No owner posts "thinking of selling." But succession leaves fingerprints, and a few signals reliably point to an owner near the exit.
- Long trading history + a founder's name — decades in, often family-run, the owner's getting older.
- Owner-operated, single site — no corporate parent, no PE, so the decision is one person's.
- Weak or stale web presence — an older owner who never went digital (and upside for a buyer who does).
- Slowing momentum — reviews and activity tapering as the owner winds down.
Individually they're weak; together they're a strong "worth a conversation." DealSignals combines them into a single Likely-Seller Score so you spend your time on the owners most likely to say yes.