Why There Are More Buyers Than Sellers in Public Accounting (and How to Win Deals)

In this episode of The Nexus Point Podcast, host Geoff Bruskin sits down with Rich Romero to unpack why there are currently far more buyers than sellers in public accounting and why deal activity still feels like ”hurry up and wait.” They discuss seller hesitation driven by timing and personal and business uncertainty, and growing buyer interest fueled by private equity, low acquisition multiples, and accounting's unique visibility into clients' full financial lives. Geoff and Rich cover how public accounting can serve as a platform for roll-ups and adjacent theses like technology, wealth, and advisory services, while highlighting that the most overlooked risk is talent replacement amid retirements, an issue they argue can be addressed through remote hiring. They close with why a clear, grounded plan and compelling story often beats simply having committed capital.

00:00 Why Buyers Outnumber Sellers
00:52 Podcast Intro and Setup
01:33 Seller Hesitation and Timing
02:06 PE Money and Roll Up Appeal
03:50 Accounting as Client Gateway
05:13 Multiple Theses and Low Multiples
06:24 Talent Crunch and Remote Hiring
08:20 Buyer Network and Deal Flow
09:00 Win Deals With a Clear Story
11:37 Closing Thoughts and Sign Off