{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/market-comparable","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/market-comparable","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"market-comparable","term":"Market Comparable","group":"Reading the business","definition":"These are recent sales data for similar businesses, used to estimate a target business's value. Buyers use them to check if the asking price aligns with what similar businesses actually sold for.","what_it_means":"Lenders often require an independent appraisal that heavily relies on market comparables. You should examine these comps yourself during due diligence to ensure they are truly comparable in size, industry, and location.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/market-comparable","official_sources":[],"related":[{"slug":"business-valuation","term":"Business valuation","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/business-valuation"},{"slug":"multiple","term":"Multiple","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/multiple"},{"slug":"ebitda","term":"EBITDA","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/ebitda"},{"slug":"sde","term":"SDE","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sde"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"How does a lender evaluate the market value of collateral when there are limited comparable sales?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-a-lender-evaluate-the-market-value-of-collateral-when-there-are-limited-comparabl"},{"question":"What are the requirements for assigning secondary market loans through SBA Form 1088?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-requirements-for-assigning-secondary-market-loans-through-sba-form-1088"},{"question":"How does a lender determine the fair market value of business equipment used as collateral?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-a-lender-determine-the-fair-market-value-of-business-equipment-used-as-collateral"},{"question":"How does the SBA verify the fair market value of assets contributed as equity injection?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-the-sba-verify-the-fair-market-value-of-assets-contributed-as-equity-injection"},{"question":"If a borrower contributes equipment as equity, how does the lender verify its fair market value?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/if-a-borrower-contributes-equipment-as-equity-how-does-the-lender-verify-its-fair-market-v"},{"question":"How does the SBA evaluate the fair market value of goodwill in a business acquisition for financing?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-the-sba-evaluate-the-fair-market-value-of-goodwill-in-a-business-acquisition-for-"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Market Comparable","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/market-comparable","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}