When the Right Match Matters
Author: Ira Rosenbloom, The Merger and Succession Solver℠ and COE, Optimum Strategies
For years, consolidation headlines have focused on sellers – firms absorbed by private equity platforms or mega-regionals. As 2026 approaches, the more important story may belong to the other side of the table: the buyers.
Firm leaders are facing decisions that feel both personal and pivotal. Succession plans are being rewritten, partners are rethinking their next chapter, and the pace of transition is accelerating as quickly as AI-driven change.
For many, the smartest move may be to become an acquirer. Larger firms already use deals to secure their future; smaller firms can, and should, apply the same playbook.
Next year may be the first time $5-$10M firms have a sustained advantage as buyers. Here’s a practical playbook that includes compelling reasons to acquire, and how to position your firm for success:
- The Retirement Surge is Creating Opportunity
A significant wave of retirements is anticipated: According to a recent CPA Practice Advisor survey, 20% of firms expect more than half of their CPAs to retire within the next three years.
Many firms are already feeling that shift — surveys show that over half of multi-owner firms expect to navigate a transition in the next five years, and many are already managing partner buyout payments today. This “Silver Tsunami” mirrors broader national demographics, as the largest wave of Americans in history reaches retirement age between 2024 and 2027.
This surge is bringing significant transition across the profession. IPA data showing average partner age dropping and larger firms leading on structured succession planning, signaling a broad, data-backed leadership transition that mid-sized buyers can leverage.
Many firm leaders are ready to step back and are actively looking for the right next chapter. They want their clients and teams to continue under the leadership they trust. For buyers, that presents a rare window of opportunity: supply is strong, pricing and terms can be mutually beneficial, and the right acquirers can offer sellers a graceful exit while gaining valuable expertise and future mentors in return.
The inventory of available firms is significant right now, making this an ideal moment to be selective, disciplined and proactive.
- Buying Strengthens Culture and Talent
Acquiring another firm is not just about adding revenue — it’s about strengthening the people side of your business. New team members bring leadership potential, specialized expertise, and fresh energy to your culture. An acquisition can also open up opportunities for your existing staff, reinforcing the idea that the firm is growing in the right ways and thinking about the future.
More and more sellers are prioritizing cultural alignment in their search for the right transaction. Many are choosing to avoid private equity or national platforms, preferring to join firms that reflect their own values — places where they feel heard and where their legacy can continue. They’re not looking for the biggest firm, but for one with the right balance — large enough to offer support and opportunity, yet small enough to preserve identity and connection.
This focus on fit and shared values is becoming more than anecdotal — industry benchmarking consistently ranks cultural alignment among the top factors sellers consider when evaluating offers. IPA’s benchmarking and insights commentary support that firms using M&A as a growth lever still prioritize culture and fit in deal selection.
Mid-sized firms, especially those in the $5–10 million revenue range, with strong reputations, clear messaging, and a thoughtful approach to integration, are increasingly gaining access to transactions that never reach the open market. These are often quiet deals between firms that understand each other and are guided by someone who knows how to bring the right match to the table. The key is to be intentional — start by defining what the right partner looks like for your firm, then take deliberate steps to connect with those who fit that vision. An experienced advisor can help you refine your criteria, identify opportunities, and take those steps with purpose — opening the right doors and structuring a deal that strengthens your long-term position.
- Strategic Scale Powers Your Next Chapter
Growth through acquisition can offer structural advantages that are otherwise hard to reach. With greater scale, firms are better positioned to invest in the internal systems that make a difference — especially HR infrastructure. A strong HR platform supports onboarding, training, career development, and overall performance. It also helps firms recognize and respond to the different ways people work — across generations, career stages, and life experiences — making thoughtful HR leadership more important than ever.
There’s growing recognition that firm culture must evolve — not only to retain people, but to help them thrive. Many in the profession carry both professional and personal responsibilities, and women — who continue to shoulder much of the caregiving load — often face the greatest strain. Firms that allow for growth, flexibility, and genuine support are fostering loyalty and long-term strength. Those same investments make it easier to expand services, create clear career paths, and balance workloads without overextending the team — all core components of effective scale.
Technology is part of this broader scale picture, too. Firms are under pressure to modernize and automate, but many lack the resources to do it well. Competing priorities — from rising labor costs to partner retirements — often crowd out technology reinvestment. According to Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Accountant Report, firms face rising modernization pressure, rapid AI adoption, and the persistent gaps in internal expertise needed to implement new technologies effectively. More than half of firms say their biggest barrier to modernization is the lack of internal expertise to lead technology projects. And while many are already using AI or automation tools in daily operations, relatively few feel fully prepared to implement these capabilities strategically.
The takeaway: For firms with vision, scale is about readiness — not flash. It’s the thoughtful alignment of technology, talent, and leadership that positions a firm for long-term success.
