I've been doing this long enough to remember when selling your MSP meant a handshake with the local competitor who wanted your customer list. Maybe a round of golf first. Those days are gone.
Last year, deal volume for transactions north of $100M grew 9%, per EY-Parthenon, according to EY-Parthenon. PE firms raised funds specifically earmarked for technology services. Shield Technology Partners cut a deal with OpenAI to build AI-native MSP platforms. The money isn't flowing into this space. It's flooding in.
Here's what I tell every MSP owner who calls me after their first LOI lands: the buyer doesn't care about your revenue. They care about your EBITDA margin and the contract terms underneath it. If your margins are under 15% and your customers are on month-to-month agreements, that 8x multiple they dangled in the meeting? It'll be 5x by the time the quality of earnings report comes back. I've watched it happen more times than I can count.
The smart move in 2026 isn't selling. It isn't holding, either. It's getting your house in order so you can do whichever one makes sense when the time comes.