How does agency M&A advisory work?

Agency M&A advisory guides founders through every stage of a transaction — from valuation and positioning, through buyer identification and outreach, to negotiation, due diligence, and close. At Agency Futures, Simon Morgan runs sell-side and buy-side mandates for independent marketing, creative, and communications agencies, typically across a 6-12 month process.

What is my agency worth?

Agency valuation typically starts with EBITDA multiplied by a sector-relevant multiple. For independent marketing and communications agencies, that multiple is shaped by revenue concentration, client tenure, management depth, recurring revenue, and growth trajectory. Simon Morgan provides indicative valuations as part of an initial advisory conversation.

How long does it take to sell a marketing agency?

Most independent agency transactions take between 6 and 18 months from initial preparation to completion. Preparation — including financial clean-up, positioning, and CIM development — should ideally begin 12-24 months before a founder wants to transact.

What types of agencies does Agency Futures work with?

Agency Futures advises independent marketing, creative, PR, and communications agencies — typically with revenues between $2M and $50M — across Australia, the UK, and the US.

What is the difference between sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory?

Sell-side advisory supports founders who want to sell or merge — managing positioning, buyer outreach, negotiation, and process. Buy-side supports acquirers identifying and acquiring agencies that fit a specific brief. Agency Futures runs both.

Is Agency Futures active in Australia?

Simon Morgan is based in Sydney and leads Agency Futures' APAC practice. The firm operates globally with active mandates across Australia, the UK, and North America.

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Simon Morgan

"Almost every founder reaches the same point — when running the business starts to feel different from building it. The questions get bigger and the options feel less clear. That's where we start."

Simon Morgan has spent over 30 years in the agency industry as a founder, owner, and operator. He has built and exited businesses at every scale — from a digital agency acquired by Publicis, to achieving tenfold growth in a large independent, to founding an e-commerce business acquired by Expedia. That experience is what he brings to every founder conversation at Agency Futures.

Simon leads sell-side and buy-side mandates, merger advisory, and exit planning for independent marketing, creative, and communications agencies — primarily across Europe and the UK, APAC and Australia and North America.

He advises founders at any stage of the arc of agency ownership: often at the moment when running the business starts to feel different from building it, and when the decisions made in the next two or three years will define the next decade. His approach is direct, deal-experienced, and grounded in empathy for what founders are actually going through — not just the transaction, but the identity shift that comes with it.

Recent transactions:

The Many acquisition of Catalyst XR — immersive technology - January 2026
Holy Cow! Creative Sydney, acquired into the Hardie Grant Media stable - February 2026
PinPoint Media, acquired by PrettyGreen PR - December 2025

Simon Morgan has spent over 30 years in the agency industry as a founder, owner, and operator. He has built and exited businesses at every scale — from a digital agency acquired by Publicis, to achieving tenfold growth in a large independent, to founding an e-commerce business acquired by Expedia. That experience is what he brings to every founder conversation at Agency Futures.

Recent transactions:

The Many acquisition of Catalyst XR — immersive technology - Jan 2026
Holy Cow! Creative Sydney, acquired into the Hardie Grant Media stable - Feb 2026
PinPoint Media, acquired by PrettyGreen PR - Dec 2025

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A different kind of advisory

Most M&A advisors work the way M&A advisors have always worked. We don't.

Simon brings a technology operator's mindset to every transaction — shaped by three decades building and scaling businesses where technology was the value driver, not just the tool. At Agency Futures that translates into a process that is faster, more rigorous, and better prepared than traditional advisory.

In practice that means using AI and modern data tools to:

Sharpen financial analysis — modelling EBITDA, working capital, and deal structure with greater speed and precision than manual processes allow, reducing the risk of surprises in due diligence
Build stronger agency narratives — developing positioning documents and Confidential Information Memorandums that are genuinely targeted to specific buyer segments, not generic marketing documents
Understand buyer behaviour — drawing on market intelligence and transaction data to give founders a more accurate picture of who is likely to buy, at what multiple, and on what terms
Streamline the process — removing the administrative friction that slows deals down and exhausts founders, so more energy goes into the decisions that actually matter

The outcome is a process built around the decisions that actually matter -- not the administrative friction that usually consumes them.

