In Q1 there were 47 RIA deal transactions resulting in the highest activity ever recorded in a quarter.

DeVoe & Company released their deal book for Q1 2018.

Highlights from their research:

RIA Sales Activity

• 42% increase over the previous quarter
• Q1 2018 beats the previous record set in Q1 2017 with 46 deals
• 64% of deals were established RIA sales
• Established RIA sales doubled the volume of the previous quarter and were up 25% over the first quarter in 2017
• RIAs sold averaged $858MM in AUM

Breakaway Advisor RIA activity ($100MM+ AUM)

• 64% of Q1 Breakaway activity was with advisors having between $100-$250MM in AUM
• In Q1 there was only one breakaway to RIA with over $750MM AUM
• Three-Year Average Quarterly M&A Activity remains steady
• Average AUM for breakaways in Q1 was $335MM

“The trend of RIAs joining larger firms to gain access to back-office operations, enhanced services and other benefits of the scale was a key driver in seller decisions,” said Vic Esclamado, Managing Director at DeVoe & Company.

See DeVoe & Company Dealbook