Empathy
Ten years in the Police built a genuine ability to connect quickly with people from all walks of life, understand what drives them, and lead them toward a decision. I use that ability in every buyer conversation.
Why it matters
Your business represents years of hard work.
It deserves more than a listing on a website.
Most brokers treat a business sale like a real estate transaction: list it, wait for enquiries, email them a brochure. I take a fundamentally different approach. Every buyer is called personally. Every enquiry is screened and qualified. Every meeting is structured to create engagement, build confidence, and move buyers forward.
The result is more offers, more competition, and a better outcome for you.
See how it worksRecord holder
Seven offers on one business, the record across Barker Business's entire 19-year history and a team of nearly 40 brokers
2026 Top 5 Broker
Barker Business Brokerage, ranked nationally across a team of nearly 40 brokers
2026 Rising Star, inaugural award
#1 across all four performance categories in my first three years as a broker
Personally calls every enquiry
While most brokers email only, every single enquiry gets a personal phone call, screening and tailoring the pitch to each buyer
What sets me apart
Six reasons vendors get better outcomes
Strong marketing, financial literacy, and negotiation skills are the baseline for any good broker. What genuinely sets me and my process apart goes deeper than that.
Buyer psychology
Business sales are not just about numbers. From the Information Memorandum layout to the structure of every meeting, everything is designed to help buyers imagine themselves owning your business and feel confident making an offer.
Deeper engagement
A structured approach with more touchpoints means buyers invest more time, develop stronger conviction, and are far more likely to submit an offer, with around two thirds of vendor meetings resulting in an offer being submitted.
Ease for you
Regular updates on who is interested, why they are suitable, and where they are in the process. You have a business to run. My job is to keep you informed and in control without the sale becoming a second job.
Proven results
Top 5 Broker at Barker Business in 2026. Inaugural Rising Star, #1 across all four performance categories in my first three years. The record for most offers on a single listing in Barker's history. Results, not promises.
I call every enquiry
Most brokers email enquiries and wait. I phone every single one, even when there are hundreds. It screens buyers properly, builds early rapport, and lets me tailor the pitch to what each buyer actually cares about.
The process
See the full process in detail
From first conversation to settlement
A clear, structured process that keeps you informed and in control at every stage.
1
Pre-sale preparation
Initial conversations, free appraisal, and document preparation including an Information Memorandum designed to engage buyers, not just inform them.
2
Finding the right buyers
Strategic advertising, personal phone screening of every enquiry, and initial buyer meetings to qualify suitability before your time is involved.
3
Offers and negotiation
Vendor meetings with qualified, engaged buyers, frequently resulting in competitive multi-offer situations. Sale and purchase documents drawn up and negotiated in your favour.
4
Due diligence to settlement
Managing due diligence, satisfying conditions, and coordinating with solicitors through to a clean, successful settlement.
What clients say
Vendors and buyers across New Zealand
“Selecting Joel Costello proved to be an excellent choice for our shareholders. He diligently prepared the advertising, Information Memorandum, financial forecasts, conducted all preliminary interviews, and assisted with negotiations and due diligence. He conducted himself in a very professional manner throughout. I have recommended Joel to business associates and would have no hesitation doing so to anyone contemplating a business sale.”
“We sold a business through Joel Costello. He was easy and calm to deal with and showed an interest in the business that enabled Joel to market and sell it for a healthy amount. We would have no hesitation in recommending Joel Costello to market and sell your business.”
“We purchased a business this year through Joel Costello at Barker Business Brokers and we found dealing with Joel excellent as he kept the process moving through to a successful outcome, Thank you Joel”
Barker Business
NZ's trusted brokerage
About Joel
Read my full story
A broker who has been on your side of the table
Before becoming a broker, I spent ten years in the New Zealand Police and then bought, grew, and sold my own business. I know what it feels like to have years of hard work tied up in something you have built, and I know that the decision to sell is rarely straightforward.
That experience shapes how I work with every client. I bring genuine empathy to the process alongside a structured, results-focused approach that consistently delivers competitive outcomes.
2026 Top 5 Broker, Barker Business Brokerage
2026 Inaugural Rising Star, #1 across all four categories
Record holder, most offers on a single listing in Barker Business history
Licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008
Resources
Helpful reading for business owners
Practical guides and honest answers to the questions business owners ask most.
Guide
How businesses are valued in New Zealand
How buyers and brokers assess what your business is worth. Risk, reward and effort, asset types, goodwill, SDE, and earnings multiples explained plainly.
Read the guide
Guide
How to prepare your business for sale
What to get in order before going to market. Financials, documentation, key person dependency, and the decisions that directly affect the price you achieve.
Read the guide
Guide
Common concerns from buyers and sellers
Will staff leave? Will clients go elsewhere? Will I inherit debts? Honest answers to the questions that come up most often, from both sides of the table.
Read the guideReady to find out what your business is worth?
A free, no-obligation appraisal is the first step. There is no pressure and everything is completely confidential. Most business owners are pleasantly surprised by what they learn.