Background and credentials

30+ years in the agency industry as founder, owner, and operator
Former founder of a digital agency acqui-hired into Publicis
Founded an e-commerce business acquired by Expedia
Achieved tenfold revenue growth as leader of a large independent agency
Technology operator — both exits were technology-driven transactions
Certified Business Broker, Australian Institute of Business Brokers (AIBB)
Partner, Agency Futures — advising on buy-side, sell-side, and merger transactions globally
Based in Sydney, Australia — operating across APAC, UK, and US

Thinking about what comes next?

If you're wondering what your options might look like — whether that's a sale, a merger, or simply understanding what your agency is worth — Simon would genuinely welcome a conversation.

See below or connect directly on LinkedIn

Most M&A advisors work the way M&A advisors have always worked. We don't.

In practice that means using AI and modern data tools to:

Sharpen financial analysis — modelling EBITDA, working capital, and deal structure with greater speed and precision than manual processes allow, reducing the risk of surprises in due diligence
Build stronger agency narratives — developing positioning documents and Confidential Information Memorandums that are genuinely targeted to specific buyer segments, not generic marketing documents
Understand buyer behaviour — drawing on market intelligence and transaction data to give founders a more accurate picture of who is likely to buy, at what multiple, and on what terms
Streamline the process — removing the administrative friction that slows deals down and exhausts founders, so more energy goes into the decisions that actually matter

The outcome is a process built around the decisions that actually matter -- not the administrative friction that usually consumes them.

Background and credentials

30+ years in the agency industry as founder, owner, and operator
Former founder of a digital agency acqui-hired into Publicis
Founded an e-commerce business acquired by Expedia
Achieved tenfold revenue growth as leader of a large independent agency
Technology operator — both exits were technology-driven transactions
Certified Business Broker, Australian Institute of Business Brokers (AIBB)
Partner, Agency Futures — advising on buy-side, sell-side, and merger transactions globally
Based in Sydney, Australia — operating across APAC, UK, and US

Thinking about what comes next?

If you're wondering what your options might look like — whether that's a sale, a merger, or simply understanding what your agency is worth — Simon would genuinely welcome a conversation.

See below or connect directly on LinkedIn

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FAQs

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Do I need an Australian-based advisor to sell my agency?

Not necessarily — but it helps significantly. An advisor with an Australian presence understands local buyer appetite, deal norms, and regulatory context. More importantly, an AIBB-accredited advisor operates under a professional framework recognised in Australia. Simon Morgan is based in Australia and holds AIBB Certified Business Broker status, which means you're working with an advisor who is both locally grounded and professionally accredited

What agency deals has Agency Futures completed?

Agency Futures has completed a number of transactions, including the acquisition of Holy Cow! (a Sydney design firm) into the Hardie Grant Media stable, the acquisition of Sydney-based immersive technology studio Catalyst XR by The Many, and the acquisition of PinPoint Media by PrettyGreen PR.

Can Agency Futures connect me with international buyers for my Australian agency?

Yes. This is one of Agency Futures' core strengths. We have an active network of UK, US, and European acquirers — including holding companies, PE-backed groups, and strategic independents — who are actively looking at Australian acquisitions. An APAC-based business is often highly attractive to international buyers seeking geographic diversification.

How do I know what my Australian agency is worth?

Agency valuations in Australia typically use Adjusted EBITDA multiples — usually in the range of 3x to 6x, depending on revenue quality, client concentration, team stability, and growth trajectory. We recommend starting with a confidential conversation before commissioning a formal valuation.

What's the difference between selling my agency and doing a Merge Express deal?

Selling means full exit, or at least majority sale — you receive a capital sum and transition out over an agreed period. Merge Express is Agency Futures' structured merger approach, designed for founders who want to grow the business first through consolidation with a complementary agency, before ultimately exiting at a higher value. Not every founder is ready to sell today; Merge Express is built for founders who want to build, then sell.

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