Distinguished Programs review for retail agents: programs, access and binding authority
Distinguished Programs runs insurance programs for landlords, community associations, hotels, restaurants and other niche classes. It underwrites and issues policies for its carriers, and many programs bind online in Broker Connect. A program administrator like this holds a carrier's authority to underwrite one class of business.
It suits agencies with habitational and hospitality books. You register online and sign a brokerage agreement, with no separate appointment step.
- Best for
- Agencies writing landlords, condo and homeowner associations, hotels and restaurants that want a program with online binding
- Type
- Program administrator, majority owned by White Mountains
- Lines
- Habitational packages, community associations, hospitality, umbrellas, environmental, fine art and cyber
- Access
- Register online and sign the Retail Brokerage Agreement. Each producer gets a Broker Connect login
- Authority
- Underwrites, quotes and issues for its carriers. Binds online on City Insurance, community associations, cyber and fine art
- States
- By program. Hotel programs nationwide, community associations in 16 states, City Insurance in listed metro areas
Our take
Distinguished is a program administrator that managed $568 million of premium in 2025 for 17 carrier partners. It builds and underwrites programs for landlords, condo and homeowner associations, hotels, restaurants, contractors and fine art.
It fits an agency that writes those classes often and wants to bind online. City Insurance, most community association risks, cyber and fine art collections bind in Broker Connect.
Each program has its own footprint. City Insurance covers only listed metro areas, and community associations are written in 16 states.
Pros
- Register online and submit within minutes
- Online binding on City Insurance, community associations and cyber
- Real estate umbrellas up to $125 million
- Hotel Umbrella up to $140 million in all 50 states
- Claims acknowledged within 24 hours with an adjuster named
Cons
- City Insurance is limited to listed metro areas
- Community associations in 16 states only
- Executive lines only through a wholesale broker
- Several programs still need emailed paper applications
Who they work with
- Who can submit
- Licensed retail agencies registered with Distinguished. Executive lines go through wholesale brokers and surety through surety agents
- How to get access
- Register online with your brokerage license number, sign the agreement and set up a Broker Connect login for each producer
- Requirements
- Agency brokerage license number, a producer license number for each user and a signed Retail Brokerage Agreement
- Submit before you're appointed
- No
Register the agency
Enter your brokerage license number and basic details online.
Sign the agreement
The principal signs the Retail Brokerage Agreement, or names someone who gets it by email.
Create producer logins
Each producer sets up a personal Broker Connect login with the agency and producer license numbers.
Submit
Use Broker Connect, or email an application to your sales executive. Distinguished says you can go from registering to a first submission in minutes.
Programs and what they write
| Program | Type | Lines |
|---|---|---|
| Real estateCity Insurance, New York Brick & Brownstone and real estate umbrellas | Program | Landlord, condo and multifamily packages and umbrellas |
| Community associationsHOAs, condos, co-ops and townhouse associations | Program | Package, GL, D&O, crime, cyber and umbrella |
| Hotels and restaurantsHotels, resorts, casinos, clubs and restaurants | Program | Primary, umbrella, restaurant package and BOP |
| Environmental and constructionContractors, owners and premises | Program | Pollution and professional liability, follow form excess |
| Executive linesSold only through wholesale brokers | Program | Primary and excess D&O, EPL and fiduciary |
| Fine art and cyberGalleries, museums, collections and cyber for its other classes | Program | Fine art and cyber |
| SuretySold only through professional surety agents | Specialty wholesaler | Commercial and contract surety |
| Marine, crisis and transactionalInland marine, cargo, active assailant and deal risk | Program | Inland marine, cargo, crisis management and transactional risk |
Real estate umbrellas, hotel programs and fine art and cyber are written in all 50 states, and executive lines nationwide. City Insurance covers listed metro areas only. The Restaurant Package has a $5,000 minimum for most restaurant types.
Real estate limits
- City Landlord and City Condominiums: 2 to 100 units
- City Multi-Family: 2 to 4 units, mixed use allowed
- Property values up to $25 million
- Express City umbrella up to $10 million
- Real Estate Umbrella from $25 million to $125 million
Hospitality limits
- Hotel property for sprinklered risks up to $750 million
- Hotel Umbrella up to $140 million
- Express Hotel Umbrella up to $100 million, not in Louisiana
- Restaurant Package everywhere but Alaska
- Restaurant BOP not in AK, FL, HI or NY
Community association states
- AZ, CA, CO, CT, MA, MD, NC and NJ
- NV, OH, OR, PA, SC, UT, VA and WA
- California and Colorado: single-family HOAs and PUDs only
- HOAs up to 750 units, condos up to 500
City Insurance metro areas run from Boston and Philadelphia to Denver, Seattle and San Diego. North Carolina City Insurance takes rentals only.
