only a handful of recorded sales. The indexed price series has ranged from 46 to 283 as a result. The reliable signal is the multi-year trend, not any single year.
The central question is key-person risk. A practice that depends on the founding owner is discounted; one with capable staff, documented systems and a sticky client base holds a stronger SDE multiple. Personal goodwill versus transferable goodwill is often the deciding factor. Exact multiples are in a Bizstats valuation report.
The dataset is updated monthly as new transactions flow in from our network of licensed New Zealand business brokers. Recorded coverage reaches back well over a decade, and the indexed trends on this page are benchmarked from 2010.
About this page
The benchmark figures, charts and recent comparables above are drawn from 285 verified professional services business sales recorded by licensed NZ business brokers. The written analysis is generated from that data and reviewed by the Bizstats team, and is refreshed as new sales are recorded. These are indicative market benchmarks, not a formal valuation. See our Terms of Use.
Benchmarks last updated .
Learn more about business valuation
Guides that explain the metrics behind these professional services benchmarks: SDE, earnings multiples, the ANZSIC classification and how market-based valuation works.
Understanding Personal Goodwill in Business Valuation
Learn about personal goodwill in business valuation, and why distinguishing it from business goodwill is essential for accurately valuing small, owner-operated businesses.
Understanding the Role of SDE in Business Valuation
One of the most widely used methods for business valuation is the capitalisation of earnings. Learn why Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is crucial for SME valuation.
Key Factors That Impact Earnings Multiples in Business Valuation
For small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is the most relevant measure when valuing a business. This is particularly true in New Zealand, where 97% of businesses have fewer than 20 employees.
Value Modifiers in Business Valuation
Learn about value modifiers in business valuation and how factors like customer concentration, brand, and operational efficiency affect the final price.
Understanding ANZSIC
ANZSIC codes classify business data, simplifying your search for accurate comparables on Bizstats.
How to Maximise the Sale of Your SME Business
For many small to medium business owners, a significant portion of their assets is tied to their business. Learn how to maximise your sale price.