Sell Your Insurance Agency in California
Quick Answer
Insurance agencies in California typically sell for 4.3x-11x EBITDA, or 2.9x-4.3x SDE for smaller owner-operated insurance agencies, per published ranges from Peak Business Valuation, BizBuySell and others. The Census Bureau counts 13,919 insurance agencies and brokerages in California, the most of any state, and 75% of them have fewer than five employees. The largest groups buying insurance agencies nationally include BroadStreet Partners (Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and an investor group led by Ethos Capital, BCI and White Mountains Insurance Group), HUB International (Hellman & Friedman) and Inszone Insurance Services (BHMS Investments and Lightyear Capital). We have recorded five named insurance acquisitions in California, most recently Onstad's Insurance Agency by Inszone Insurance Services (Mar 2026). Our own research found 153 insurance agencies in California already owned by these platforms, including A.D. Dern Insurance Agency (Inszone Insurance Services) and Adamson & McGoldrick Insurance Solutions (Alera Group).
4.3x-11x
typical EBITDA multiple (published ranges)
2.9x-4.3x
typical SDE multiple
13,919
establishments in California (Census 2023)
75%
have fewer than 5 employees
Who is buying insurance agencies in California
Named insurance acquisitions we have recorded in California
- Onstad's Insurance Agency, acquired by Inszone Insurance ServicesPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced Mar 2026 · San Ramon, CA · Source ↗
- Olympic Insurance Agency, acquired by Marsh McLennan AgencyPublic-company buyer · Announced Aug 2025 · Simi Valley, CA · Source ↗
- McFarland Commercial Insurance Services, Inc., acquired by Inszone Insurance ServicesPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced Jul 2025 · Redding, CA · Source ↗
- Scott Held Insurance Agency, Inc., acquired by HUB InternationalPrivate-equity-backed buyer · Announced Jun 2025 · Carlsbad, CA · Source ↗
- Pac Global Insurance Brokerage, Inc., acquired by Heffernan Insurance BrokersEmployee-owned buyer · Closed Apr 2025 · El Segundo, CA · Source ↗
Insurance agencies in California that already have an outside owner
Found by DealSeam's own research, not just press releases. Each company is listed on its owner's website, says so on its own website, now redirects to its owner, or was confirmed owned in DealSeam's September 2026 ownership screen. Many of these sales were never announced.
- World Insurance Associates lists 3 locations in California · Source ↗
| Company | City | Owned by | How we know |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.D. Dern Insurance Agency | Pinole | Inszone Insurance Services | listed on Inszone Insurance Services's website ↗ |
| Adamson & McGoldrick Insurance Solutions | Placentia | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Ames-Grenz Insurance Services | Sacramento | USI Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Andreini & Company | San Mateo | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle Business and Insurance Solutions | Irvine | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Ashbrook-Clevidence | Santa Ana | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Atascadero Insurance Agency | Atascadero | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| BAIS | Westlake Village | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its own website says so ↗ |
| BB&H Benefit Designs | Santa Barbara | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| BMR Insurance | Tustin | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | announcement ↗ |
| Barkley Risk Management & Insurance | Oxnard | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Barlocker Insurance Services | Fresno | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Belter Insurance | Orland | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Beneflex Insurance Services | Santa Barbara | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Blue Sky Insurance Agency | Simi Valley | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Boater's Insurance Agency | Concord | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Bohannon Insurance Group | Modesto | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Bolds Risk & Insurance Services | Larkspur | HUB International | announcement ↗ |
| Bowermaster Insurance Brokers | Cypress | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its website now redirects to its owner ↗ |
| Brashears & Newendorp | Santa Barbara | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | its own website says so ↗ |
| Bridlewood Insurance | San Diego | Relation Insurance Services | listed on Relation Insurance Services's website ↗ |
| Business Aviation Insurance Services | Concord | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Business Contractors Insurance Services | Santee | World Insurance Associates | announcement ↗ |
