An Advisor Who Has Actually Been Where You Are
Before Stan Cortland ever sat across a negotiating table as a broker, he sat on the other side of it, as the owner. That experience is the foundation of everything we do at Cortland Business Brokers. Most business brokers are salespeople who learned to read a P&L. Stan Cortland is an entrepreneur who learned how to architect the perfect exit. Having built, scaled, and successfully sold multiple operational businesses—from traditional B2B dealerships to digital enterprises—Stan brings an owner's uncompromising perspective to the brokerage table.
He Didn't Start in a Brokerage. He Started on the Shop Floor.
"I don't just see cash flow. I see the operational assets that truly drive a premium sale, the service contracts, the trained crews, the customer relationships, the reputation. Those are the things buyers actually pay for.", Stan Cortland, Founder
Stan Cortland is a California native, born in Placerville and rooted in the Bay Area for most of his professional life. Over 37 years, he built a career not in finance or real estate, but in running businesses, real, operational, complex businesses that made payroll, managed crews, negotiated contracts, and served demanding customers.
The centerpiece of that career was building and running one of the three largest Xerox dealerships in the United States. That wasn't a small operation. It meant overseeing widespread field service and installation crews across a large geographic territory, managing high-volume equipment procurement, structuring and maintaining long-term recurring service contracts, and navigating the full weight of business ownership through multiple economic cycles.
He didn't inherit it. He built it. And when the time came, he sold it.
After that exit, Stan went on to build and successfully sell a multi-million dollar web-based enterprise, a very different kind of business, which gave him a second vantage point on what it means to prepare a company for a buyer, manage the due diligence process, and negotiate a deal that holds together all the way to the closing table.
That's two successful exits from two very different businesses. That's the foundation of Cortland Business Brokers.
Where Stan Works, and Why It Matters
Stan focuses his practice on sectors where his personal experience gives him a genuine edge. These aren't sectors he learned from a textbook. They're sectors he has operated in, managed in, and sold businesses in.
HVAC & Contractor Services
From heating and air conditioning to specialized electrical and plumbing contractors, service businesses carry complex operational dynamics. Having managed large field installation and service crews for decades, Stan understands how to properly value service dispatch systems, technician retention, recurring service agreements, and fleet assets. He knows how to structure these sales to protect the transition of keys and client lists.
Light Manufacturing & Fabrication
Manufacturing businesses carry valuation complexity that generalist brokers consistently miss, specialized tooling, equipment depreciation, work-in-progress inventory valuation, client concentration patterns, and facility capacity dynamics. Stan's background in industrial sales and equipment procurement means he speaks this language from the inside, ensuring your facility is valued for its true operational capacity.
B2B Dealerships & Distribution
Distributors and commercial dealerships carry value in their supplier agreements, customer relationships, logistics networks, and inventory flow, not just their physical assets. Having built and run one of the largest commercial B2B dealerships in the country, Stan knows how to prepare these complex businesses for strategic buyers, structure vendor transition agreements, and justify premium valuations to buyer due diligence teams.
Professional Services & Web Enterprises
Professional service firms and digital/web enterprises have value that lies almost entirely in intangible assets, proprietary software, customer databases, recurring subscription models, and brand equity. Having founded, scaled, and successfully exited a multi-million dollar web enterprise of his own, Stan has first-hand experience valuing and navigating the transition of these highly modern, low-asset businesses.
How Stan Works, and What Makes the Difference
Three Pillars of Stan's Practice
Owner-Centric Perspective
Having sat on both sides of the closing table as a business owner, Stan knows that selling a company is the single most significant financial and emotional decision of your life. He treats your exit with the care it deserves, aligning the process with your legacy, employee retention goals, and personal timeline rather than rushing toward a transaction.
Anticipating Deal Friction
Most business sales fail in due diligence or financing because the broker didn't anticipate the buyer's pain points. Stan leverages his NMLS license and deep SBA loan structure knowledge to pre-qualify buyers, review your financials the way an underwriter will, and resolve potential deal-breakers before they ever reach the negotiating table.
Direct, Senior Engagement
When you work with Cortland Business Brokers, you work with Stan directly. Your deal isn't delegated to a junior analyst or a listing coordinator. Stan personally handles every valuation, writes the marketing materials, qualifies every buyer, and leads every negotiation, giving you senior-level expertise from first call to final close.
Licensed, Credentialed, and Accountable
gavel California Department of Real Estate
DRE License #02079242, Active. Zero disciplinary actions. Zero complaints on record. Stan's regulatory history is completely clean, ensuring absolute compliance and protection for your transaction.
account_balance NMLS Licensed Broker
NMLS License, Stan holds an active Nationwide Multistate Licensing System credential, giving him deep expertise in SBA financing structures, buyer qualification, and commercial underwriting requirements.
group IBBA & CABB Member
Active member of the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and the California Association of Business Brokers (CABB), adhering to the highest professional and ethical standards in the industry.
Beyond the Resume
Stan was born in Placerville, California, and has spent the majority of his life in the Bay Area, a region he knows deeply, personally, and professionally. That local groundedness has allowed him to build a network of relationships across Northern California and the wider Western US that extends well beyond what a directory listing or a national franchise can offer.
Outside of work, Stan values the same things his clients do, time with family, the freedom that comes from building something of your own, and the chance to enjoy what you've worked for. He has a daughter he's proud of, and when he's not working a deal, you're likely to find him on the water or out on a road trip through the West.
That's not incidental. It's part of why his clients trust him. He's not chasing transactions. He's building relationships, with people who've worked as hard as he has, and who deserve an exit that reflects it.
Ready to Have an Owner-to-Owner Conversation?
There's no script here. No sales pitch waiting on the other end of the line. Just a direct, confidential conversation about where your business is, what it might be worth, and what a well-run exit could look like for you.
If you're thinking about selling, whether that's six months from now or three years out, the right time to start that conversation is before you need to have it.
lock All inquiries are completely confidential. Your information is never shared without your written consent.
Advisor Profile
Stan Cortland
Cortland Business Brokers
136 Echo Place, Discovery Bay, CA 94505
Phone: 925-322-6773 | Toll-Free: 888-315-4353
CA DRE License #02079242 | IBBA Member