Is Deavo really free?

Deavo is a free advertising and listings platform for buying and selling small and medium Canadian businesses, not a brokerage. In its current version there is no fee to create a listing, no fee for a buyer to browse or reach out, and no feature that sits behind a paywall. That is a deliberate design choice, not an introductory offer, and it is worth understanding exactly what it covers.

What 'free' actually includes

A seller can publish a listing, describe the business, upload photos, and receive buyer interest without paying anything. A buyer can search listings, view the public teaser and industry data, sign a non-disclosure agreement, and message a seller without a subscription or a per-lead charge. There is no commission taken on a completed sale, because Deavo never negotiates or closes the transaction between the parties.

Why Deavo is not paid the way a broker is

A traditional business broker is typically paid a commission calculated on the eventual sale price, earned for actively marketing the business, screening buyers, and running the negotiation. Deavo does not perform that role. It is an advertising and discovery platform, so it is not positioned to take a percentage of a deal it never manages, and charging one would sit oddly against what the platform actually does.

How this affects a seller who already has a broker

Listing a business on Deavo does not replace or change a broker’s engagement. If a broker is already representing a seller under a listing agreement, that agreement, and whatever commission it sets out, continues to apply exactly as written. Deavo is simply an additional channel for reach, at no extra cost layered on top of the broker relationship.

What free does not mean

Free listing and messaging does not mean an unmoderated free-for-all. Every listing still goes through the platform’s own screening before it is published, and a blind listing still limits what is publicly visible until a buyer is vetted. None of that protection is monetized either — it is part of the same free product, not an upsell held back for a paying tier.