{ “title”: “Top Wholesale Brokers and MGAs in the US: 5-Star Performers and Industry Leaders”, “description”: “Insurance Business America’s 2025 data reveals the best wholesale brokers and MGAs, who are becoming an increasingly important part of the industry. Discover which firms received the prestigious 5-Star designation based on their performance and service.”, “tags”: “wholesale brokers, MGAs, insurance, 5-Star, excess and surplus, IBA”, “rewritten_content”: “## Best Wholesale Brokers in the USA: 5-Star Wholesale Brokers and MGAs
Retail brokers are increasingly relying on wholesale brokers and Managing General Agencies (MGAs), according to data from Insurance Business America’s 2025 report. The survey revealed a rise from 23.35% to 33% of responding brokers who reported conducting 50% or more of their business through a wholesaler or MGA.
The growth of the surplus lines sector is a key trend in the property and casualty (P/C) insurance industry, offering customized solutions for high-risk situations that standard markets often avoid. This is driven by factors such as climate change and cybersecurity concerns.
Industry Growth and Key Findings
The Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) 2024 Market Segment Report on US Surplus Lines highlights significant growth:
- A record $115.6 billion in surplus lines direct premium written in 2023, up from $98.5 billion in 2022, representing a 17.4% increase.
- Surplus lines insurers saw improved underwriting and operating results in 2023, outpacing the broader P&C industry.
- Domestic professional surplus lines insurers continue to maintain stronger secure ratings compared to the overall property/casualty industry.
A report from Conning, a global investment management firm, indicates that the excess and surplus (E&S) market has seen a 21% compound annual growth rate over the past five years. Furthermore, the period from 2020 to 2024 marked the longest period in history where E&S premium growth surpassed the overall market. This trend is expected to continue, fueled by flexible regulations and the adoption of advanced technologies, such as AI.
What Brokers Want
IBA’s 2025 data underscores the critical role of wholesale brokers and MGAs, with brokers primarily seeking their services for specialized coverage or access to markets they cannot reach independently. Other significant factors include the need for very specific or niche coverage options.
Thousands of retail brokers across the US evaluated their wholesale partners and MGAs on 10 criteria, with the top performers receiving the prestigious 5-Star designation from IBA. Those achieving an average score of 4 or higher in all categories were awarded the All-Star designation.
Monarch E&S Insurance Services: A Broker-Focused Winner
Monarch E&S Insurance Services, a 5-Star winner, demonstrates a deep understanding of broker needs. The company specializes in meeting the needs of affluent individuals through its high-net-worth personal lines practice, which covers home, jewelry/fine art, personal umbrella, and flood insurance.
“Unlike many competitors who focus more heavily on large accounts, Monarch excels in offering tailored solutions for small to mid-market risks in commercial lines,” says Yiana Stavrakis, Company President.
Monarch, founded in Burbank, CA, with offices nationwide, is highly regarded for its approach to addressing specialty requests as “research projects.” Stavrakis adds:
“We are always open to exploring new, niche coverage opportunities and for each request, we assess the viability and potential distribution of unique coverage options.”
One example of Monarch’s innovation is the development of its own personal umbrella program when many admitted markets withdrew from offering this coverage in certain areas. Stavrakis further notes:
“We’re committed to finding new program opportunities that help meet the evolving needs of our clients across the country.”
Dedicated to Improvement
Monarch is also committed to continuous development.
“We prioritize training and development through various opportunities, including leadership and technical training. Our team is always evolving, ensuring we stay aligned with industry standards and emerging trends,” states Stavrakis.
Wholesure: Delivering Specialization
Wholesure, another 5-Star winner, emphasizes specialization. P&C Managing Director Brian Fischer explains how the firm can assist clients with specific needs, thanks to its range of products.
“We have over 650 markets and a big footprint of products that we can push, whether that’s in transactional, open brokerage, contract binding, or through programs. There’s a lot of products that we’re able to bring to the marketplace where we have delegated binding authority.”
Gorst & Compass: Leveraging Location and Legacy
Gorst & Compass, a prominent independent wholesaler in California, has thrived due to location and its long-standing presence in the industry. The firm experienced organic growth of 24% and 27% over the previous two years, and anticipates double-digit growth in 2025.
“California is the largest E&S state and that gives us a great opportunity to write a lot of non-emitted business, specialty insurance. We’re really on top of California and understand it. I think it’s the best market in the United States in terms of opportunity for wholesale and its full steam ahead in certain product lines,” says President Bryan Clark.
“We’ve had a run of a firm market in California and a lot of business leaving the standard markets, and that is often written now in our specialty lines, wholesale side.”
Technology and Innovation
Wholesalers Embracing Tech
Wholesalers and MGAs are investing in technology to improve efficiency and performance. Wholesure stands out, having invested heavily in tech 15 years ago.
“The thinking was, we write close to $2.8 billion in premium and a good portion of that is SME business, so how do we allow agents to get a response in real time?” Fischer explains.
Wholesure’s bespoke technology ensures it meets the specific needs of Fischer and his team:
“We have built online, digital platforms for workers’ compensation, small contractors, coastal property and even for that difficult-to-place personal lines coverage, with things like homeowners, flood, and personal article floaters”
Wholesure continually refines and adds features to its technology, with a dedicated marketing and sales team that engages with agents daily:
“They spend a lot of time showing [agents] what the platform looks like and how to interact with it. We get feedback from that and implement it,” Fischer said. “It’s a big differentiator as the agents that we work with appreciate it because they’re able to place that small SME business without a lot of friction.”
