#215: $10 Billion in Transactions: A Masterclass on Building a Brokerage - Chris Atherton

This episode"s guest is Chris Atherton. Chris is the CEO of EnergyNet, a leading online platform for oil and gas asset transactions. The company has brokered over $10 billion in deals since it was founded in 1999.  This year EnergyNet has also launched separate marketplaces for real estate, alternative energy, and other real assets under the Efficient Markets platform.  In this episode, Chris shares his 25+ years of experience in the energy industry, discusses trends shaping the future of oil and gas, and dives deep into the role of technology in asset acquisition and divestiture.  We cover the current oil and gas M&A market and the trends that Chris is seeing in 2024. We then pivot to discuss the rebrand to "Efficient Markets" and the new opportunities the company is chasing.  Whether you"re an energy professional or run a brokerage business in another industry, this episode gives some incredible insight into what it takes to get deals done at scale.  Hope you enjoy the show! Efficient Markets: https://www.efficientmarkets.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Precap 00:01:22 - Chris’ Background 00:01:31 - EnergyNet"s Business Model 00:09:32 - Challenges in Building EnergyNet 00:14:15 - Impact of Public Market on Valuations 00:19:27 - Ideal Market Conditions 00:21:29 - The Role of Relationships and Deal Size 00:23:12 - The Importance of Experience and Understanding Sellers 00:26:54 - The Role of Standardization and Technology 00:27:42 - The Impact of Technology on Targeting Buyers 00:35:57 - The Launch of Efficient Markets 00:38:44 - Expanding into Other Resources 00:41:53 - Comparing Business Models 00:42:26 - Working with Government Entities 00:50:52 - Diversification and Growth 00:52:11 - Unique Deal Stories 00:56:12 - Networking in the Industry