For Banks & Lenders
Independent business valuations that keep your loans moving.
SOP 50 10 8–compliant, defensible valuations for SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership and commercial credit — from a qualified, independent source, delivered in days, not weeks.
Acquisition lending is at record highs — and more of it needs an independent valuation.
Business acquisitions are among the largest use cases in SBA lending, and the rules on when a lender must obtain an outside valuation are specific. We help you clear them without slowing the file.
in SBA 7(a) loans approved in FY2025 — the largest year in program history by count and dollar volume
U.S. SBA
an independent business valuation from a Qualified Source on every SBA 7(a) change of ownership — regardless of transaction size
SBA SOP 50 10 8 & 50 10 8.1
in cumulative SBA 7(a) lending across 2,186 lenders tracked in our Commercial Lending Directory
FairMarketValue
Why lenders work with FairMarketValue
Built for credit teams and the SBA audit.
SOP 50 10 8–Compliant
Qualified independent source, a written conclusion of value, and documented methodology — prepared to clear SBA review and stand up in your credit file.
Built for Speed
Engagement letter sent within hours of intake. Standard turnaround is days, not weeks — so files move to credit instead of sitting on appraisal.
Credentialed & Independent
Led by analysts holding ABV, CFA, and CVA credentials — recognized SBA Qualified Sources. Independent of buyer and seller, with fixed, non-contingent fees.
Backed by Proprietary Data
Market multiples drawn from private-company transaction data and financials across 450,000+ businesses — evidence your reviewers can rely on.
Trusted by lenders
What SBA lenders say
“Since we began working with FairMarketValue, they have delivered each SBA business-acquisition valuation within the promised turnaround time. Just as importantly, our credit team has found their reports to be thorough, well-supported, and reliable throughout the underwriting and credit-review process.”
“The reports we receive from FMV are thorough, well-supported, and consistently hold up when our credit committee starts asking questions. Taylor and his team understand what SBA lenders need documented and have been a responsive, dependable partner on every file we've sent them. In addition to delivering quality work, their pricing is very competitive, providing strong value without sacrificing the depth or credibility of their reports.”
Credentialed & independent
Senior valuation experience from the firms that set the standard
Every engagement is led by analysts credentialed by the AICPA, CFA Institute, and NACVA — with prior experience at Kroll / Duff & Phelps, Ankura, Carta, and Ryan Valuation, and methodologies defended in Big-4 audits.
valuations & engagements completed
enterprise values assessed
audit-defended methodologies
Credentials & affiliations
SBA 7(a) & 504 change-of-ownership
SBA change-of-ownership valuations, done right.
On an SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loan, the lender must obtain an independent business valuation from a Qualified Source — engaged by the lender, not the borrower. Under SOP 50 10 8 (effective June 1, 2025) and the forthcoming SOP 50 10 8.1 (effective October 1, 2026), this applies regardless of transaction size; the prior $250,000 self-performed exception no longer applies. We handle that engagement end-to-end.
What an FMV 7(a) valuation includes
Every engagement is a detailed report prepared to AICPA SSVS and IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60, structured for SBA reviewers.
- Statement of engagement, purpose, and independence
- Standard & premise of value (Rev. Rul. 59-60, going concern)
- Company overview, industry & economic conditions
- Financial statement analysis with earnings normalization (SDE / EBITDA)
- Income, Market, and Asset approaches with reconciliation
- Conclusion of value, appraiser qualifications, and full exhibits
What the SOP requires
Recent SOP updates removed the prior $250,000 threshold that let lenders self-perform smaller valuations — an independent Qualified-Source valuation now applies to change-of-ownership regardless of size.
| Requirement | Under SOP 50 10 8 / 50 10 8.1 |
|---|---|
| Independent business valuation | Required on all 7(a) change-of-ownership — regardless of transaction size |
| Who engages the appraiser | The lender — not the borrower or a broker |
| Qualified Source credentials | ASA, ABV, CVA, AVA, or CBA |
| Real estate & equipment | Valued separately by the appropriate appraisers; excluded from the business (going-concern) value |
| Standard of value | Fair market value · IRS Rev. Rul. 59-60 · going concern |
Source: SBA SOP 50 10 8 (effective June 1, 2025) and SOP 50 10 8.1 (effective October 1, 2026).
What’s included in your SBA valuation
A comprehensive report built on all three approaches to value and documented to IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60 and AICPA SSVS — structured for SBA reviewers and your credit file.
