EP Wealth's Brian Parker says organic growth, not dealmaking, sets wealth managers' value

Organic growth, not dealmaking, sets what a wealth manager is worth, EP Wealth co-founder Brian Parker said Wednesday at an RIA Edge Orange County panel, according to WealthManagement.com. EP Wealth oversees more than $50 billion in assets.

"It's very difficult to get somebody to grow," Parker said, according to WealthManagement.com. "It's much easier to find somebody that is growing and enhance what they're doing and build a culture around that."

Alison Burkett, senior partner and head of enterprise development at Snowden Lane Partners, said the firm deliberately fostered organic growth so it would not be subsumed by recruiting and acquisition. "Growth is something that's up to everyone in the firm," she said. Burkett described an approach built on "a mantra, a method and a measure" that ties growth to better client service rather than a sales pitch. "You don't want to feel like an auto salesman," she said.

Bogart Wealth, the third firm on the panel, reported 20 registered representatives and $3.2 billion in regulatory assets under management, according to PWD's records.

Cerulli research commissioned by Credent found that true fee-only firms with more than $5 billion in assets held 34% of assets at year-end 2025, down from 42% in 2020. This publication reported that finding this week.

"Any of these business models that are just about capturing EBITDA or additional business or even headcount—you kind of already lost," Parker said.