“It’s been a Good Year” for Award-Winning WA Broker Jonathon Parker.
“It’s been a Good Year” for Award-Winning WA Broker Jonathon Parker.
When the results of the 2025 AIBB Awards were announced, Jonathon Parker didn’t expect to walk away with four trophies. But by the end of the night, he had been named National Business Broker of the Year, along with awards for Sales Excellence, Deal Maker of the Year, and Deal of the Year. For Jonathon, it capped off what he describes simply as “a good year”.
Behind that understatement sits a remarkable run of deals, including one sale that exceeded expectations by nearly $1.5 million and attracted multiple competing buyers.
It also reflects the strength of Western Australia’s business market, where Jonathon has spent years building relationships, refining his niche, and developing a reputation that keeps his phone ringing.
A Market On The Move
Jonathon has been “flat out” in recent years, with the Western Australian economy creating steady demand for business acquisitions.
“Ever since COVID, there’s been a huge upswing in people moving to the state,” he explained. That influx, combined with a subsequent rise in property values, has had a ripple effect across the small business market.
Real estate prices in parts of Western Australia have virtually doubled over the past five years. As homeowners unlock equity, many begin looking for income-generating assets.
“Typically, they are looking for a cashflow business,” Jonathon observed.
COVID itself created a brief slowdown. “For the first six months it was virtually impossible to sell,” he recalled. But Western Australia’s relative economic stability during the pandemic helped businesses recover quickly, and in some sectors, performance actually improved.
Since then, the market has been busy.
Buyers Building Business Portfolios
A notable trend Jonathon sees among buyers is the shift from a single-business purchase to multi-site ownership.
Once buyers establish themselves, expansion often follows. “I’m seeing clients establishing their third or fourth outlet,” he said. In some cases, operators grow far larger, with several of Jonathon’s clients now running more than a dozen locations.
“They get a team behind them, and then the banks and financiers come in as partners in the way they work,” he explained.
Most buyers expand within the industries they already understand. Liquor store owners acquire additional liquor stores, restaurant operators open additional venues, and supermarket operators seek new outlets.
“They usually stay within their area of expertise,” Jonathon said.
For sellers, this active buyer pool creates favourable conditions to exit. Many owners approaching retirement are choosing to sell while demand and pricing remain strong.
“Timing is very important when you look to cash in your chips,” he noted.
A Broad Mix Of Businesses
Although Jonathon Parker has become well known for liquor store transactions, his deal flow covers a broad range of sectors.
“Taverns, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, lottery agencies, post offices,” he said, listing some of the businesses he regularly handles. “I even sold a lunch bar the other day.”
Liquor stores remain a significant part of his practice, but supply is currently tight.
“They’re in low supply at the moment, so they’re hard to get hold of,” Jonathon noted.
When one does come to market, buyer demand can be intense. In one recent case, Jonathon sold a liquor store listing in just 53 minutes.
“That’s a record for me,” he said. “But it shows you how strong demand is in that sector.”
A Deal To Remember
Among Jonathon’s recent transactions, one stands out.
The subject retail business was initially listed at $3.75 million, plus $500,000 in stock, for a total asking price of $4.25 million.
What followed surprised even an experienced broker.
“We had five competing offers,” Jonathon said. “I’d never seen that sort of competition for a business before.”
The strong interest pushed the final sale price to $5.7 million.
“It was a perfect storm,” Jonathon explained. “It was a very good business and a very good result for the seller.”
The Importance Of Trust
Despite the awards and record deals, Jonathon’s approach to broking remains grounded in fundamentals.
His first piece of advice for new brokers is simple: always act as a genuine seller’s agent.
“Act with your client’s best interests and never chase a quick sale,” he said.
Building long-term trust, he believes, is the foundation of a sustainable broking career.
“Build relationships and trust with people that will last a career lifetime.”
Over time, those relationships generate referrals. Today, much of Jonathon’s work arrives through word of mouth.
“My phone rings every day with people saying, ‘Joe gave me your number, you sold his business a year ago,’” he said.
That reputation is reinforced by his buyer database, which includes qualified purchasers actively seeking businesses in sectors he regularly handles.
“People look for a track record of a broker who has sold businesses similar to theirs,” he said.
Specialisation And Hard Work
Jonathon also believes successful brokers eventually benefit from specialising in particular industries.
“When you first start, you’ll take any listing,” he said. “But as you develop, creating a niche or specialisation in a marketplace is of paramount importance.”
Focusing on specific sectors allows brokers to build deeper expertise, understand market dynamics, and connect sellers with the right buyers.
Alongside specialisation, Jonathon emphasises two more practical factors: time management and persistence.
He recalls advice from one of his earliest bosses in real estate when he was nineteen.
“She said to me, if you’re not talking to a buyer or a seller, you’re doing the wrong thing,” he remembered.
Today, the communication load is intense.
“You sit at a desk all day, but the intensity of phone calls, text messages, and emails is through the roof,” Jonathon said.
Saturday and Sunday offer some relief, with activity dropping significantly. But by Monday morning, the pace returns quickly.
“Come 8.30 Monday morning, my phone explodes,” he said.
Leveraging Support And Technology
Another step that significantly increased Jonathon’s capacity was bringing on support staff.
For the past six years, he has worked with an assistant, who helps manage administration and workflow.
“She’s helped me enormously to handle more volume,” he explained. “There are only so many hours in a day.”
Delegating administrative tasks allows Jonathon to focus on what he considers the most valuable work: speaking with buyers and sellers.
Technology may soon help further. Like many brokers, Jonathon is exploring how artificial intelligence can streamline everyday processes.
He is currently experimenting with platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude and recently attended an industry course to deepen his understanding.
“I’m probably a little bit slow to get into everything,” he admitted. “But I’m doing a few courses now to bring my knowledge up to speed.”
His main interest lies in automation that reduces the time spent on administrative tasks. For example, systems that can automatically send confidentiality agreements and information packs when buyers make enquiries.
“I’d love to see that process automated,” he said.
Even so, Jonathon believes the human role in business sales will remain central.
“Sellers and buyers will always want somebody handling the actual transaction,” he said.
Looking Ahead
For now, Jonathon’s focus remains straightforward: serve his clients well and continue building momentum in a strong market.
“I’m flat out just servicing my clients and trying to do a good job for every single person that I represent,” he said.
With an active buyer pool, repeat clients expanding their portfolios, and a reputation reinforced by national awards, the demand for his services shows little sign of slowing.
And as Jonathon puts it with characteristic simplicity, there are good reasons to keep pushing forward.
“I’ve got a family to feed,” he joked.
Tags: business broker tips selling feature
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