How to submit
- How it works
- Submit in Broker Connect, where every program is listed. You can also email the program application to your sales executive or the program inbox
- Submit by
- Broker Connect, or email to your sales executive or program team
- Documents needed
- The program application and any supplements, such as amenities, location, mold or renovation forms
- Timing
- Community association applications are accepted up to 75 days before the effective date
Quote and bind authority
"Takes your submission" means you send the risk to the firm, and "Underwrites" means its own staff set the terms. "In house" under Binds means the firm can commit the carrier without asking first. A blank cell means the firm hasn't published that step.
| Program | Takes your submission | Quotes | Underwrites | Binds | Issues the policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate | In house | ||||
| Community associations | In house | ||||
| Hotels and restaurants | |||||
| Environmental and construction | |||||
| Executive lines | |||||
| Fine art and cyber | In house | ||||
| Surety | |||||
| Marine, crisis and transactional |
Restaurant BOP submissions get a response in 24 to 48 hours. Fine art collections up to $1 million bind online, and larger ones up to $150 million need an application.
Carrier paper and admitted status
| Program | Carrier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Community Associations Package | Berkley Insurance | Admitted. Rated A+ XV by AM Best |
| Executive lines | Covington Specialty Insurance Company | Surplus lines. Rated A++ XIV by AM Best |
| Surety | American Surety | A subsidiary of Core Specialty |
Ratings are as Distinguished cites them. The letters are AM Best's financial strength grade and the Roman numeral its size class.
Distinguished works with 17 carrier partners in all. NC and SC monoline GL, the hotel umbrellas, the restaurant package and the restaurant BOP are also admitted.
Fees and commission
- Fees
- Some insureds pay a risk management service fee
- Distinguished's own pay
- Commission from its carriers based on the volume and profit of the business. It takes no insurance risk itself
Surplus lines taxes and filings
- Who files
- Not in Distinguished's published material. Ask the program team before you bind
Endorsements, audits and claims
- Claims handled by
- Reported by program. Look up the policy number prefix on the claims page. Distinguished advocates for you on complex claims
- Claim acknowledgment
- Within 24 hours, with the adjuster's name and claim number
- Fine art claims
- facclaims@distinguished.com or 888-764-9587
- Loss runs
- Email the program inbox with the insured, policy number, location and period. A broker who isn't broker of record must attach a BOR letter
Who owns the account
- Who owns the expirations
- Distinguished doesn't publish its terms. Ask for them in writing before you place business
Portal and integrations
- Portal
- Broker Connect, with a personal login for each producer
- Online quoting
- Yes. Quote and bind City Insurance, most Express community association risks, cyber, active assailant cover and fine art collections up to $1 million
What you can do in Broker Connect
- See every program open to you
- Quote and bind eligible risks
- Submit Restaurant BOP and Express Hotel Umbrella
- Get technical help at 888-355-4626
Support for retail agents
- Contact
- Main line 212-297-3100. Broker Connect support 888-355-4626
- Underwriter access
- A dedicated sales executive for each agency, plus program teams listed by program
- Training
- A broker resource library with sales tools, program updates and recorded webinars
Distinguished Programs alternatives
- Specialty Program GroupHUB-owned program group for transportation, elevators and tattoo shops
- One80 IntermediariesPrograms plus small business binding in every state
- VictorMarsh-owned programs for contractors, builders risk and flood
- RPSGallagher wholesaler with dozens of programs and online small business
- AmwinsMore than 150 programs, including habitational and hospitality
See every option in insurance mGAs and wholesalers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get access to Distinguished Programs?
Register your agency online, sign the Retail Brokerage Agreement and set up a Broker Connect login for each producer.
Can Distinguished bind coverage itself?
Yes, on City Insurance, most Express community association risks, cyber and fine art collections up to $1 million. Other programs quote from an application.
Whose paper are the community association policies on?
Berkley Insurance, which Distinguished cites as rated A+ XV.
What is the minimum premium on the restaurant program?
$5,000 on the Restaurant Package for most restaurant types.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by Distinguished Programs, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.
Corrections
Vendors change their pricing all the time and they don't email us when they do. So if you see a price on here that's gone up, a plan Distinguished Programs quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where Distinguished Programs has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.