Introduction: An Industry on the Move

 
FutureProof Citywide 2025 brought the RIA community face-to-face with the pace of its own transformation. The conversations pulsing through the boardwalk in Miami Beach were focused, urgent, and refreshingly practical: How do we scale without breaking our systems? How do we adopt the right tech without losing the human touch?

The answers aren’t hypothetical. They’re unfolding in real time, especially for RIAs responding to record-setting growth, consolidation, and client demands in a volatile market. For firms with under 150 employees, the pressure to do more with leaner teams is pushing smart operations, partnerships, and compliance to the top of the agenda.

This blog post breaks down what we saw, what we heard, and where Smartria fits into the conversation.
 

Historic growth in the RIA landscape

 
RIA firms are entering 2025 in aggressive growth mode. According to DeVoe & Company’s Q4 2024 RIA Deal Book, 2024 closed with 266 M&A transactions, the second-highest volume on record. Total assets under management transferred in these deals exceeded $600 billion, with private equity remaining a dominant force. Meanwhile, organic expansion is accelerating: client demand for fiduciary advice is rising, and more advisors are breaking away from wirehouses to launch their own firms.

The result is a wave of mid-sized RIAs managing more assets, people, and operational complexity than ever before. These firms are adding advisors, expanding into new markets, and adjusting to multi-custodian environments, all while maintaining lean teams.

This shift is forcing a reevaluation of operational infrastructure. Manual processes and legacy systems can’t keep up. To compete, growing firms are investing in scalable workflows, compliance automation, and tools that support high-touch service at scale.
 

Strategic partnerships as a lever for scale

 
RIAs expanding their client base and advisor teams are increasingly turning to partnerships to keep operations efficient and focused. Strategic outsourcing—especially in compliance, technology integration, and back-office functions—has become a core part of how firms grow without burning out internal teams.

At FutureProof Citywide, several firms pointed to partnerships with compliance tech platforms like Smartria, as well as integrations with CRMs, custodians, and client onboarding tools. These partnerships allow advisors to concentrate on client relationships while minimizing administrative burden.

One example: Carson Group’s collaboration with XYPN and Snappy Kraken shows how firms are co-building ecosystems that support marketing, compliance, and practice management under one roof. These aren’t add-ons—they’re growth infrastructure.

As hiring slows and headcount remains lean, successful RIAs are learning to scale laterally—not just vertically. Strategic partners are filling the gap between ambition and capacity, offering speed, flexibility, and expertise when in-house resources are limited.
 

Smarter Scaling: Operational Efficiency in Action

 
Growth doesn’t mean success if operations can’t keep up. For many RIAs, especially those with lean teams, the biggest challenge isn’t attracting new clients—it’s building systems that can handle the growth without overloading advisors and staff.

At FutureProof Citywide, operational efficiency came up in nearly every conversation about scale. Firms are no longer waiting until they “get bigger” to invest in infrastructure—they’re building smarter, earlier. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Workflow automation: Tools that eliminate manual onboarding, document gathering, and routine compliance tasks.
• Integrated platforms: CRMs, custodians, and compliance solutions talking to each other, not operating in silos.
• Role clarity: Advisors doing advisory work—not scanning PDFs, chasing signatures, or emailing reminders.
• Scalable compliance: Platforms like Smartria help firms meet regulatory requirements without building an entire internal department.

 

Balancing Growth and Market Volatility

 
Strong growth in a shaky market forces RIAs into a delicate balancing act. While M&A and client acquisition continue at a rapid pace, economic uncertainty has changed how advisors spend their time. Clients want more reassurance, more frequent check-ins, and more context around every decision.

At FutureProof Citywide, multiple speakers emphasized that scaling doesn’t just mean onboarding—it means maintaining trust through volatility. That requires time, clarity, and the ability to stay responsive, especially when markets are unpredictable.

Here’s how smart firms are managing the pressure:

• Client communication tools that centralize messaging and help advisors stay proactive.
• Real-time reporting and dashboards that reduce the back-and-forth and let clients self-serve key updates.
• Workflow automation that frees up advisor time for high-touch conversations during periods of volatility.

The firms responding most effectively to growth and volatility are building resilient systems that support consistent communication and reduce pressure on advisors. With the right tech and workflows in place, they’re staying focused on client relationships—especially important when markets are unpredictable.
 

Conclusion: Building Forward With Clarity and Focus

 
RIAs are moving fast, and the ground beneath them is shifting just as quickly. The firms that gathered at FutureProof Citywide showed what’s possible when growth is supported by strong partnerships, operational systems that actually work, and tools built for scale.

For firms with fewer than 150 employees, every hiring decision, every tech investment, and every process change carries weight. The path forward isn’t about doing everything but rather about choosing the right foundations early.

Smartria works with RIAs to support compliance operations that keep up with growth and complexity—without slowing down what matters most. If you’re rethinking how your firm supports advisors and clients in 2025, we’re ready to help.