2025 Q1 Marketplace Report
2025 Q1 MARKETPLACE REPORT – AGENT/BROKER M&A ACTIVITY 2024 was the year of the Mega Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). With four deals accounting for over $35B in M&A activity, 2024 represented another year of consolidation in the independent agency space. The IA system has been experiencing heavy M&A activity since 2014 when Private Equity (PE) […]
The Power of Preparation – How Asking for Help Can Drive Growth
One of the most noble things you can do as a business owner is recognize when you need help and ask for it. Dan Kiesewetter, of Kiesewetter Insurance in Farmington, IL, began contemplating selling his agency when he came to terms with the fact that his small agency in rural Illinois did not have the […]
Navigating Private Equity in the Independent Agent System: Strategic Insights for Agency Owners
The world of independent insurance agencies is undergoing transformational change transformational change as private equity (PE) continues to reshape the industry landscape. In a recent discussion, experts Jeff Smith and Jarod Steed from IA Valuations, along with Dan Girardi from Keystone Agency Partners and James Parker from BroadStreet Partners, explored how private equity’s influence is […]
2024 State of Independent Insurance Agency Valuations – IA Valuations Webinar Recap
IA Valuations recently held a webinar discussing 2024 Independent Agency M&A Trends and Predictions. IA Valuations’ CEO, Jeff Smith, and Director of Business Planning and Valuations, Craig Niess, hosted three panelists: Mike Wagar from Westfield Bank, Dan Girardi from Keystone Agency Partners, and Rob Smith from Fideles Advisors. These panelists were selected due to their […]
Challenges and Opportunities Owners Face When Selling an Agency
Being a seller in today’s red-hot M&A market provides owners a tremendous chance to cash in on their greatest financial asset. However, as the old saying goes, knowledge is power. Understanding the challenges and opportunities that owners will face along the way is vital to creating a successful experience. Like agencies in the industry, every […]
The Five Factors that Have the Greatest Impact on Value at Sale
After years of owning and operating an independent agency, navigating the waters of selling your agency in the open market is a tall task. It raises many difficult questions, including: When is the right time to sell? What factors are third-party buyers looking for when it comes to acquiring an agency? What should an owner […]
Being in the Driver’s Seat
As an agency owner, when it comes time to sell your agency or internally perpetuate, you want to be in the driver’s seat during the process. Now, what exactly does “being in the driver’s seat” mean as an owner? Simply put, you are in control during the sale, you know your numbers, you’ve done the […]
Red Flags that Weaken Agency Value
In the 200+ valuations that the IA Valuations team has performed, pinpointing and recognizing the red flags has become an essential step in the process to maximize an agency’s value. In general, agency owners are not aware of the internal factors that are stunting their growth and limiting overall value. In this article, we will […]
The Power of Using an Agency Valuation as a Business Planning Tool
To know where you are going, you must first know where you are currently. The biggest step in business planning each year is having a clear metric for the agency’s success. We believe the most effective metric and report is to get an independent fair market valuation of your agency. The valuation report will give […]
Factors that Affect Agency Value – Growth
There are over 25 factors that we review when placing a fair market value on an independent insurance agency, and annual revenue growth rate is one of the most important factors that affects an agency’s value. If you are reading this, it is quite likely that you are contemplating how to grow your agency in […]