Nearly half of brokers turn to MGAs first for non-standard risk

Some 90% of brokers view MGAs as either “very valuable” or “somewhat valuable” in helping them navigate the complexities of non-standard risk.

This is according to a survey of brokers released today (16 June 2025) by MGA Prestige Underwriting, which also revealed that 42% of brokers turn to MGAs rather than traditional insurance companies as their first port of call for placing non-standard risks.

Furthermore, brokers rated their satisfaction with MGAs highly. Some 69% of surveyees said they were “satisfied” with response times for non-standard placements and a further 13% said they were “very satisfied”.

That marked an improvement in industry-wide satisfaction, with 48% of brokers suggesting response times for new business queries were “too slow” in a similar survey conducted in 2024.

Critical gaps

A total of 99 brokers involved in the non-standard markets were surveyed.

Prestige Underwriting said the trends indicated that “MGAs are filling critical gaps left by traditional insurers, evidenced by the significant majority of brokers now turning to MGAs for their non-standard business”.

Tim Baxter, business development and relationship director at Prestige Underwriting, said: “The feedback from brokers underscores the crucial role MGAs play in the non-standard insurance sector.

“While we are encouraged by the confidence brokers place in us and other MGAs, for our part we wish to further improve results to achieve excellence throughout. At Prestige Underwriting, we are committed to refining our processes and deepening our partnerships with brokers to deliver exceptional support in this evolving market.

“As broker preferences shift decisively towards MGAs, our emphasis will continue to be on fostering trust, improving responsiveness and driving innovation to meet complex client demands.”