Is the M&A Environment Good or Bad for Your Agency?
For some, it is the best of times; for others, it is the worst of times. Here are the factors that influence your opportunities.
For some, it is the best of times; for others, it is the worst of times. Here are the factors that influence your opportunities.
May brought news of moderating pressures in the long-suffering personal lines space, with early signs that increases in reconstruction costs and personal auto premium hikes may be beginning to slow.
While some recent trends have influenced the mergers & acquisitions marketplace, it certainly hasn’t been interrupted.
Agency mergers & acquisitions activity slowed to 148 deals in the first quarter of 2026, according to OPTIS Partners, who believe the decline is bottoming out.
Whether you decide to perpetuate internally, foster a funded business handoff to your successors, or go with an external sale, one thing is certain: There are several key steps you’ll need to take to maximize your agency’s value.
“Once I realized the magnitude of the opportunity I had to carry on the legacy, to carry on that opportunity of helping generations of families and businesses, it became more than just a job for me,” says Robert Strachan.
Integrating another agency into your operations presents both tremendous opportunities and significant challenges for employees and management alike.
For agency owners contemplating perpetuation, a sale or simply benchmarking their business value, understanding the four trends is critical for business planning.
Agency mergers & acquisitions activity slowed to 695 deals in 2025, according to OPTIS Partners, with the number of buyers continuing to fall since 2021.
This end-of-year episode of Agency Nation Radio is brought to you by the editors of Independent Agent magazine. Will Jones, editor-in-chief, hosts the discussion and is joined by Olivia Overman, content editor, and AnneMarie McPherson Spears, news editor.