IA Valuations review: agency valuation, M&A advice and fees
IA Valuations is the valuation arm of the Ohio Insurance Agents Association. It values independent agencies, helps with perpetuation and, through Agency Link, helps owners buy, sell or merge.
It says its valuation is priced for small and mid-size agencies, though it serves all sizes. It lists an expected price of $2,500 for an Ohio agency and $3,500 elsewhere, and a renewal within two years is $1,500.
- Best for
- Independent agency owners who want a fair market value to plan with and update
- Works for
- Owners for valuations. Buyers and sellers through Agency Link
- Services
- Valuation, renewal valuation, perpetuation and Agency Link
- Agency size
- Priced for small and mid-size agencies
- Valuation fee
- $2,500 in Ohio, $3,500 elsewhere. Renewal $1,500
Our take
IA Valuations fits an independent agency owner who wants a fair market value to plan with, then an update every year or two. It is owned by an agents association, not by a buyer or an investment bank.
The report covers what drives the agency's value and comes with a call to walk through the results. Members of Big I Alliance Blue Plus, an agents association program, get a discount.
Its sales arm, Agency Link, works with both buyers and sellers, and IA Valuations hasn't published who pays it in a deal. Settle that before you use it to sell.
Pros
- Published valuation prices, with a cheaper renewal within two years
- Owned by a state agents association
- A results call and a value driver review with each report
- Perpetuation help with financial models and template documents
- Quarterly market reports built on its own valuation data
Cons
- Its listed prices can change with agency size and other factors
- Agency Link fees and who pays them aren't published
- One sale case study on its site
- Gathering the information takes the agency four to five hours
Who they work for
Sellers
Agency Link helps owners clarify goals, find qualified buyers or partners, negotiate and plan the handoff. In its one published case it advised the seller.
Buyers
Agency Link also works with owners who want to buy or merge with another agency.
Both sides through Agency Link. IA Valuations works with buyers and sellers and doesn't publish who pays it in a deal. If you sell through it, ask whether it is working for you alone.
Services
| Service | What you get |
|---|---|
| Fair market valuation | An independent value with planning ideas, a value driver review and a results call |
| Renewal valuation | An update with new financials at a lower rate within two years of the last one |
| Perpetuation and transition | Inside and outside succession plans, with financial models and template documents |
| Agency Link | Help buying, selling or merging: goals, value, finding a match, negotiation, due diligence and transition |
| Business consulting | Acquisition planning, growth strategy, operations, buy-sell agreements and governance |
| Education | Webinars for owners and the Valuation Views quarterly market report |
Agencies they work with
- Agency size
- All sizes. It prices its valuation with small and mid-size agencies in mind
- Types
- Independent agencies. Agency Link covers commercial, personal and life and health agencies
- Where
- United States, with partner agents associations in several states
How they value an agency
- Method
- Fair market value based on a multiple of pro forma EBITDA, checked against industry benchmarks
- Earnings measure
- Pro forma EBITDA, restated as a buyer would see it
- What adjusts the value
- Profit, growth, retention, the mix of the book of business, carrier relationships, staffing, ownership and risk
IA Valuations strips out revenue from accounts already lost, one-time gains, extra owner pay and above-market rent paid to an owner, then adds costs a buyer would carry, such as market rent.
Terms on this page in plain words
- EBITDA
- Profit for the year before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
- Multiple
- What a buyer pays for each dollar of yearly revenue or profit
- Fair market value
- What the agency would sell for between a willing buyer and seller who both know the facts
- Book of business
- The policies the agency writes and the commission income they produce
- Equity rollover
- Keeping a stake in the buying company as part of the price
- Perpetuation
- Handing the agency to people inside it, such as producers, partners or family
- Success fee
- The advisor's fee that comes due only when a deal closes
- Retainer
- An advance or monthly fee for the advisor's time
- Tail
- A set period after the agreement ends when you still owe the fee if you sell to a buyer the advisor introduced
Valuation reports, cost and timing
- What you get
- A fair market valuation report, a value driver review and a results call
- Price
- $2,500 for an Ohio agency, $3,500 outside Ohio and $1,500 for a renewal within two years. Size and other factors can change the final price
- Discounts
- Renewal valuations within two years. Big I Alliance Blue Plus members
- Your time
- About four to five hours to gather the financial, staff, ownership and book of business data
IA Valuations sends a checklist to the owner or the agency's accountant and can take the information in pieces.
Deal structure advice
IA Valuations asks sellers to rank what matters to them, from price and the full package to culture, staff and their own role after the sale. For inside perpetuation it sees seller-financed deals over about 10 years most often.
- Equity rollover
- IA Valuations says sellers in private equity deals often take part of the price as stock in the buyer
- Employment terms
- In its one posted sale, the seller signed a one-year contract with the buyer
Succession and after the sale
Perpetuation work covers inside succession, outside perpetuation and ownership transition plans. Agency Link adds transition support after a sale.
Yearly valuations for planning
IA Valuations promotes a yearly valuation so owners can track value while a handoff takes shape.
Template documents
Perpetuation work comes with financial modeling and template documents for the deal.
Credentials and transactions
- Designations
- Craig Niess is a Certified Valuation Analyst. Jeff Smith holds the CIC and Dawn Kuhn is a CPA
- Affiliations
- Ohio Insurance Agents Association (owner), Big I Alliance Blue Plus and partner state agents associations
Recent transactions
| Deal | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Ralph P. Sills Insurance Agency to Evarts Tremaine Agency | 2025 | Seller advisor |
Fees and engagement terms
Valuation prices are listed on its site. Agency Link fees, retainers, success fees, expenses and exclusivity are not on its site.
If you sell through Agency Link, ask
- What you pay and whether the buyer pays anything too
- Whether the fee is due only when the sale closes
- How long you are committed and what the tail is
- Whether your valuation fee counts toward the deal fee
IA Valuations alternatives
- Agency Consulting GroupDIY valuation software $750Yearly revaluations and a do-it-yourself valuation tool
- B. H. Burke & Co.Quote onlyCertified appraisers with a perpetuation focus
- Agency Brokerage ConsultantsOffer review $7,500Free valuation report for owners selling soon
- Springtree GroupFree valuation quoteLists smaller agencies for sale and arranges buyer loans
- Mercer CapitalQuote onlyAppraisal firm with a stated four to six week turnaround
See every option in insurance agency valuation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an IA Valuations valuation cost?
It lists $2,500 for an Ohio agency, $3,500 outside Ohio and $1,500 for a renewal within two years. Size and other factors can change the price, and Big I Alliance Blue Plus members can get a discount.
Who owns IA Valuations?
The Ohio Insurance Agents Association, which created it in 2017.
Does IA Valuations help sell an agency?
Yes, through Agency Link, which also works with buyers. It hasn't published what it charges for that work.
How much work is it for my agency?
IA Valuations estimates four to five hours to gather the information on its checklist.
Does it work with small agencies?
It says its valuation is priced for small and mid-size agencies and serves all sizes.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the pricing, terms and product pages published by IA Valuations, 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 IA Valuations quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where IA Valuations has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.