| CBA Premier Insurance Solutions | San Jose | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| CD&G Insurance Brokers | Sutter Creek | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | listed on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s website ↗ |
| CITA Insurance Services | Orange | Brown & Brown | listed on Brown & Brown's website ↗ |
| California Creative Benefits | Campbell | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Chergey Insurance Services | Westlake Village | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Chivaroli & Associates Insurance Services | Westlake Village | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Colossus Insurance Agency | Placentia | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| CoreMark Insurance Services | Sacramento | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its own website says so ↗ |
| Cornerstone Commercial & Personal Insurance Services | Rancho Cucamonga | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | announcement ↗ |
| Crop Rx Insurance Services | Fresno | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| DLD Insurance Brokers | Irvine | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Dahlmeier Insurance Agency | Oroville | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Davidow Financial & Insurance Services | Woodland Hills | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Dealer Insurance Services | Laguna Hills | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Dickerson Employee Benefits | Los Angeles | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Dohrmann Insurance Agency | Stockton | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Dominion Insurance Services | — | Trucordia | announcement ↗ |
| Double Honor Benefits | — | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Dukar Pomeroy Insurance Brokers | Calabasas | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Dunhill Marketing & Insurance Services | San Diego | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| ERM Insurance Brokers | Ladera Ranch | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Easterly Surety & Insurance Services | Walnut Creek | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Empire Company | Rancho Cucamonga | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Employer Concept Insurance Services | Irvine | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Employers Select Insurance Services | Rocklin | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| F&I Insurance Services | Thousand Oaks | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Far West Leavitt Insurance Services | Fort Bragg | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Ferrante Insurance Services | Concord | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Foy & Associates | Woodland Hills | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| G2 Insurance Services | — | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| GS Insurance Solutions | Santa Clara | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Gallant Risk and Insurance Services | Corona | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Gary McKeighan Insurance | Fresno | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Goodwin Insurance | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| H&S Insurance Services | Westlake Village | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Haigh Insurance | Yorba Linda | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Hardy Insurance Services | La Verne | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Health Connect Insurance Agency | Santa Ana | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Heffernan Barbary Insurance Services | Oakland | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Heffernan Brignole Insurance Services | Oakland | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Heffernan Elite Benefits Insurance Services | Walnut Creek | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Heffernan Network Insurance Brokers | Walnut Creek | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Heffernan SGB Insurance Services | Wildomar | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Heffernan Walton Insurance Services | San Jose | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| HighRidge Insurance Services | Westlake Village | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Highstreet Hanasab Insurance Services | Ontario | Highstreet Insurance Partners | listed on Highstreet Insurance Partners's website ↗ |
| Hillenbrand Insurance Solutions | Roseville | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Hooper, Spuhler, and Sturgeon Insurance Services | — | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Houska Insurance | Manhattan Beach | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Icon Group Benefits and Insurance Services | Yorba Linda | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Infinity Assurance Group | Ladera Ranch | Keystone Agency Partners | announcement ↗ |
