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FAMILY OFFICE SURVEY

The changing face of family offices

Research at a glance

The 2026 Americas Family Office Survey was conducted with Preqin between July 13 and August 24, 2026. It covers 206 single-family offices across the Americas, representing an estimated $491 billion in investable assets.

Explore the data behind each of the 4 insights below.

32%

of family offices plan to increase private equity allocations over the next 12 months, up from 26% last year.¹

Explore investment views

28%

cite governance and decision-making as their single greatest challenge, ahead of achieving target returns (24%).

Explore governance findings

37%

of Gen 1 family offices have fully implemented succession plans, versus 26% of Gen 2/3+ offices.

Explore succession findings

75%

of family offices with more than $1B in assets describe AI as core or increasingly important, versus 46% of those with less than $1B.

Explore AI findings

Explore the findings by theme

Navigate the themes below to explore the insights most relevant to you, including the survey data, supporting visualizations and related perspectives.

Allocation, access and where momentum is building

How are family offices allocating to private markets in 2026? Family offices are leaning into private equity and infrastructure while holding steady on private credit.

PE’s comeback: appetite is rising again, but access routes reveal a generational split. 52% allocate more than 15% of their alternatives portfolio to PE, the highest of any alternative asset class. 32% plan to increase PE allocations over the next 12 months, up from 26% last year.1 76% cite the exit environment and 50% cite valuations as main challenges to PE returns over the next 12 months. Newer family offices are more likely to prefer secondaries (45% vs. 28% of older offices). Older family offices are more likely to prefer co-investments (75% vs. 60% of newer offices).

What it means: Newer offices appear to use secondaries to build PE positions quickly while minimizing J-curve exposure. Established offices favor co-investments for direct exposure to individual companies.

No alternative asset class has more momentum than infrastructure – and newer family offices are leading the charge

30% plan to increase infrastructure allocations over the next 12 months, while 6% plan to decrease. That 24-percentage-point spread is the largest among the alternatives surveyed. 38% of newer family offices plan increases, versus 16% of older offices.

What it means: Infrastructure has moved beyond a niche allocation and is increasingly seen as a strategic part of long-term portfolios.

Family offices are repositioning for risk – not retreating from it – as globalization brings new complexity

How are family offices responding to market risk? Most family offices are adjusting their portfolios rather than pulling back: 53% are making changes due to the repricing of risk across markets. Their target allocations to liquid assets vary widely. About one quarter (26%) of respondents have a target allocation of less than 30% to liquid assets, while a similar number (24%) have target allocations in excess of 60%.

With increasing globalization come increasing challenges. 43% say their family's globalization creates additional complexity. Top areas of complexity: tax and regulatory considerations (72%) and cross-border estate and succession planning (38%).

Potential changes in tax policy are impacting family offices. 83% report some impact on their portfolios from potential tax policy changes. Leading tax strategies in use or under consideration: tax optimization (63%) and timing of capital gains and losses (47%). Less than one-quarter (24%) have shifted strategic asset allocation by more than 10% in response.

What it means: Family offices want to stay invested, but in a risk-aware way.

BlackRock perspective: targeted risk adjustments may be more effective than wholesale portfolio changes

Knowing where to take risk, and where not to, is considerably harder, and more valuable.

Colorful glass skyscrapers with vertical patterned fa�ades.
Rick Rieder
Chief Investment Officer of Global Fixed Income

Governance has become a bigger challenge than investment returns

What is the biggest challenge facing family offices today? Governance. 28% of family offices cite governance and decision-making as their single greatest challenge, ahead of achieving target returns (24%). Yet only 30% have a highly formalized and structured governance process, 34% describe governance as moderately structured, 23% as informal and 13% as still evolving.

What it means: Many family offices face more complex decisions without formal structures to manage them. The handoff between generations may push offices toward more formal governance.

More established family offices offer a playbook for newer ones to follow

71% of older family offices have highly or moderately structured governance, versus 60% of newer offices. 49% of Gen 1 offices have highly or moderately structured governance, versus 70% of Gen 2/3+ offices.

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The succession paradox: first-generation family offices are planning further ahead than their more mature peers

How prepared are family offices for succession? Most are still building. Less than one-third of family offices have fully implemented succession plans, 54% are in the planning or building stage, and 18% have no succession plan. 37% of Gen 1 offices have fully implemented succession plans, versus 26% of Gen 2/3+ offices. 49% of Gen 1 offices have highly or moderately structured governance, versus 70% of Gen 2/3+ offices.

What it means: Formalization and preparedness don't always advance together.

Succession planning: much work remains to be done

65% report limited or no next-generation involvement in investment decision-making, while 38% say the next generation is more willing to take risk; 22% say it is more conservative.

Modern building exterior with geometric stonework and blue windows.
Ryan Marshall
Global Head of Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions

AI enthusiasm is running well ahead of measurable return on investment (ROI)

How are family offices using AI? Adoption is outpacing results. 56% of family offices say AI is core or increasingly important, yet only 18% report operating-cost reductions. 43% report no measurable impact, and 29% say it's too early to assess.

Research leads, but decisions remain human. AI is most widely used for investment research (70%), followed by reporting (47%) and scenario analysis (41%). But only 9% say AI is extensively integrated into investment decision-making, and 51% say it is of limited use or not used at all for investment decisions.

Larger and newer family offices are leading the way in AI. 75% of family offices with more than $1B in assets describe AI as core or increasingly important, versus 46% of those with less than $1B. Newer family offices are also further along (59% vs. 50% of older offices). They are more likely to use AI for reporting (57% vs. 41%) and financial planning (30% vs. 18%).

What it means: Larger offices can more easily absorb the cost of building AI at scale. Newer offices are less tied to legacy systems, which makes new technology easier to adopt.

BlackRock perspective: AI is making information easier to access

Turning that information into an investment edge is considerably harder, and more valuable.

Architectural fa�ade with vertical gold and blue panels.
Jeff Shen, PhD
Co-Head and Co-CIO of BlackRock Systematic Active Equities

The changing face of family offices: 2026 Americas Family Office Survey

Get the full report for the data on portfolio construction, risk, governance, succession and AI across 206 single-family offices in the Americas. For more information, contact your BlackRock relationship manager.

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