Distribution has become a defining challenge for ETF issuers looking to grow AUM. With more products, more competition, and increasingly crowded advisor inboxes, getting in front of the right RIAs matters more than ever.

Many issuers still rely on broad, surface level targeting such as firm size or geography to decide who to call next. Today’s top distribution teams are taking a different approach by using deeper intelligence to identify RIAs whose behavior, platforms, and investment preferences signal real intent.

Below are five filters ETF issuers use to find higher quality RIA leads, personalize outreach, and market ETFs to RIAs more effectively.

1. Platforms: Identify RIAs Where Your ETF Fits Naturally Into Their Workflow

RIA platform usage reveals how advisors build portfolios, manage risk, and run client accounts. For ETF issuers, this is invaluable context.

If an RIA uses platforms like Orion, Tamarac, or Black Diamond, it often signals:

• Reliance on model portfolios
  
  
• Standardized workflows
  
  
• Openness to operational efficiency
  
  
• Behavior that aligns with fund sleeve construction
  
  

ETF issuers can use tech stack/platform filtering to prioritize RIAs who run processes compatible with their strategy, especially for model friendly ETFs, thematic exposures, or multi fund portfolios.

Use Case for ETF Issuers:
A distribution team launching a new Defense Tech or Digital Assets ETF could filter for RIAs using Orion, then tailor messaging around model integration, rebalance workflows, and portfolio analytics.

2. ETF Holdings: Target RIAs Already Allocating to Comparable ETFs

ETF holdings are one of the strongest indicators of an advisor’s interest, risk preference, and investment philosophy. Understanding what an RIA already owns helps issuers frame a much stronger pitch.

If an RIA is allocating to:

• High yield bond ETFs
  
  
• Covered call income ETFs
  
  
• Growth factor ETFs
  
  
• Global macro or long duration strategies
  
  
• Emerging thematic categories
  
  

Then you can craft outreach that directly relates to their current positioning.

This is especially powerful when paired with insights from quarterly data. For example, the recently released Q3 ETF Trends Report highlighted growing RIA adoption in defense tech, treasuries, and income strategies which gives issuers a guide to where momentum is happening.

Issuers using AdvizorPro’s ETF Holdings Intelligence can instantly identify advisors with relevant exposures and benchmark their allocations with precision.

Use Case for ETF Issuers:
A fixed income ETF issuer can identify RIAs with meaningful allocations to similar bond ETFs, then share yield differentials, risk profiles, or duration positioning to start a targeted conversation.

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3. Private Wealth Teams: High Impact Targets for ETF Distribution

Wealth teams are the most influential buyers inside wirehouses, aggregators, and large independent broker-dealers. They often manage AUM independently, rely on shared model portfolios, and make investment decisions that can drive meaningful flows from a single allocation.

You can identify and penetrate the true decision-making units inside these complex firms by filtering for:

• Multi-advisor team structures that function as a single buying unit
  
  
• Teams with shared or centralized investment committees driving model decisions
  
  
• Teams that manage portfolios collaboratively across households
  
  
• Individual teams embedded within large firms where AdvizorPro surfaces the actual decision-makers, not just the parent firm
  
  

ETF issuers can identify accounts where one meeting can lead to consistent, scalable distribution.

Use Case for ETF Issuers:
A team launching a new thematic or factor ETF can prioritize private wealth teams managing $ 1Billion+AUM, where one buy decision moves the needle.

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4. Map Search: Build More Efficient Roadshows, Events, and Regional Coverage

Wholesalers still rely on territory coverage and geography remains a key advantage when used strategically.

Mapping RIAs by metro area, ZIP code, or region makes it easy to:

• Build dense meeting routes
  
  
• Plan roadshows and client dinners
  
  
• Schedule conference follow ups
  
  
• Identify RIAs in underserved territories
  
  

Knowing exactly where your highest potential RIAs are concentrated helps teams maximize time on the road.

Use Case for ETF Issuers:
A wholesaler covering the Midwest can map all RIAs in Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and surrounding metros to plan a three day trip with eight to twelve quality meetings.

Issuers who want deeper geographic intelligence frequently consult regional reports such as Top Independent RIAs New York alongside other location based analyses to understand where high value RIAs are most concentrated.

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5. Personal Interests and Hobbies: Personalization That Actually Works

In a crowded inbox, small personal touches still stand out. Advisors often list interests like:

• Golf
  
  
• Travel
  
  
• Hiking
  
  
• Football
  
  
• Wine
  
  
• Running
  
  

This helps wholesalers open doors with messages that feel more human and less transactional, especially when introducing a new ETF or reconnecting after a conference.

Use Case for ETF Issuers:
A wholesaler can mention an advisor’s interest in golf or college football to start a warmer conversation before discussing a new fund launch or Q3 performance update.

Bringing It All Together: Multi Filter Targeting Helps Create Better Meetings

The most effective ETF distribution teams do not rely on a single filter. They layer them.

Examples:

• Tech Stack combined with ETF Holdings to find RIAs using Orion who recently added other Digital Assets ETFs
  
  
• Private Wealth Teams combined with Geography to target billion dollar teams in the Southeast ahead of a regional event
  
  
• Holdings combined with Personal Interests to reach advisors investing in defense tech who also list military history as a hobby
  
  

These compound searches surface RIAs where your ETF naturally fits and where outreach feels highly personalized. This combination leads to better meetings, higher conversions, and steadier flows.

Find RIA Leads Faster

Finding RIA leads is not about blasting every advisor in your territory. It is about uncovering the RIAs whose behavior, tech stack, and preferences align with your ETF.

The teams that succeed in distribution today are the ones using deeper intelligence to understand:

• Who to call
  
  
• Why to call them
  
  
• What message will resonate
  
  

If you want to market ETFs to RIAs more effectively, these five filters are a powerful place to start. And if your team is ready to level up distribution, strengthen advisor relationships, and pinpoint RIAs already inclined toward your ETF strategy, AdvizorPro gives you the verified data to do it confidently.

‍Start your free trial and begin finding higher intent RIA leads today.

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