“It’s been rewarding driving a new brand in the marketplace. We’re having success and grew quite a bit in 2024 and have very aggressive growth goals for 2025” says Fischer.
Gorst & Compass’s Tech Strategy
Gorst & Compass has also integrated technology into its operations. The company continually assesses the market to identify and implement tools that drive efficiency and improve customer experience.
“We have great internal tools that we use to help deliver the quickest solutions we can to our retailers. We’re really big on APIs and third-party data, so that we can hit the market as quickly as we can, paying the different carriers with an API solution and bringing that back into our platform. Then, we can quickly see where we need to be and get those indications and quotes out to our retailers,” Clark says.
Gorst & Compass is also exploring AI, remaining cautious to ensure it provides a meaningful contribution.
“We’re always looking at technology options and if it makes a difference right now,” says Clark. “With AI, we’re watching some things very closely to help offer a better customer experience. I think that’s the next big thing in our space and we’re trying to understand it.”
Monarch E&S: Commitment to Digital Transformation
Monarch continues to stay ahead of industry changes by focusing on continuous improvement in product offerings and technology.
“We take pride in our ability to create innovative products that meet market demands, and as we progress with our digital transformation, we will enhance both the efficiency and accessibility of our services for clients and employees alike,” says Stavrakis.
Responding to Industry Needs
The E&S lines industry saw significant growth in 2024, driven by rate increases and constraints in the standard market.
“We’ve navigated challenges with resilience, especially during catastrophic events like the devastating California fires in January 2025,” says Stavrakis. “This was an emotionally taxing period, but we were proud of our ability to provide critical support to both our clients and employees through these challenging times.”
Monarch provides what it calls ‘The Royal Treatment’ to retail brokers. Stavrakis adds:
“We have established service level standards to ensure responsiveness, and as we continue to deploy technology enhancements in the coming years, our ability to provide speed to market and superior service will only improve.”
Gorst & Compass’s independence allows it to adapt to the market.
“Due to our size and scale, we’re able to compete with anybody with any product, and because of who we are, we’re able to pivot quicker and maybe take advantage of certain opportunities in the marketplace because of that independence,” says Clark. “We can make those decisions quicker.”
”Speed and service is really the name of the game, and the true differentiator of how we run the business,” Clark asserts.
Clark also emphasizes the significance of strong relationships:
“The absolute key is having the right carrier appointments. We’ve been able to align ourselves with these carriers to be successful. Without the carrier appointments, we have no product to offer,” says Clark.
Wholesure has also been recognized for its impact since its formation in June 2024, with a focus on recruiting specialists.
“We’ve recruited very heavily in the construction, transportation, and property areas, and seen a lot of traction there. We’ve got a terrific open brokerage team for financial lines and professional liability,” says Fischer.
5-Star Wholesale Brokers and MGAs
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Ability to place niche or emerging risks:
- Burns & Wilcox
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
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Compensation (commission, bonuses, profit share, etc.):
- Johnson & Johnson
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
-
Geographical reach:
- Burns & Wilcox
- Wholesure
-
Marketing support:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
-
Overall responsiveness:
- Burns & Wilcox
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
-
Pricing:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
-
Range of products:
- Burns & Wilcox
- Wholesure
-
Reputation:
- Burns & Wilcox
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
-
Technical expertise and product knowledge:
- Burns & Wilcox
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
-
Technology/automation:
- Johnson & Johnson
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
Specialization
Accident and health:
- London Underwriters – Gold
- Integrated Specialty Coverages – Silver
Cannabis:
- London Underwriters – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver
Commercial auto/transportation/trucking:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver
Construction:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver
Contractors:
- BTIS – Gold
- RT Specialty – Silver
Cyber:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Directors and Officers:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver
Environmental:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver
General Liability:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver
High Net Worth:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Hospitality:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Management Liability:
- RT Specialty – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Marine:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- Integrated Specialty Coverages – Silver
Non-Profit:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Professional Liability:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- RT Specialty – Silver
Program Business:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Property (Commercial):
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold (tie)
- RT Specialty – Gold (tie)
Real Estate:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold (tie)
- London Underwriters – Gold (tie)
Small Business:
- Johnson & Johnson – Gold
- London Underwriters – Silver
Workers’ Compensation:
- BTIS – Gold
- Johnson & Johnson – Silver (tie)
All-Star
- Brown & Riding
- BTIS
- Gorst & Compass
- Integrated Specialty Coverages
- Johnson & Johnson
- London Underwriters
- Monarch E&S Insurance Services
- USG Insurance
Brokers’ Pick
- Johnson & Johnson – Homeowners
- Brown & Riding – Property
- London Underwriters – Commercial Liability
- Integrated Specialty Coverages – General Liability
Methodology
Insurance Business America surveyed retail producers nationwide to determine the best businesses in the wholesale distribution channel. Respondents rated their wholesale partners’ performance and service on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) against 10 criteria.
Wholesale brokers and MGAs that earned an average score of 4 or greater in at least one category received a 5-Star designation. Wholesale partners that received an average score of 4 or greater in all categories received an All-Star designation. Brokers also ranked their top three wholesale brokers and MGAs across 20 major types of insurance.
Based on brokers’ feedback, IBA calculated the top three winners for each type of insurance and awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals to those wholesale brokers and MGAs. The four insurance products that received the most votes from brokers were awarded the Brokers’ Pick medal.