- Acquisitions Can Attract Better Clients
As larger firms merge or are acquired by national platforms, some clients find themselves reconsidering whether their provider is still the right fit. Industry observers note that clients of merged or PE-backed firms often seek alternatives that offer greater responsiveness and cultural alignment—without sacrificing technical strength.
This shift creates opportunity. Firms in the $5–10 million range can often deliver the right balance: enough resources to serve complex clients, but with a structure that still values direct relationships, partner access, and personalized attention.
When you acquire and integrate well, you’re not just adding people—you’re building a firm that naturally attracts the kinds of clients who once felt out of reach.
- Buy to Stay Independent
For many firms, the biggest threat to independence isn’t being acquired— It’s being unprepared. The firms that struggle most with succession and sustainability aren’t always the smallest; they’re the ones that wait too long to plan. Becoming a buyer isn’t just a strategy for growth — it’s a strategy for control.
When you acquire, you set the pace. You determine the integration plan, shape the leadership structure, and decide which clients and services best fit your future. You retain the ability to be selective—not just in what you acquire, but in what kind of firm you’re continuing to build.
In a market increasingly shaped by consolidation, strategic acquisition allows firms to expand without giving up autonomy – and to strengthen independence by choice, not chance.
Final Thought: The Market Rewards Action
Not every firm is ready to be a buyer. But for those who are close, with a clear sense of who they are and where they want to go, this market offers a real opportunity.
The best transactions aren’t always the largest or the most visible. They’re the ones that create real alignment — where both firms come out stronger, and the future feels intentional, not accidental.
For mid-sized firms that want to grow with intention, this is the time to act. Don’t wait for an opportunity to knock. Be ready to recognize it — and build the readiness that turns opportunity into advantage. IPA’s latest Insights show a profession in active transition—shifting leadership, persistent consolidation, and rising PE influence—which makes proactive mid-sized buyers especially well-timed in 2026.
Sources
- PCPS Top Issues Survey — 2024 Results. Link: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/2024-pcps-cpa-firm-top-issues-survey Supports profession-wide retirement and succession pressures generally reflected in firm concerns.
- CPA Practice Advisor. “Survey Results Are In: Charting the Future of Accounting.” September 15, 2024. Link: https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2024/09/15/survey-results-are-in-charting-the-future-of-accounting/110324/ Supports the statistic that 20% of firms expect more than half their CPAs to retire within the next three years.
- Alliance for Lifetime Income. The Peak 65® Zone: Creating a New Retirement Security Framework. January 2024. Link: https://www.protectedincome.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Whitepaper_Fichtner.pdf Provides national demographic context for the ‘Silver Tsunami,’ documenting that 2024–2027 marks the peak years for Americans turning 65.
- AICPA PCPS CPA Firm Succession Planning Survey. 2020 Multi-Owner Firm Report. Link: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/professional-insights/download/2020-succession-survey-multi-owner-report Supports the finding that over half of multi-owner firms are already experiencing succession challenges.
- Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting. 2025 Future Ready Accountant Report. Link: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-releases-its-2025-future-ready-accountant-report Supports statements about modernization pressures, increasing technology investment, rapid AI adoption, and ongoing internal expertise gaps.
- Pew Research Center — Caregiving and Workforce Participation. Link: https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/family-relationships/caregiving/ Supports the statement that women continue to shoulder much of the caregiving load, aligning with cultural and talent considerations inside firms.
- IPA Insights|Quarterly Accounting Insights and Trend. Link: https://insidepublicaccounting.com/about/ipa-quarterly-insights/ Supports statements in “The Retirement Surge is Creating Opportunity” section, the “Buying Strengthens Culture and Talent” section, and the “Final Thought” section
About the Author
Ira Rosenbloom, CPA, is Chief Operating Executive and founder of Optimum Strategies, known as The Merger & Succession Solver℠. With 25+ years spanning CPA firm leadership, M&A advisory, and transition consulting, Ira specializes in helping Mid-Atlantic firms become stronger through mergers, acquisitions, succession planning, and practice performance improvement.
Serving firms with 15-150 employees, Ira is recognized for his hands-on approach—personally reviewing every deal aspect, spotting risks others miss, and advocating for upside opportunities that boost profits and performance. His career as a managing partner, national practice director, and regional CPA M&A advisor, plus leadership roles with the AICPA and New Jersey Society of CPAs, equips him with proven negotiation strength, market insight, and customized guidance.
Ira frequently contributes to and speaks for Accounting Today, IPA Insights, CPA Practice Advisor, MACPA, PICPA, VSCPA, CPA Leadership Institute, and the Philadelphia Business Journal. He holds a B.S. in Economics, cum laude, from New York University and an M.S. in Accounting with honors from Northeastern University.
For more on Ira’s work or to discuss CPA firm transitions, visit www.optimumstrategies.com.
