Sell Your Book of Business/ Financial Advisory Practice with SRG
Seller Representation From M&A Experts
Seller advocacy facilitates the sale of your financial advisory firm through the use of independent and unbiased professional support. As an independent financial advisor, accountant, agent, or broker-dealer, you should be able to get maximum value for your book of business and ensure your clients continue to receive the same level of service they have come to expect.
Best Price, Best Terms, Best Fit
The sale of your financial advisory business should only happen once, making it one of the most important decisions of your professional career. Our commitment is to find each of our clients the best successor, best price, and best terms.
Expertise Advocating for Sellers
Our team has decades of experience helping financial advisors put together successful deal structures, and is one of the only succession consulting firms providing comprehensive resources and confidential seller advocacy.
Financial Advisory Sell-Side Representation
Advocacy Service at a Glance
This is both an emotional and financial decision, with the successor you chose being vitally important in your decision making process. As your advocate, we will guide you through the process, ensure you have sound recommendations to make every decision with full information, and know you have someone on your side.
You will receive:
- SRG Advocacy System using the 9-Step Process
- Unlimited one-on-one consulting through video call(s), telephone call(s), and emails
- Informal valuation and seller prospectus development
- Market development and buyer screening with hundreds of buyers
- Cash flow modeling and deal negotiation
- Customized form contracts
- Closing guidance
- Industry-specific resources
The Seller Advocacy Program typically takes 6-12 months from start to finish, depending on the seller’s schedule and time table.
9 Step Transaction Process
Succession Resource Group has a disciplined sell-side process exclusively representing your interests to optimize your firm’s value and deal terms. With your confidentiality and buyer fit our top priority, you will feel confident and informed about the entire transaction from start-to-finish.
Our goal is to learn more about you, your team, business, clients, and your goals for a successor.
The discovery phase ensures you receive the best successor-fit and align your financial goals through detailed analysis with valuation ranges and terms.
Utilizing your confidential prospectus, we go to market.
Our marketing efforts include reach-outs to preferred buyers, contacting partner firms (broker dealers, custodians, TAMPs, coaches, lenders, etc.), direct mail campaigns for firms who meet your criteria, and more.
We also execute NDAs with all buyers to maintain your anonymity, confidentiality and vet each candidate to ensure a successful buyer match.
Our team will provide you with a carefully screened list of candidates who meet predetermined criteria, allowing you to choose the best fit
Seller-approved buyers will be introduced to you – allowing you to further qualify firms.
Qualified buyers will be asked to submit a comprehensive Letter of Intent (LOI) outlining their terms for acquisition.
All negotiations will be between the respective buyers and SRG – ensuring your financial goals and interests are met.
SRG will help facilitate the exchange and request of information during due diligence between buyer and seller.
Our team will provide a Purchase Agreement and employment agreements, as necessary based on the LOI selected.
Our team will assist both the buyer and seller in brainstorming and developing a comprehensive transition plan.
This collaborative process helps identify the key steps and considerations necessary to ensure a seamless integration and transfer of ownership.
As part of our comprehensive seller advocacy process, we guide you seamlessly through the closing stages of your transaction.
These critical final steps are where your hard work and our strategic efforts come to fruition.
Discover the SRG Advantage
From Start to Finish, We Handle It All - Making Your Sale Seamless
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Dedicated Sell-Side Support
Selling your firm is a major decision. Our experts are your dedicated advocate from start to finish, so you can transition with confidence. -
Largest Buyer Network
Tired of tire-kickers? Access our buyer network with over 3,000 vetted candidates, from sole proprietors to private equity firms, plus paid databases and custom search capabilities to find the perfect buyer. -
Your Terms
Whether you want 15x, all cash, equity, or a sell-and-stay option, our team negotiates competitive offers while preserving your relationship with the buyer. -
Effective Process
No more guesswork. We are by your side providing a transparent, stress-free process - so you always stay on schedule and know what's next. -
Focus on Buyer Fit
Your clients and team deserve the right successor. We market to the largest network of buyers who are serious and pre-screened to ensure they align with your vision and share your values. -
We Pay For Ourselves
Sell-side represented deals average 6.5% higher multiples, have better terms, and receive qualified buyers - ensuring you win, every time.
Seller Referral Program
Refer a Seller. Earn 1%.
Helping advisors transition well is what we do best—and now you can play a part, too. Our Seller Referral Program rewards you for connecting qualified sellers with SRG. It’s a win-win-win: your referral gets expert representation, SRG helps ensure a successful transition, and you earn 1% for making the match.
Whether you’re a peer, recruiter, accountant, or consultant, every introduction helps advisors protect their legacy while you gain a meaningful return for your network’s trust.
