Start with your reason for searching
Write one sentence on why a family office should care about what you offer. A fund manager, a founder raising a round and a law firm selling estate services are looking for different offices, even in the same city. That sentence decides every filter that follows.
Geography
Choose where the decision is made, which is not always where the money is invested. A family that owns real estate in Texas may run its office from New York or London. Decide whether you need:
- A single country or city, for meetings you can attend in person
- A region, such as the Gulf states or the Nordics
- Offices anywhere that invest in a specific market
Office type
A single family office serves one family. A multi-family office serves several and often operates as a registered adviser. A virtual family office coordinates outside providers rather than employing a full team. They decide differently and publish different amounts about themselves, so choose the types that match your approach. See what is a family office for fuller definitions.
Stated focus
Many offices say what they invest in: sectors, stages, asset classes, deal sizes. Treat that as a starting signal. A stated focus can be years old, and offices change mandates without updating their website. Record where you saw it and when.
Public sources worth checking
- The office's own website and any published investment criteria
- Regulatory records. In the US, multi-family offices that are registered advisers file Form ADV. Many single family offices are excluded from adviser registration under the SEC family office rule, so they publish less.
- Company registries, such as Companies House in the UK
- Press releases and deal announcements that name the office as an investor
- Conference agendas and speaker lists
- Published interviews with principals or investment staff
Planning checklist
- One sentence on why an office would care
- Countries or cities, and whether you need to meet in person
- Office types to include
- Stated sectors or asset classes that matter
- Offices to exclude, such as ones you already know
- An approximate number of records you can realistically work through
- A date by which you need the list
Where a directory fits
Researching offices one by one works for a short list. When the checklist above points to hundreds of records, a scoped directory saves the first pass. Bring the checklist to a quote request; it answers most of the questions we would ask.