Valuation Methodology
- Income Approach — DCF & capitalized earnings
- Market Approach — private-company transaction multiples
- Asset Approach — adjusted net asset value
- Weighted average cost of capital
- Reconciled Fair Market Value conclusion
Financial Analysis
- Normalized financial statements (SDE / EBITDA)
- Forecasted financial statements
- Detailed financial ratios & analysis
- Liquidity & working-capital analysis
- Cash flow analysis
Industry & Comparables
- Company & sector overview
- Industry analysis & outlook
- Comparable company & transaction data
- Industry benchmarking
- Risk-factor assessment
Deliverables
- Detailed written valuation report
- Prepared by an ABV / CFA / CVA credentialed expert
- Consistent with IRS Rev. Ruling 59-60 & AICPA SSVS
- SOP 50 10 8–compliant for your SBA file
- Full supporting exhibits & schedules
Beyond SBA: valuation support across your lending
Banks, credit unions, non-bank SBLCs, CDCs, and CDFIs rely on us wherever enterprise or intangible value drives a point-in-time credit decision.
Conventional acquisition & C&I
Independent enterprise-value support for business-acquisition, cash-flow, and C&I credits outside the SBA programs.
SBA 504 & CDC partner deals
Business valuations to complement real-estate and equipment appraisals on combined 504 change-of-ownership transactions.
ESOP & management buyouts
Defensible value conclusions to support ESOP financing and management-led transitions.
Partner buyouts & equity injections
Objective third-party value to verify equity injections and price partner or shareholder redemptions.
Workout & recovery analysis
Point-in-time enterprise and liquidation value to inform restructuring, recovery, and problem-loan decisions.
Second-opinion review
Independent review of a borrower- or broker-supplied valuation before it reaches your credit committee.
From intake to signed report in days
Submit deal materials
Provide the borrower's financials, tax returns, and transaction terms through a secure intake, along with your SBA or credit-committee deadline.
Engagement letter issued
We confirm scope and issue an engagement letter — with the lender as the engaging party — within hours of intake.
Independent analysis
A credentialed analyst normalizes earnings and applies the Income, Market, and Asset approaches to a documented conclusion of value.
Report delivered to your file
You receive a detailed, SOP 50 10 8–compliant report built for your credit file and SBA review — typically within days.
A straightforward, per-engagement valuation
One independent valuation, engaged by the lender and built for your credit file.
Per-Engagement Valuation
Quoted per engagement · lender-engaged · non-contingent
- Independent SOP 50 10 8–compliant business valuation
- Engagement letter within hours of intake
- Detailed, defensible report delivered in days
- Non-contingent fee — the independence the SOP requires
High-volume lender? The Lender Partner Program adds volume-based pricing, priority turnaround, standardized intake, and consolidated billing across your pipeline.
Book a free consultation →Explore the Commercial Lending Directory
Compare 2,186+ SBA 7(a) lenders by loan volume, average size, rates, and industry specialization — built on official SBA data. See where your institution stands and where the acquisition activity is.
Trust and reliability
FairMarketValue is designed with the highest commitment to trust, security, and compliance.
Frequently asked questions
On an SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loan, the lender must obtain an independent business valuation from a Qualified Source, engaged by the lender rather than the borrower. Under SOP 50 10 8 (effective June 1, 2025) and the forthcoming SOP 50 10 8.1 (effective October 1, 2026), this applies regardless of transaction size — the prior $250,000 self-performed exception has been eliminated.
SBA recognizes appraisers holding the ASA, ABV, CVA, AVA, or CBA credential. Our engagements are led by analysts holding ABV, CFA, and CVA credentials, and the lender — not the borrower — engages us, consistent with SBA independence requirements.
Pricing is scoped to each engagement — it varies with the size and complexity of the business and the scope your credit file requires, and it's never contingent on the conclusion of value. Request a sample report or book a consultation, and we'll scope a quote for your specific deal.
We issue an engagement letter within hours of intake and deliver standard reports in days rather than weeks. If you have an SBA or credit-committee deadline, tell us at intake and we will build to it.
The lender engages us. Our reports are prepared for the lender and the SBA, our fees are fixed and non-contingent, and we hold no interest in the transaction — the independence the SOP requires.
We consider all three generally accepted approaches — Income (DCF and capitalized earnings), Market (private-company transaction multiples), and Asset (adjusted net asset value) — and reconcile them into a documented conclusion of value under IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60 and AICPA SSVS.
Our engagement is the business (enterprise) valuation. We coordinate cleanly alongside your real-estate and machinery & equipment appraisers, and our analysis takes their appraised values into account where relevant to the goodwill calculation.
Yes. We support conventional acquisition and C&I credits, SBA 504 partner deals, ESOP and buyout financing, partner buyouts and equity-injection verification, workout and recovery analysis, and independent second-opinion reviews.
Individual engagements are quoted per deal. Lenders with steady deal flow can set up a Lender Partner Program with preferred, volume-based pricing, priority turnaround, standardized intake, and consolidated billing. Book a free consultation to scope it.
Keep your change-of-ownership deals on schedule.
See exactly what your credit file will receive, then reach out — our valuation team will follow up directly.