{"id":37959,"date":"2026-03-11T13:43:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/?post_type=insight&p=37959"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:43:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:43:53","slug":"insurance-ma-in-2026-a-selective-market-doesnt-mean-a-closed-market","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/insurance-ma-in-2026-a-selective-market-doesnt-mean-a-closed-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Insurance M&A in 2026: A Selective Market Doesn\u2019t Mean a Closed Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Thought Leadership<\/p>\n

\n Insurance M&A in 2026: A Selective Market Doesn\u2019t Mean a Closed Market\n <\/h1>\n\t\n <\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section section_padding_top=”pt-5″ section_padding_bottom=”pb-5″ full_width=”stretch_row” el_class=”overflow-visible”][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-4″ el_class=”overflow-visible overlapping-row”][vc_column el_class=”overlapping-column”][vc_single_image image=”37960″ img_size=”1080×546″ alignment=”center” css=”” el_class=”brand-rounded-corners-right shadowed”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row row_padding_top=”pt-0″][vc_column]
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March 11th, 2026<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n [vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n
<\/header>\n

So, I think there is a general consensus that the insurance M&A volumes have slowed some. Some buyers have been acquired. Some buyers are just out of the M&A market. Some buyers are being more selective. But selectivity does not equal inactivity, and many buyers are still engaged in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Selectivity is partly driven by the current rate environment. For several years, buyers could count on higher organic growth through rate alone; but as rates begin to decelerate, that math changes.<\/p>\n

Values have likely hit a high-water mark and have started coming down a bit, shifting the focus even more to quality<\/a>. Businesses with strong leadership, strong sales teams and differentiated capabilities or geographies are standing out.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the pool of high-quality buyers has also narrowed. Many firms with long-standing histories, deeply rooted cultures and strong leadership teams who had been high volume buyers in recent years have themselves already been acquired. Now, newer roll-up firms are entering the market, and but these new firms they don\u2019t yet have the same depth of culture or institutional history. For sellers who care deeply about where their business goes and what happens to their people, there may be fewer opportunities with buyers who share their long-term mindset.<\/p>\n

So, no, firms interested in acquisition in 2026 have not missed their window. But this also isn\u2019t necessarily the time to rush. Strong sellers will use this period to buckle down and demonstrate strong performance, risk management and culture. Preparing for a potential sale should be approached with the same vigor you apply to growing the business<\/a> itself.<\/p>\n

Execution matters more than tools<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re thinking about selling your business in the next two to three years, technology will be part of the conversation\u2014but execution will matter more than the tools themselves.<\/p>\n

Buyers aren\u2019t looking for experimentation or future plans. They want to understand how technology is being used to run the business today. That includes how you\u2019re servicing accounts, generating new leads, retaining teammates and improving efficiency across the organization.<\/p>\n

This is especially true as AI becomes more embedded in day-to-day operations. You don\u2019t need to have everything figured out, but you do need to show that technology is being applied intentionally and responsibly.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t ignore cyber risk<\/h3>\n

A head-in-the-sand approach to cybersecurity can jeopardize deal timing, valuation and buyer confidence. Even without a breach, gaps in cybersecurity preparedness can raise questions during diligence that slow momentum and introduce uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Buyers expect cybersecurity to be treated as part of how the business is run, not as a technical afterthought. That means having a clear understanding of where your data lives, how systems are protected and how incidents would be identified and managed if something went wrong.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s market, demonstrating the strength of your firewalls has become a baseline expectation in M&A, not a differentiator.<\/p>\n

Strong culture wins deals<\/h3>\n

Culture is the big differentiator. With more roll-up firms entering the market, businesses\u2014on both the buyer and seller side\u2014that can demonstrate a strong culture, long-tenured leadership and clear values stand out.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re preparing for a sale, maintain a long-term staffing mindset. Don\u2019t stop interviewing and hiring talent to grow your team. Build a bench. Firms that hire from strength send a clear signal about stability and leadership.<\/p>\n

Talent challenges aren\u2019t new. Risk management remains low on the list of preferred career paths for younger generations. It\u2019s important for firms to have presence at the college level and focus on not only recruiting but also building interest in the industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The current market rewards discipline<\/h3>\n

Insurance M&A hasn\u2019t come to a halt. Firms like Brown & Brown are still active, but the activity today looks different than it did a few years ago. Buyers are spending less time chasing momentum and more time observing how businesses operate, how decisions are made and how risk is managed day-to-day.<\/p>\n

In a more disciplined market, surface-level growth matters less than durability. Buyers are paying closer attention to whether performance is repeatable, and culture can hold up under pressure.<\/p>\n

For sellers, the strongest outcomes won\u2019t come from reacting to the market. Build a business that\u2019s resilient, intentional and built to last.<\/p>\n

This article was co-authored by <\/em>Mark Prampero<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Regional Director of Acquisitions, and <\/em>Laban Miller, CPA<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Senior Acquisitions Associate.<\/em><\/p>\n

Interested in speaking with our Mergers & Acquisitions team?\u00a0<\/strong>Email\u00a0acquisitionsdept@bbins.com<\/a>\u00a0or contact us directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vaughn Stoll
\n<\/strong>Senior Vice President & Director of Acquisitions
\nvstoll@bbins.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 (386) 239-8899<\/td>\n		Mark Prampero
\n<\/strong>Regional Director of Acquisitions
\nmprampero@bbins.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 (386)\u00a0 239-7292<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Acquisitions for Agency Owners<\/strong>
\nby Vaughn Stoll, SVP & Director of Acquisitions
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Subscribe to Vaughn\u2019s Acquisitions for Agency Owners newsletter on LinkedIn and see his latest articles\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buyers are paying closer attention to whether performance is repeatable, and culture can hold up under pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":37960,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"insight_category":[133],"class_list":["post-37959","insight","type-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","insight_category-thought-leadership"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nInsurance M&A in 2026: A Selective Market Doesn\u2019t Mean a Closed Market - Brown & Brown<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Buyers are paying closer attention to whether performance is repeatable, and culture can hold up under pressure.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/insurance-ma-in-2026-a-selective-market-doesnt-mean-a-closed-market\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Insurance M&A in 2026: A Selective Market Doesn\u2019t Mean a Closed Market\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Buyers are paying closer attention to whether performance is repeatable, and culture can hold up under pressure.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/insurance-ma-in-2026-a-selective-market-doesnt-mean-a-closed-market\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brown & Brown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773160320468.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1279\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/insurance-ma-in-2026-a-selective-market-doesnt-mean-a-closed-market\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bbrown.com\/us\/insight\/insurance-ma-in-2026-a-selective-market-doesnt-mean-a-closed-market\/\",\"name\":\"Insurance M&A in 2026: A Selective Market Doesn\u2019t Mean a Closed Market - 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