Four Insurance Agency Valuations Trends to Watch in 2026
As we step into 2026, independent insurance agencies face a valuation landscape shaped by a softening insurance market, prolonged economic uncertainty, continuing agency consolidation, shifting ownership dynamics, and rapidly evolving technology. For agency owners contemplating perpetuation, a sale, or simply benchmarking their business value, understanding the following trends is critical for 2026 business planning. 1. […]
No Business Plan & No Growth
Now Is the Time to Sell Your Insurance Agency If you own an independent insurance agency and have not grown in revenue in the last two years, and you do not have a business plan to change course, it’s time to sell your agency. I do not write these words lightly, but if you continue […]
Help! Our Agency Owner Passed Away Unexpectedly. How Will it Affect the Agency’s Value?
In almost every scenario, the unexpected passing of an agency owner will have a profoundly negative impact on the value of an agency. With 39,000 independent insurance agencies in the US, sadly, unexpected deaths of agency principals are an everyday occurrence. Particularly when you factor in that 22% of agency owners are over the age […]
The Independent Agency System Report Card – 2025 Evaluation
Do you remember when you were a kid and you’d get your report card? It created such buzz and anticipation with your classmates. The nervous energy was palpable as you prepped for opening the report card and thinking of how you were going to explain your school’s progress report to your parents. In this article, […]
Six Key Factors That Impact Insurance Agency Valuations
In the dynamic landscape of independent insurance agencies, understanding the many risk factors that influence agency valuation is crucial. These factors can significantly impact the value of an agency, whether it is being evaluated for internal perpetuation, external sale, or business planning purposes. In this article, we discuss six key factors that impact the valuation […]
The Quiet Reason Many Agents are Selling Their Agencies
How Stress and Burnout are Contributing to Agency Sales There are many factors why an agency owner sells their agency, including: retirement age, financial gain, and the 3-Ds (Divorce, Disability, and Death). However, the undocumented but growing reason that we are hearing about is stress and burnout. In many industries, including insurance, the pandemic gave […]
Help! I’m Getting a Divorce and My Ex Wants Half of the Value of My Agency. How Will It Affect My Agency Value, and What Should I Do Next?
Life happens and you are getting a divorce. As you are negotiating the settlement terms, your spouse’s attorney is requesting the value of your insurance agency because it is subject to the division of assets 50/50. While your personal life is being turned upside down, it is not ideal that you may have to pay […]
Help! A Key Carrier is Cancelling my Contract – How will it Affect my Agency Value?
You just got one of your least favorite notices: one of your key carrier partners has given you the dreaded 180-day written notice to terminate your agency agreement. Whatever the reason given, it likely does not matter because it is damaging to your business on so many levels. It will impact your relationship with your […]
How the Election Outcome will Impact Insurance Agency Values
Now that the election is over, it is time to analyze how the results will likely impact the independent agency system, specifically insurance agency values. Since 2016, agency values have steadily risen over the past 8 years, regardless of who occupied the White House or controlled Congress. This time period largely paralleled the hard market, […]
Navigating the Complexities of Insurance Agency Acquisitions: Insights from Industry Leaders
The landscape of agency acquisitions is as challenging as it is rewarding, requiring a delicate balance between strategic alignment, financial prudence, and cultural fit. IA Valuations’ CEO, Jeff Smith, and Director of Business Planning and Valuations, Craig Niess, led a conversation with industry experts Missy Kahl (Bickle Insurance), Vaughn Troyer (Hummel Group), and Rob Smith […]