| Innovative Broker Services | Folsom | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Insurance Online | Ladera Ranch | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| InterWest Insurance Services | Chico | BroadStreet Partners | announcement ↗ |
| Intrepid | Huntington Beach | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its own website says so ↗ |
| JB Wright Insurance Services | La Verne | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| JE Brown & Associates | Walnut Creek | Brown & Brown | listed on Brown & Brown's website ↗ |
| JSW Insurance | Dublin | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | listed on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s website ↗ |
| JXX Insurance Agency | San Clemente | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| James & Gable | Manhattan Beach | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| John E. Peakes Insurance Agency | Ventura | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Kettering Rose Insurance Services | La Mesa | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Landscape Contractors Insurance Services | Fresno | World Insurance Associates | announcement ↗ |
| Leap Carpenter Kemps | Merced | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Leavitt Central Coast Insurance Services | Salinas | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Leavitt Coastal Valley Insurance Services | Santa Maria | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Leavitt Life | Woodland Hills | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Leavitt Pacific Insurance Brokers | San Jose | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Leavitt United Insurance Services | Elk Grove | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Legacy Risk & Insurance Services | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Lincoln Insurance Services | Walnut Creek | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| M3 Monagan Miller McCreary Insurance Agency | Tracy | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Maffei Insurance & Financial Services | Stockton | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Maniaci Insurance | Palos Verdes | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its own website says so ↗ |
| McFarland Commercial Insurance Services | Redding | Inszone Insurance Services | listed on Inszone Insurance Services's website ↗ |
| McSherry & Hudson Insurance Services | Watsonville | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Mike Haffar Insurance Services | West Covina | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Milestone Insurance Brokers | Irvine | Highstreet Insurance Partners | listed on Highstreet Insurance Partners's website ↗ |
| Momentous Insurance Brokerage | Los Angeles | Marsh McLennan Agency | announcement ↗ |
| Moore Benefits | Irvine | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Napa Valley Insurance | — | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Nico Insurance Services | San Diego | Marsh McLennan Agency | announcement ↗ |
| Olympic Insurance Agency | Simi Valley | Marsh McLennan Agency | announcement ↗ |
| Onstad's Insurance Agency | San Ramon | Inszone Insurance Services | listed on Inszone Insurance Services's website ↗ |
| Optimal Benefits & Insurance Services | Irvine | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Orion Risk Management Insurance Services | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| PT Business Solutions | South Pasadena | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Pac Global Insurance Brokerage | El Segundo | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | its website now redirects to its owner ↗ |
| Paradigm Strategic Insurance Services | Irvine | Higginbotham | listed on Higginbotham's website ↗ |
| Pauli-Shaw Insurance Agency | Arcata | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Pope & Young Bonding | Clovis | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Premier Benefit Resources | San Ramon | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| QuieTrack Insurance Services | Petaluma | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| RS Bonding | Santa Ana | Trucordia | listed on Trucordia's website ↗ |
| Redwoods Leavitt Insurance | Crescent City | Leavitt Group | listed on Leavitt Group's website ↗ |
| Right Source Insurance Agency | Glendale | Highstreet Insurance Partners | listed on Highstreet Insurance Partners's website ↗ |
| Robert Bell Insurance | Fallbrook | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Royalty Insurance Services | Van Nuys | World Insurance Associates | announcement ↗ |
| S Philips Surety & Insurance Services | Agoura Hills | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | announcement ↗ |
