Chasing the highest headline price is how sellers end up with the worst actual outcome.

Chasing the highest headline price is how sellers end up with the worst actual outcome.
Weigh structure before you celebrate the big number:
— All cash at close beats a higher number with strings, almost always. Certainty has value — price it in.
— Seller financing? Only at a real interest rate, with collateral, and only to a buyer you'd lend to personally.
— Earnout dollars are worth maybe 50 cents until proven — discount them in your head, hard.
— Holdbacks and escrow lower your real take. Net them out before comparing offers.
Compare risk-adjusted, not face value.
Which would you take: 100% cash at 30x, or 40x half on earnout? Defend it.