Buy a Full Service Agency
Acquiring a full service agency gives you a complete, integrated marketing operation under one roof. Full service agencies are attractive to PE firms building platforms and to companies wanting a single agency partner for all their marketing needs. Whether you are a PE firm building a marketing services platform, an established agency adding a new discipline, or an experienced operator looking for your first acquisition, understanding the specifics of full service agency deals will help you evaluate opportunities and negotiate effectively.
The full service agency acquisition market is active, with deal volume growing as more founders approach retirement age and private equity interest in the marketing services sector continues to accelerate. Quality agencies in this space are in demand, so buyers who move decisively and demonstrate credibility will win the best deals.
Why Buy a Full Service Agency?
Acquiring rather than building a full service agency from scratch gives you an immediate advantage: established client relationships, trained teams, proven processes, and revenue from day one. Building these same capabilities organically would take 3-5 years and carry significant execution risk.
For strategic acquirers, a full service agency fills a specific capability gap and creates cross-selling opportunities across your existing client base. For financial buyers, the recurring retainer revenue and strong margins typical of well-run agencies in this space make them attractive cash-flow investments. The key is finding an agency where the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts — where your resources combined with their expertise create real synergies.
What to Look for When Buying a Full Service Agency
Due diligence for a full service agency acquisition should focus on these specific areas:
- Revenue and margin breakdown by service line
- Cross-sell success rate between departments
- Management team depth — can department heads run autonomously?
- Large retainer clients with multi-year histories
- Integrated workflow processes across services
- Client satisfaction scores and NPS
- Technology infrastructure supporting multiple disciplines
Beyond the checklist, spend time understanding the agency’s culture, client relationships, and what makes them successful. The best acquisitions happen when the buyer truly understands the business they are buying.
Typical Deal Structure
Acquisitions of full service agencies are among the largest in the agency M&A world given the breadth of services and client relationships. Expect 60-75% cash at close with a 25-40% earnout over 18-24 months tied to revenue and margin targets across service lines. Due diligence is more complex given the multiple disciplines involved. Transition periods of 12-18 months are standard, often with the founder moving to a chief strategy or chairman role. Typical deal values range from $500K to $30M+, though outliers exist on both ends.
Regardless of structure, every full service agency deal should include clear provisions for client contract assignment, team retention, intellectual property transfer, and non-compete agreements. Work with an experienced M&A advisor who understands agency transactions to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
Current Full Service Agencies for Sale
Browse our current listings of full service agencies available for acquisition. New listings are added weekly, and our team can notify you when an agency matching your criteria comes to market.
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Ready to Acquire a Full Service Agency?
Whether you are looking for your first acquisition or adding to a growing portfolio, we can help you find the right full service agency and close the deal. Our buyer network includes hundreds of agencies across every type and geography.