| SFBAG Employee Benefit Insurance Services | San Francisco | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Shepler & Fear General Agency | Roseville | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Shomer Insurance Agency | Los Angeles | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Sitzmann Morris & Boyle Insurance Agency | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Snapp & Associates Insurance | San Diego | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Solomon & Solomon Insurance Brokers | Laguna Hills | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its website now redirects to its owner ↗ |
| South Western Financial Network | Glendale | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Statewide Commercial Insurance Brokers | Altadena | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | announcement ↗ |
| Symphony Financial & Insurance Services | Rosemead | HUB International | announcement ↗ |
| TAS Insurance Services | Costa Mesa | HUB International | announcement ↗ |
| TDW Risk Management Associates | Ladera Ranch | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Taylor & Associates Benefits Services | Modesto | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Team Alvarez Insurance Services | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| The Brokerage Commercial Insurance Services | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| The Dougherty Company | Long Beach | Patriot Growth Insurance Services | its website now redirects to its owner ↗ |
| The Gilbert Group | Beverly Hills | Higginbotham | listed on Higginbotham's website ↗ |
| Thorson Insurance Services | Agoura Hills | World Insurance Associates | announcement ↗ |
| Tippett Moorhead & Haden | Costa Mesa | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
| Trapani Dickins & Associates | Los Angeles | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| Truck Writers Insurance Services | Walnut Creek | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| True-Course Aviation Insurance | Camarillo | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Tucker & Associates Insurance Brokers | San Diego | Heffernan Insurance Brokers | listed on Heffernan Insurance Brokers's website ↗ |
| Two Fong's | — | Inszone Insurance Services | listed on Inszone Insurance Services's website ↗ |
| Venture Pacific Insurance Services | Ladera Ranch | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Villane Ward Insurance Services | Fresno | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Western Republic Insurance Services | Huntington Beach | Inszone Insurance Services | listed on Inszone Insurance Services's website ↗ |
| Westlake Risk & Insurance Services | Westlake Village | ALKEME Insurance | listed on ALKEME Insurance's website ↗ |
| Whitney Oaks Insurance Services | Roseville | Relation Insurance Services | announcement ↗ |
| Woodruff Sawyer | San Francisco | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | announcement ↗ |
| i2i Benefits | Redwood City | OneDigital | announcement ↗ |
| iPros Insurance Professionals | — | Alera Group | announcement ↗ |
Headquartered in California: Inszone Insurance Services (Sacramento, CA), ALKEME Insurance (Ladera Ranch, CA) and Heffernan Insurance Brokers (Walnut Creek, CA).
| Platform | Owner / backer | Type | Headquarters | Scale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BroadStreet Partners | Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (significant co-control stake) and an investor group led by Ethos Capital, BCI and White Mountains Insurance Group | Private equity | Columbus, OH | 30+ Core Partners; 550+ tuck-in acquisitions to date; more than 800 agency professionals with equity | Source ↗ |
| HUB International | Hellman & Friedman (controlling); Altas Partners and Leonard Green & Partners (significant minority); a 2025 minority round led by T. Rowe Price, Alpha Wave Global and Temasek | Private equity | Chicago, IL | More than 19,000 employees (2025 releases); more than 600 acquisitions (WealthManagement.com, Sep 2026) | Source ↗ |
| Inszone Insurance Services | BHMS Investments (since 2020) and Lightyear Capital (since 2023) | Private equity | Sacramento, CA | Offices in 25 states (listed in its Sep 2026 release) | Source ↗ |
| World Insurance Associates | Charlesbank Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs Asset Management (co-lead investors), with management and employee shareholders | Private equity | Iselin, NJ | Not disclosed (describes itself as a Top 50 insurance brokerage) | Source ↗ |
| Keystone Agency Partners | Warburg Pincus (majority); Bain Capital (minority, via Bain Capital Insurance) | Private equity | Mechanicsburg, PA | 28 Platform Partners and over 350 independent network partners (Jul 2025) | Source ↗ |
| Leavitt Group | Privately held (Leavitt Group Enterprises), co-owning its agencies with local owners | Strategic / family-owned | Cedar City, UT | 80+ agencies and 290+ locations across 31 states | Source ↗ |
