It's not necessary worthless, but it just doesn't carry the value you'd think.
You have little/no physical equipment, and just those are not hard gigs to get or create.
PP offices have more quantifiable value based on significant physical equipment, location, reputation and referrals. If another DPM won't buy them, the existing office will generally stay and compete (themselves or via an associate or another buyer)... and the new DPM wastes a ton of time trying to establish a new location in the city and re-acquire those refers piecemeal. It is sometimes better to create a win-win, particularly if the rep and referrals are transferrable.
For someone who wants C&C and that area you've set up travel gigs, there is value to your "practice" having all of the facilities right away versus starting on their own and only having some of them (and competing with you or associate or waiting awhile to get the other ones). It is up to you to find that person and agree as to what that value is. I would concur with
@GreenHousePub that the
value is definitely 5 figure. There are not a ton of DPMs now who want C&C work five days per week, but it's an eye of the beholder thing as to value and pricing.
...in the future, we'll see the same things happening with DPM surgery/hospital jobs. There will be "referral" expected for retiring or moving surgical DPMs to help grease the wheels for a successor to take the hospital/ortho/MSG job position that they'd otherwise have trouble or time spent to do without the outgoing doc. It basically already happens where "DPM surgical fellow" gives a group a very low paid year to [hopefully] get somewhat more fair pay in the fellowship group afterwards. It's pretty sad, but it happens... and will continue to happen more and more.
It's not totally crazy, though. I paid a roughly 10k finder fee at one time on a MSG job where another DPM had made introductions. I could have just done the deal without him, but it kept the peace and I likely wouldn't have met the group without the connection. I wouldn't have met the group, and he (or anyone else in his employ) didn't have the hospital/surgery skills the MSG wanted... so, whatever. We reached a deal that all sides were happy with. If it had been any substantial amount as the "finder's fee", I would have just sidestepped him, started with MSG, and dealt with whatever happened. There is always something to be said for creating win-win... cutting the cake so that all are happy, not just so that you get the biggest slice.