Advisors chasing scale should focus on habits, not headcount, new research suggests

Wealth management assets across North America have swelled over the past 10 years, but most of that expansion has come from rising markets rather than advisors actually bringing in new business, according to a new report.

The study published by PriceMetrix, now part of Crisil Coalition Greenwich, found that North American advisor assets under management have more than doubled over the past decade, equating to a roughly 10% compound annual growth rate. Much of that increase tracks closely with broad market gains, including an approximate 15% CAGR total return from the S&P 500 over the same stretch.

The research estimates that organic growth rather than portfolio appreciation accounts for only around 30% of total AUM growth industry-wide, leaving organic CAGR at a comparatively modest 3%.

The gap between strong and weak performers is stark. Looking specifically at advisors with 10 to 20 years of experience and between $100 million and $200 million in assets as of 2022, researchers tracked growth over the following three years. Advisors in the top quartile posted a 32% CAGR, four times the 8% recorded by those in the bottom quartile.

Building the will to grow

The report frames sustained growth as depending on two ingredients, namely advisor will and advisor skill.

On the will side, firms with the strongest growth records tend to recruit already-motivated advisors, often using scoring tools that rank growth potential before an offer is even made. One such tool tracked in the report shows a clear pattern, with advisors carrying a growth propensity score of 7.5 or higher posting 17% year-over-year asset growth, compared with just 10% for those scoring below 3.5.

Compensation design plays a role too. Firms increasingly favor structures that reward growth-linked behaviors, such as expanding fee-based business, adding discretionary accounts and attracting younger clients, rather than simply paying out based on practice size.

Practice habits that separate top performers

On the skill side, the report points to several habits shared by high-growth advisors within its focus cohort. Top-quartile growers carried 60% of assets in fee-based arrangements against 51% for bottom-quartile peers and held 35% of assets under discretionary management compared with 28%.

Client mix mattered too. Top performers had 65% of clients under age 70, versus 57% among slower growers, and were more likely to work in team-based practices, at 65% against 59%. Financial planning capability also stood out, with top-quartile advisors 1.3 times more likely than bottom-quartile advisors to offer planning services.

The combined effect showed up in new business generation. Top-quartile advisors brought in an average of 2.1 new clients with more than $1 million in assets each year, more than double the one such client added annually by bottom-quartile advisors.

The report concludes that firms able to combine recruitment discipline, incentive design and these practice-level habits are best positioned to convert market gains into durable organic growth, without diverting attention from existing client relationships in the process.