Nitrogen’s 2025 Firm Growth Survey Reveals Disconnect Between Advisors and Investors

Nitrogen, the leading developer of integrated risk tolerance, proposal generation, investment research, and planning software for advisors, today released its third annual Firm Growth Survey, which uncovered a critical insight: despite rapid adoption of new technology and service expansion strategies, many advisors may be misaligned with what clients actually want—high-quality investment management, transparent analytics, and personalized technology-driven experiences. Developed in collaboration with DeVoe & Company and drawing on responses from over 425 advisory firms and 1,000+ investors, the 2025 report offers a comprehensive snapshot of the forces shaping organic growth, client engagement, and firm valuation in today’s wealth management landscape.

“It’s clear from the data that trust, communication, and client-facing technology aren’t just differentiators, they’re growth catalysts,” said Craig Clark, Chief Marketing Officer at Nitrogen. “The vast majority – 95 percent – of advisors felt that cross-selling specialized services such as estate and tax planning would be a key driver of their growth, but investors shared they’d much prefer advisors utilize better client-facing technology to support and explain their investment strategies and to build trust.”

Key Findings from the 2025 Growth Survey:

• Organic Growth Accelerated: 57% of advisory firms surveyed achieved 11%+ organic growth last year, excluding market performance. This is a stark increase from last year’s report, which found that 22% of advisors achieved 5% or less growth.
• Technology as a Growth Driver: 68% of investors said they would consider switching to an advisor who offers better client-facing technology and portfolio clarity.
• Risk Tolerance Misunderstood: 91.6% of investors rated risk tolerance as critically important, yet few firms cite risk tolerance software as essential to growth.
• Willingness to Pay for Value: Nearly 3 in 4 investors would pay higher fees if given access to tools that increase their understanding and engagement.
• Organic Growth Prioritized: 35% of advisors said increasing their organic growth would have the largest impact on their firm’s future valuation.

The report also reveals a changing marketing landscape for advisors. For the first time, organic marketing efforts like content and SEO outpaced referrals as the top source of new client leads. Additionally, firms using lead-gen tools, such as Nitrogen’s proprietary Risk Questionnaire, saw 2.4 times more prospect volume.

These insights underscore a broader industry shift: firms that align their strategies with investor expectations, especially around communication, personalization, and technology, are poised to outpace their peers in both growth and client retention.

Download the Full Report

The 2025 Nitrogen Firm Growth Survey is available now. Download the full report and discover the strategies powering high-growth advisory firms at https://nitrogenwealth.com/growth-survey/.

ABOUT NITROGEN

Nitrogen has been revolutionizing how financial advisors and wealth management firms engage with their clients since the launch of Riskalyze in 2011. Today, Nitrogen offers an integrated client engagement software platform featuring risk tolerance, proposal generation, investment research, and financial planning tools designed to help firms and financial advisors deliver personalized advice. The company invented the Risk Number®, built on top of a Nobel Prize-winning academic framework, and is the champion of the Fearless Investing Movement — tens of thousands of financial advisors committed to our mission of empowering the world to invest fearlessly. To learn more, visit NitrogenWealth.com.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The 2025 Growth Survey engaged 1,400 total respondents through email, social media, and notifications within the Nitrogen platform. Participants included financial advisors, firm executives, and individual investors residing in the United States.

Survey submissions were collected online between December 15, 2024, and January 15, 2025. There were a total of 55 questions divided between two surveys—one for financial professionals and one for individual investors. Advisor questions focused on: Demographics, Growth & Succession, Marketing & Lead Generation, and Technology & Client Engagement. Investor questions explored: Background & Demographics, Advisor Selection & Trust, Communication & Reporting, Services & Value, and Future Orientation & Relationships.

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