How much is my recruitment agency worth?
UK recruitment agencies are often valued on net fee income for smaller books, with specialists sometimes shifting to EBITDA. This Dealdoor overview covers the main drivers before you run the free calculator.
Typical recruitment agency valuation multiple
~1.5-2.0× NFI (specialists may support higher EBITDA multiples). Net fee income / EBITDA
What drives the value
- Temp vs perm mix
- Consultant retention
- Client concentration
- Niche specialism
- Owner dependency
Worked example
£400,000 NFI at 1.75× ≈ £700,000 (illustrative).
Frequently asked questions
How are recruitment agencies valued in the UK?
Smaller agencies are often valued on a multiple of net fee income, while larger or specialist firms may trade on EBITDA. Mix, retention and concentration drive where you sit in the range.
What makes a recruitment business more valuable?
Diversified clients, sticky temp books, retained consultants and low owner dependency support stronger prices. Heavy key-person risk or one dominant client usually pulls the multiple down.
Can I value my agency for free?
Yes. Enter your figures in Dealdoor’s free UK valuation calculator for an indicative sector-aware range, then use the drivers above to see what would move it.
Value your business with the free calculator · Compare multiples across sectors