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Thinking of selling your financial services business?
Don’t sell your legacy without support. Book a discovery call to learn how we can help your firm sell for more with less stress.
Additional Resources
Explore more below for resources specific to Employment Agreements – and if you’re looking for even more guidance, visit our full Resource Library.
Seller Advocacy FAQs
Our Seller Advocacy Program is designed to help RIAs, advisors, and agents sell their practice, using sell-side representation.
Our Seller Advocacy Program is for business owners who are looking to exit the advisory business in the next year (sell today, transition over the next year) or five years (sell today, be retained for an extended period).
The exiting advisor should engage in the Seller Advocacy Program.
We discourage you from including staff members on these calls. However, we have a couple resources to assist with conversations with your staff and incorporating them in the process at the right times and with the right people.
We request you complete a questionnaire. The bulk of the questionnaire is used to prepare the seller prospectus.
The Seller Advocacy service fee is 6% of the total value (e.g. purchase price + retained liabilities + post-consulting agreements), split evenly between the buyer and seller (3% each). A minimum fee of $20,000 applies, with $10,000 paid by the seller.
This is a myth. Advocacy ensures that the buyer(s) you have is the most qualified, most experienced, and most financially competitive buyer. Through SRG’s Advocacy System, SRG encourages any and all buyers to work with us through this process to ensure that you understand your options and do not leave any boxes unchecked or money left on the table.
In 2023, the average recurring revenue multiple for advisory practices is 3.02x.
In 2023, the average down payment for advisory practices was 63%.
For most advisory transactions, nearly 94% of the purchase price is allocated to personal goodwill, resulting in long-term capital gains tax treatment.
This is a myth. Advocated sellers tend to be able to dictate terms – which allows sellers to sell today and stay on for an extended period of time as an advisor, consultant, business development rainmaker, etc.
No one has a crystal ball and multiples continue to increase, but if you are contemplating this question, the answer is NOW. When you ultimately decide to sell, you want to ensure that revenue has been increasing steadily year-over-year (e.g. 7-15% increases annually) and the age of your client base remains low – these items will help ensure that when you go to market, your company is well sought after.
SRG has extensive marketing efforts which includes:
• Over 360 partner firms (broker-dealers, custodians, TAMPs, compliance companies, lenders, industry-specific accountants and attorneys)
• Over 1,500 Qualified Buyers
• Direct Marketing Efforts through Social Media Platforms
• Your Buyers
• Other narrow marketing searches, such as NAPFA members, SRI Advisors, or Ron Blue Trust affiliates.
We are the best at what we do in the financial services industry. Below are a couple of reasons why:
1. SRG is a sell-side representative advocating for you, at no cost to you.
2. SRG is a neutral third-party.
3. SRG has decades of exclusive experience within the financial services industry.
4. SRG has a Advocacy System using the 9-Step Process.
5. SRG’s advocacy program is not a passive program or listing site.
6. SRG ensures your information is confidential 100% of the time.
7. SRG has a well-qualified and credentialed team of W-2 employees so you always have a centralized team – not affiliates or 1099 contractors.
8. SRG has several external professionals on retainer to ensure contracts and resources are maintained and issues can be addressed, when needed.
9. SRG is not directly or indirectly paid by, affiliated with, or receive bonuses from broker-dealers, custodians, TAMPS, etc. for the retention of Assets Under Management (AUM), Assets Under Advisement (AUA) nor do we have any other conflicts of interest.
Yes, generally buyers are eager to retain well-qualified, experienced staff members during the transition and beyond.
There are approximately 83 buyers to every 1 seller.
Watch 2024 M&A Webinar
Finding advisors while time consuming is not difficult. However, finding, qualifying, and ensuring that these advisors are a good fit for you and your practice takes time, dedication, neutrality, and consistency from buyer to buyer. As an advocate for you, the seller, we ensure that we bring in all buyers – including from key stakeholders – and screen them to ensure we do not just set up introductions with buyers, but set you up for success through extensive screening and buyer materials.
Check out our Infographic: When Everyone Wants to Help you Sell
Kristen Grau, CPA, CVA, Executive Vice President
Aliza Perry, Project Coordinator
Jordon Segura, Project Administrator
SRG is the best at what we do.
We focus solely within the financial services industry.
We strive for excellence and, as a result, we are always learning, adapting, and revising our deliverables and resources to ensure that you receive a fair, accurate, and timely product as the industry changes.
We are neutral. We are not affiliated with a broker-dealer or custodian.
We pride ourselves on service – providing high-touch, high-quality solutions to every client every time.