| ALKEME Insurance | GCP Capital Partners (control, via a 2025 continuation vehicle anchored by Apollo S3), with management | Private equity | Ladera Ranch, CA | Over 90 locations in 30 states; over 80 acquisitions since 2020 (Jul 2026) | Source ↗ |
| Highstreet Insurance Partners | Abry Partners (invested 2021; portfolio status: Current) | Private equity | Traverse City, MI | 350+ local offices across the U.S.; 200+ acquisitions | Source ↗ |
| King Risk Partners | Lightyear Capital and BHMS Investments (Apr 2025 recapitalization), with management | Private equity | Gainesville, FL | 36th largest U.S. insurance brokerage (per its Sep 2026 release) | Source ↗ |
| Acrisure | Founder-led (Chairman and CEO Greg Williams), with outside investors; its 2025 $2.1B round was led by Bain Capital, with Fidelity, Apollo Funds, Gallatin Point Capital and BDT & MSD Partners (BDT & MSD is the largest minority shareholder) | Private equity | Grand Rapids, MI | Over 19,000 colleagues in 23 countries; about 900 acquisitions | Source ↗ |
| Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | Publicly traded (NYSE: AJG) | Strategic / public | Rolling Meadows, IL | Approximately 130 countries through owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers | Source ↗ |
| Alera Group | Genstar Capital (founding sponsor); Carlyle led a $150M preferred investment in 2020 | Private equity | Deerfield, IL | Not disclosed | Source ↗ |
| Trucordia | Carlyle (a $1.3B Global Credit strategic investment, Jun 2025) and HGGC (per OPTIS) | Private equity | Lindon, UT | More than 5,000 team members across the U.S. | Source ↗ |
| OneDigital | Stone Point Capital and CPP Investments (majority, closed Dec 4, 2025); Onex Partners (significant minority) | Private equity | Atlanta, GA | Offices in most major markets across the nation | Source ↗ |
| Marsh McLennan Agency | Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) | Strategic / public | White Plains, NY | Not disclosed for MMA; its parent Marsh reports more than 95,000 colleagues | Source ↗ |
| Patriot Growth Insurance Services | GI Partners and Summit Partners | Private equity | Fort Washington, PA | 2,100+ professionals in 160+ locations across 29 states | Source ↗ |
| Heffernan Insurance Brokers | Employee-owned since its 1988 founding | Employee-owned (ESOP) | Walnut Creek, CA | Approximately 600 staff, with offices coast-to-coast | Source ↗ |
| Hilb Group | The Carlyle Group | Private equity | Richmond, VA | More than 200 acquisitions; over 125 offices in 32 states | Source ↗ |
| USI Insurance Services | KKR and other shareholders; pending sale to Aon plc | Private equity | Valhalla, NY | More than 10,500 team members across nearly 200 U.S. offices | Source ↗ |
| Brown & Brown | Publicly traded (NYSE: BRO) | Strategic / public | Daytona Beach, FL | 700+ locations and more than 23,000 professionals (after the Accession deal) | Source ↗ |
| Relation Insurance Services | BayPine (agreed to buy it from Aquiline on Feb 18, 2026) | Private equity | Chicago, IL | Approximately 1,450 employees across more than 90 locations nationwide | Source ↗ |
| Higginbotham | Employee-owned; Stone Point Capital holds a minority stake (since 2009; portfolio status Current) | Employee-owned (ESOP) | Fort Worth, TX | Not disclosed; over 130 partnerships acquired since 2009 (Stone Point, Nov 2025); ranked the 18th-largest U.S. independent brokerage by revenue (Aug 2025 release) | Source ↗ |
| Insurance Office of America (IOA) | Madison Dearborn Partners and Navacord (new investors, Oct 2025), alongside IOA's producers and employees | Private equity | Longwood, FL | Over 60 offices in the U.S. | Source ↗ |
Ownership verified October 6, 2026. See every platform's recent deals in the Insurance roll-up tracker →
How many insurance agencies and brokerages are in California
The Census Bureau counted 13,919 insurance agencies and brokerages in California in 2023, the most of any state. 75% had fewer than five employees and 96% had fewer than 20. 215 had 50 or more.
| Employees | Establishments | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 | 10,420 | 75% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,144 | 15% |
| 10 to 19 | 751 | 5% |
| 20 to 49 | 389 | 3% |
| 50 or more | 215 | 2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 ↗ (NAICS 524210). An establishment is a single physical location, so an owner with three locations counts three times.
What an insurance agency in California is worth
Insurance agencies typically sell for 4.3x-11x EBITDA, or 2.9x-4.3x SDE for smaller owner-operated insurance agencies, with most deals in the ~$0.5M median for small agencies (BizBuySell: $497,500 median sale price, 2021-2025); larger deals rarely disclose price range. These are published industry ranges from Peak Business Valuation, BizBuySell and others, not an appraisal of your agency.
