Vertafore says MGA growth now depends on balancing speed and efficiency
MGAs are growing fast, but the software buying question has shifted to control, data quality, and modular workflows that keep speed from breaking governance.
Conning said U.S. MGA direct premiums written reached $114.1 billion in 2024, up 16%. Vertafore’s June 22, 2026 tradeoff piece treats that growth as an operations problem, not a simple expansion story. The market’s specialization created momentum, but it also exposed the limits of manual underwriting, fragmented reporting, and workflow that cannot keep pace when submission volume rises.
Why the buying problem is changing
The numbers explain why software decisions are getting harder. Conning said 93% of MGAs were exploring new markets, while 91% of insurers said they were using MGA partnerships more often. Gallagher Re estimated the MGA market exceeded $125 billion in 2025 and still represented about 12.5% of U.S. P&C premium, while AM Best put DUAE direct premiums written at $108.7 billion in 2025, up from $92.3 billion in 2024.
Vertafore’s 2026 workforce and technology report shows the operational pressure underneath the growth story. Based on responses from nearly 200 MGA leaders, managers, and frontline professionals, it found that only 21% currently use AI while nearly half plan to do so soon, and four out of five respondents said increased competition is difficult for their business. The buying requirement in P&C insurance software is to automate the repetitive work without stripping out the judgment, audit trail, and carrier visibility that delegated authority depends on.
What legacy cores handle poorly
The weak spot in older MGA stacks is not one feature, it is the handoff problem between them. Guidewire’s MGA solution is built around keeping programs and submissions in one system so teams avoid delays, manual work, and loss of visibility across the book. Insurity positions its modular Pro Suite as a replacement for disconnected tools and manual processes, while BindHQ uses prebuilt templates because starting from scratch slows speed-to-market. That is why legacy cores often struggle with underwriting, bordereaux, compliance, and capacity management at the same time.
The practical gap is easy to see in day-to-day MGA operations. Submission intake, rating, policy issuance, billing, claims, carrier reporting, and bordereaux frequently sit in separate tools, which creates reconciliation work just when carriers want cleaner data and faster decisions. MGAs are being asked to preserve speed and relationships while also proving governance, and that is where older core systems tend to break down first.
Where Vertafore fits
Vertafore’s MGA Systems is a purpose-built policy administration system for MGAs, MGUs, wholesalers, and program administrators. It uses open APIs and open architecture, and it bundles accounting, claims management, carrier data feeds, bordereaux generation, and custom reporting into one system. It also supports payables, receivables, invoicing, commissions, bank management, and billing, while its claims functions are integrated into policy and accounting workflows.
The surrounding Vertafore stack shows a modular approach to MGA operations. Its broader catalog includes Surefyre, an AI-powered P&C agent portal and underwriting system for MGAs; ImageRight for content management and workflows; NetRate MGA for ISO rating; PolicyIssuance; PolicyRater; Commercial Submissions; DocuSign; and Sircon for Carriers.
How the main alternatives compare
| Platform | What it covers | Architecture and deployment | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertafore MGA Systems | Policy admin, accounting, claims, reporting, carrier feeds, bordereaux, commissions, billing | Open APIs, open architecture, client-server secure database connectivity | Good for MGAs that want a configurable core and deep workflow control. |
| Guidewire MGA solution | Submissions, underwriting, policy administration, billing, bordereaux | Secure AWS-powered cloud architecture, open APIs, low-code tools | Best when one governed platform matters more than rapid patchwork integration. |
| BindHQ | Submissions, rating, compliance, underwriting, policy, billing, bordereaux reporting | Cloud platform with prebuilt templates and low-code setup | Best when launch speed and standardized workflows are the priority. |
| Insurity Pro Suite | Policy, billing, claims, analytics, compliance for specialty and delegated business | Modular platform with browser-based configuration and shared system of record | Strong for phased modernization and lower-TCO conversations. |
| VIPR Intrali, Portal, and Intarga | Bordereaux management, data analytics, third-party onboarding and due diligence | Data-management and workflow layer, not a full PAS | Best as a governance and data-quality layer alongside a core MGA system. |
| Facio MGA | Product setup, rating, quote-bind-issue, policy admin, billing, claims, bordereaux, compliance | Cloud-native, low-code operating system with Lloyd’s-aligned documentation flow | Best for program business that wants an all-in-one cloud stack with embedded compliance. |
What to require in an MGA platform decision
- Speed vs. control: The system has to launch new products quickly, but it also needs rules, audit trails, and consistent quote-bind-issue workflows so underwriters do not lose governance as volume grows.
- Specialization vs. scale: The platform should let experienced underwriters keep using niche expertise, while AI and workflow tools capture that knowledge in a form newer staff can reuse. Vertafore’s 2026 report ties AI adoption most directly to task automation, underwriting, and customer service.
- Delegated authority vs. governance: Bordereaux, carrier feeds, claims controls, and due diligence need to live close to the policy record, not in a separate spreadsheet layer.
- Relationship speed vs. digital throughput: Broker and partner interfaces matter because MGAs are still judged on response time, but the digital layer has to remove administrative work rather than replace underwriting judgment. Guidewire, BindHQ, and Vertafore approach that balance differently, which is why buyers should test actual workflow depth, not just demo screens.
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