When to Change Art Advisors

Some problems are about fit. A collector's interests may have moved into an area, such as antiquities or design, where the advisor lacks depth. Communication may have become slow, or reporting irregular. These are often fixable with a direct conversation and written expectations, and are worth raising before any decision to leave.

A practical approach is to set out the concerns in a short written note, agree what would change, and allow a defined period for it to happen. If the problems persist after that, the decision to move on is clearer for both sides, and it rests on a record rather than on impressions.

Others are about trust: undisclosed payments, misrepresented prices, missing funds, or documents that do not match what the client was told. Where there are signs of this kind of problem, it is sensible to take legal advice before raising it with the advisor, so that records and funds can be secured first.

The distinction matters because the exit should match the problem. A relationship that has simply run its course can end with a courteous handover. One that has involved dishonesty needs a more careful, documented process.

The advisory agreement governs how the relationship ends. Before announcing a decision, the collector should check the notice period, any fees payable on termination, the treatment of retainers already paid, and whether the advisor is owed commission on transactions under way.

Some agreements give the advisor a fee on works they introduced even if the purchase completes after termination. Others address confidentiality, the return of works held on approval, and the handling of deposits. Understanding these terms first avoids disputes over matters that were settled in writing long ago.

If the agreement is silent on who owns the records, that is worth noting for the next one.

The most important practical task is recovering the collection's records. They should belong to the client, and a well-drafted agreement will say so, but possession matters as much as ownership.

Particular attention should go to where the works physically are. Storage, shipping or framing accounts opened in the advisor's name should be transferred to the client's name, and the client should confirm directly with each provider which works they hold. Where documents are missing, sellers can often supply copies of invoices and certificates directly to the owner.

Digital records need the same care. If the inventory sits in collection-management software or shared folders controlled by the advisor, the client should obtain a full export and, where possible, take over the account itself, so that images, notes and attachments are not lost when access ends.

The request to the outgoing advisor should cover:

• The full inventory, exported in a usable format
• Invoices, bills of sale and certificates for every work
• Provenance files, condition reports and research notes
• Correspondence with sellers on completed and pending transactions
• Insurance schedules and valuations
• Details of storage, shipping and framing accounts
• A list of open offers, holds and deposits

A clean exit is courteous and practical: written notice, a list of open matters, and a reasonable period for handover. Where possible, avoid changing advisors in the middle of a negotiation or an auction campaign, when continuity has a real cost.

Discretion runs both ways. Confidentiality obligations usually survive the end of an agreement, and a collector gains little from criticising a former advisor in a small market where galleries, auction houses and other collectors talk to one another.

The new advisor should review the records and past purchases as part of onboarding. A fresh review sometimes reveals gaps in provenance or documentation that were never resolved, and resources such as the Getty Provenance Index can help close them. It is also worth telling galleries and auction houses who now represents the collector, so that offers and correspondence reach the right person.

The first months with the new advisor should look much like any new engagement: a signed agreement, a review of the collection and its records, and a written strategy before significant buying. Skipping those steps because the collector has done this before is how the old problems return.

When choosing the replacement, the reasons for leaving should shape the questions. If disclosure was the problem, ask how compensation is handled and measure the answer against a published standard such as the Association of Professional Art Advisors' code of ethics.