5 Things Every Care-at-Home Agency Owner Should Consider Before Their Exit
- 21 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Michael W. Lloyd | Originally published March 7, 2023 | Updated May 7, 2026
At a Glance Selling a care-at-home agency is one of the most consequential decisions an owner can make. After 160+ completed healthcare M&A transactions, Mertz Taggart recommends every home care, home health, or hospice owner address five areas before going to market: clarifying exit goals, reducing owner dependency, defining the ideal buyer profile, engaging an experienced M&A advisory firm, and organizing diligence-ready information. Getting these right can significantly affect both the value you receive and the outcome for your employees and patients. |
For many agency owners, exiting their business can feel like stepping away from something deeply personal. It’s an emotional decision, but also one that rewards careful planning and sophistication to obtain the best outcome.
The list of things to consider before a sale is long. But after guiding owners through many successful healthcare services M&A transactions across home care, home health, and hospice, we have narrowed it down to the five that matter most. These are the areas where preparation consistently separates the owners who get the outcome they want from those who leave value on the table.
1. Outline the Goals and Objectives of Your Exit Strategy
Before anything else, get clear on what matters most to you and rank those priorities. The financial outcome is important, but it is rarely the only thing owners care about.
Consider:
How much will I receive after taxes?
Will the legacy of the business be maintained?
Will my employees still have jobs, and will company culture remain?
Do I want to stay with the business for a period beyond a standard transition?
Documenting these priorities early gives you a framework for evaluating every offer and every buyer that comes to the table.
2. Distance Yourself from the Agency’s Day-to-Day Operations
Care-at-home investors are highly sensitive to transition risk. In the words of Cory Mertz, Managing Partner: they worry about "risk that the business will deteriorate after a closing," and after the owner has received a substantial payout.
Delegating responsibilities is challenging. But separating yourself from the agency’s day-to-day operations adds flexibility to your options upon exit and can meaningfully increase the value a buyer is willing to pay.
A business that runs well without its founder carries less risk for a new owner.
3. Define Your Ideal Buyer or Investor Profile
Choosing the right buyer or investor to partner with, rather than simply selecting the highest offer, can make or break the outcome. A buyer who has direct experience with home care, home health, or hospice transactions, plenty of cash on hand, and a healthy credit line will have a higher certainty of closing the deal.
The right buyer will also strive to maintain or improve the service quality while caring for your employees. Fit matters as much as price.
4. Engage a Professional, Industry-Experienced M&A Advisory Firm
An M&A advisory firm that specializes in home care, home health, and hospice will guide and prepare you for a sale that can maximize value while fulfilling your goals and objectives. Finding the right buyer and compelling them to make their highest offer requires a well-run, competitive M&A process.
Preparing the marketing materials, financial model, and information for due diligence is exceptionally time-consuming and taxing. An advisory firm provides the additional bandwidth to prepare all of it while you keep growing your agency. And there is an important distinction worth noting: an M&A advisory firm acts as a strategic partner through every phase of the process, which is different from a broker who may simply list your business and wait for interest.
→ Related: How to Choose a Home Care M&A Advisor
5. Ensure Easy Access to Critical Diligence Information
Even with an advisory firm handling the heavy lifting, you will need to provide the raw information: accurate financials, operational metrics, licenses, contracts, and compliance records. Buyers and their teams will scrutinize every detail.
Assuring this data is clean, accurate, and accessible will put you ahead from day one. It signals professionalism and reduces the risk of delays or price adjustments during due diligence.
Considering the five items above will better prepare every care-at-home agency owner to plan and execute a successful exit strategy.
Key Takeaways: • Define and rank your exit goals before engaging with any buyer. • Reduce owner dependency to lower transition risk and increase value. • Evaluate buyers on fit, experience, and financial capacity, not just price. • Choose an M&A advisory firm with deep healthcare transaction experience. • Organize your financials, licenses, and operational data before going to market. |
Ready to Start Planning Your Exit?
Mertz Taggart has guided owners through healthcare services M&A transactions across home care, home health, and hospice for over twenty years. If you are considering a sale of all or a portion of your agency, we welcome a confidential conversation about your goals and timeline.
Contact us to get started.
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