Insurance Agency M&A Falls 6% in First Quarter
Agency mergers & acquisitions activity slowed to 148 deals in the first quarter of 2026, according to OPTIS Partners, but experts believe the decline is bottoming out.
Agency mergers & acquisitions activity slowed to 148 deals in the first quarter of 2026, according to OPTIS Partners, but experts 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.
WTW has agreed to buy the San Francisco-based broker Newfront, in a move to expand its high-growth reach in the U.S.
For agency owners preparing for a sale, planning succession or assessing their competitive standing, it’s more important than ever to understand the forces that drive an agency’s valuation.
The Baldwin Group and CAC Group have agreed to merge, which will create one of the largest independent insurance advisory and distribution platforms in the U.S.