Deals Still Run On Relationships: VRA Partner's Chris Reilly On Why The Best Buyers Build Trust First

We all know relationships are key in BD, but it’s still easy to forget that there’s always a real human on the other side of your transactions. Chris Reilly, Managing Director at VRA Partners has years of experience building lasting relationships that have helped propel and maintain his career in investment banking. Chris joins the show to discuss how PE folks can engage boutique bankers and create lasting relationships that stick, what kind of engagement tactics work and what ones will land your email in the trash, and how building reciprocal relationships with wealth advisors and M&A Attorneys can help you stay in the know and get referred to the bankers and deals that will take your career to the next level. He also leaves us with advice on what the next generation of PE industry titans should be doing now to ensure long lasting and thriving careers in a competitive business.

Chapters

00:00 — From Accounting to Deal Origination

Chris Reilly’s unconventional path into investment banking and discovering a passion for sourcing deals

03:50 — What VRA Actually Does

Inside a boutique investment bank: clients, deal size, and how they operate

05:32 — How to Engage Boutique Bankers

Why most outreach fails—and what actually gets attention

08:32 — How Often Should You Reach Out?

The right cadence for building (and maintaining) banker relationships

10:17 — Who Gets Priority Time (and Why)

Track record, capital, and what separates serious buyers from the rest

13:05 — If I Were Starting a PE Firm Today…

Chris’s playbook for choosing which bankers to build relationships with

16:11 — Biggest Mistakes People Make

The “too transactional” trap—and how it kills opportunities

19:04 — How to Get on the Short List

What it really takes to be included in competitive (or limited) processes

22:32 — How Deal Origination Actually Works

The 3 core channels: referral sources, sponsors, and direct outreach

26:08 — What Metrics Matter in Origination

Market visits, pitches, and the KPIs that drive revenue

32:19 — The Power of Referral Networks

Why wealth managers and attorneys are the most valuable relationships

35:38 — A Real Deal Story ($200M+ Outcome)

How one relationship turned into a major transaction

40:11 — Are Referral Networks Underutilized?

Why most buyers ignore a massive opportunity

42:56 — What Makes a Great Referral Partner

Education, reciprocity, and playing the long game

48:26 — How the Market Has Changed

Longer processes, more specialization, and more competition

49:50 — The Rise of Professional Deal Sourcing

Why business development roles have become more sophisticated

51:59 — Conferences: How Bankers Actually Spend Time

Why existing relationships dominate—and how to break in

53:05 — Proprietary Sourcing vs Banker-Led Deals

Learn more: Coastal Partners — coastalpartners.co | Tahoe Equity — tahoeequity.com