The MGA sector has always been known for its agility, but this year’s MGA Opinion Report 2025, produced by the MGAA and Clyde & Co, digs into the strategic intent behind MGA growth plans in our fast-paced and ever-evolving environment. In a climate shaped by regulatory scrutiny, economic volatility, and evolving customer expectations, MGAs are not pulling back, they’re doubling down.
The report, based on survey responses from MGAs and carriers, reveals that a remarkable 84% of MGAs plan to grow by adding new lines of business in 2025. Over half (53%) are actively exploring acquisitions, and 40% intend to expand into new territories. These figures reflect a sector that is not only resilient but resolutely forward-looking.
Carriers are recognising the value in this mindset. In fact, 57% now expect to increase their capacity allocation to MGAs over the next two years, a clear signal of rising confidence in the MGA model as a key lever for market reach, innovation, and underwriting expertise.
Specialty lines are firmly in the spotlight. Both MGAs (37%) and carriers (29%) agree that this is the segment where growth will be most concentrated in the year ahead. Whether it’s parametric insurance, climate risk products, cyber, or cover for emerging technology sectors, MGAs are leading with innovation and speed.
As global risks grow more complex and interconnected, the demand for tailored, specialist insurance solutions is rising fast, and MGAs are proving to be uniquely positioned to deliver. Their lean structures, deep niche expertise, and ability to leverage flexible tech stacks make them ideal partners for addressing emerging and underserved risks.
But let’s not overlook the hurdles flagged by MGA respondents in the report. Regulation remains a formidable barrier, with 46% of MGAs citing it as the main factor holding them back from launching new propositions or entering new markets. Meanwhile, macroeconomic uncertainty is weighing heavily on the outlook: 54% of MGAs expect the current climate to impact their business negatively, a sentiment echoed by nearly 70% of carriers.
Geographically, the outlook is shifting. While the London Company Market remains the preferred environment for MGA growth (31%), interest is building in continental Europe, particularly in underpenetrated markets such as Spain, Italy and Poland. These markets are becoming hotspots for MGA innovation, offering new distribution models and regulatory environments better suited to entrepreneurial growth.
That said, structural misalignments persist. Many carriers continue to favour Lloyd’s as the optimal platform for MGA development, while MGAs surveyed lean toward the Company Market. Alignment here will be critical to ensuring sustained capacity flow and collaborative innovation.
This year’s report highlights the remarkable progress the MGA sector has made in recent years. Once viewed as a niche segment, MGAs are now firmly embedded in the mainstream, and increasingly central to driving innovation, responsiveness, and risk specialisation across the insurance landscape.
Looking ahead to 2026, I believe specialty lines will lead the next phase of expansion, especially in parametric insurance, climate-related products, and digital or AI-driven risk solutions. But growth must be sustainable. That means ensuring that MGAs have the tools, knowledge, and support structures they need to thrive, not just launch.
At the MGAA, we believe strongly that future MGA success will rest on three critical pillars: Training, to upskill the next generation of technical, claims and compliance talent within MGA businesses. Regulatory advocacy, to ensure proportionate and fit-for-purpose oversight that enables, rather than stifles, innovation. And an ecosystem of trusted suppliers, from data providers and compliance consultants to AI innovators, who can help MGAs embed best practice and deliver market-leading service at scale.
Our role is to bring this ecosystem together, to connect, inform and empower MGA businesses across the UK and beyond as a voice of advocacy and progression. MGAs are engines of innovation and strategic thinking, reshaping how risk is understood, priced and managed.
The MGA sector is standing at a crossroads, but it’s not pausing, it’s accelerating. And at the MGAA, we’re committed to making sure that acceleration is smart, supported, and sustainable.