What buyers pay more for
- +Organic growth and strong margins
- +High client retention
- +Specialty or niche expertise
- +Operational depth beyond the owner
What buyers discount
- -Owner-dependent book of business
- -Weak client retention
- -Commoditized personal lines
- -Competition from larger brokers
How selling through DealSeam works
01
A confidential conversation
We learn about your agency and what you want from a sale. Nothing is listed publicly.
02
Introductions where there is a fit
Where a qualified buyer fits your agency, we introduce you, and only after you approve it.
03
You decide
You choose whether to go further, on your own timeline. Sellers pay nothing; the buyer pays our fee if a deal closes.
Selling an insurance agency in California: common questions
How much is an insurance agency in California worth?
Insurance agencies typically sell for 4.3x-11x EBITDA, or 2.9x-4.3x SDE for smaller owner-operated insurance agencies, with most deals in the ~$0.5M median for small agencies (BizBuySell: $497,500 median sale price, 2021-2025); larger deals rarely disclose price range. Buyers tend to pay more for organic growth and strong margins, high client retention, specialty or niche expertise and operational depth beyond the owner, and less where they see owner-dependent book of business, weak client retention, commoditized personal lines and competition from larger brokers. These are industry-wide ranges from Peak Business Valuation, BizBuySell and others, not an appraisal of your agency.
Who is buying insurance agencies in California?
Recent named deals in California include Onstad's Insurance Agency (acquired by Inszone Insurance Services, Mar 2026), Olympic Insurance Agency (acquired by Marsh McLennan Agency, Aug 2025) and McFarland Commercial Insurance Services, Inc. (acquired by Inszone Insurance Services, Jul 2025). Nationally, the largest groups consolidating insurance agencies include BroadStreet Partners (Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and an investor group led by Ethos Capital, BCI and White Mountains Insurance Group), HUB International (Hellman & Friedman) and Inszone Insurance Services (BHMS Investments and Lightyear Capital); 17 of the 23 platforms we track are private-equity-backed. Our own research found 153 insurance agencies in California already owned by these platforms, including A.D. Dern Insurance Agency (Inszone Insurance Services), Adamson & McGoldrick Insurance Solutions (Alera Group) and Ames-Grenz Insurance Services (USI Insurance Services).
How many insurance agencies and brokerages are there in California?
The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 13,919 insurance agencies and brokerages in California in 2023, the most of any state. 75% had fewer than five employees, 96% had fewer than 20, and 215 had 50 or more.
Does it cost anything to sell through DealSeam?
No. Sellers pay nothing. When a deal closes, the buyer pays DealSeam's fee. There is no listing fee and no retainer.
Will my employees or customers find out I'm thinking about selling?
No. Nothing is listed publicly, and your details go to a buyer only after you approve that introduction.
Selling another kind of business in California?
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Selling an insurance agency in another state?
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Thinking about selling your insurance agency?
DealSeam works confidentially with owners to understand their options and, where there's a fit, introduces them to qualified buyers, at no cost to sellers.
Talk to us about your California agency
Tell us how to reach you and we'll start a confidential, no-obligation conversation.
Sources
Valuation multiples are published ranges from Peak Business Valuation — Insurance Agency Valuation Multiples (SDE), Peak Business Valuation — Insurance Agency Valuation Multiples (EBITDA), BizBuySell — Insurance Agency Business Valuation Benchmarks and MarshBerry — Today's ViewPoint (Jul 23, 2025). Establishment counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 524210). Platform ownership comes from each platform's own or press sources, verified October 6, 2026. Companies listed as already owned come from DealSeam's own research: the owner's website, the company's own website, a domain redirect, or a source found in our September 2026 ownership screen, each re-checked before publishing. Named acquisitions are the deals we have recorded from public announcements, each linked to its source; they are not every deal in the state. Ownership in this sector changes often. None of this is investment, legal or tax advice.