Backing up a step, just some assurance that a year into a search is perfectly reasonable. What are you finding to be the biggest hurdle in your search? And what is this person going to do differently?

Like most things, good ones well worth the price. Bad ones feel like you got robbed. Treat them like a contractor/employee, set KPIs they control and hold them to it. Whether you "like" the business is out of their control. Many PE firms hire people to find them businesses as employees...this is basically that but you don't have to train and they likely come with a network you can leverage. Who do you think gets to see their best deals first, the guy paying them every month, or the yokle asking them to send them their best? Also, ask to talk to others who did same and get their experience, this is time where checking 3 happy customers is well worth it.