OPTIS Partners review: agency valuation, M&A advice and fees
OPTIS Partners is a small Chicago firm that values insurance agencies, plans perpetuation and represents sellers and buyers. It also checks a target agency's books for buyers before they close.
Since 2005 it reports working on deals from $500,000 to more than $250 million. All fees are quoted.
- Best for
- Owners who want a fair market value and a funded perpetuation plan, or buyers who need due diligence
- Works for
- Sellers and buyers, in separate engagements
- Services
- Valuation, perpetuation, sale and purchase advice, buyer due diligence
- Deal sizes it reports
- From $500,000 to more than $250 million
- Valuation fee
- Quote only
Our take
OPTIS fits an owner who wants a fair market valuation and a handoff plan from people who also do deals. Its PACT framework walks through People, Agency Value, Capital and Time.
For buyers it offers financial due diligence, a close check of revenue, payroll, cash and money owed to carriers. That is useful for an agency buying its first book.
It publishes regular research on agent and broker deals across North America. It lists only one closed deal of its own on its site.
Pros
- Fair market valuations for many purposes, from ESOPs to fairness opinions
- PACT perpetuation planning with a funding plan
- Seller and buyer representation
- Buyer due diligence with quality of earnings work
- Regular public research on agency deals
Cons
- All fees and turnaround are quoted
- Only one closed deal listed on its site
- Works for buyers and sellers
- A small team of partners
Who they work for
Sellers
OPTIS writes the sale book, finds and qualifies buyers, sets up meetings and negotiates price and terms.
Buyers
Buyers get strategy, target screening, financial models, due diligence, negotiation and help combining the agencies.
Two sides, one firm. OPTIS offers separate seller and buyer services. Ask it to confirm it has no buyer client bidding on your agency.
Services
| Service | What you get |
|---|---|
| Fair market valuation | For shareholder agreements, perpetuation, ESOPs, minority stakes, personal goodwill, fairness opinions and tax changes |
| Perpetuation planning | The PACT framework, a valuation base, a funding plan and cash flow projections |
| Selling an agency | A sale book, qualified buyers, meetings and negotiation |
| Buyer representation | Strategy, screening, models, diligence, return on investment analysis, negotiation and integration |
| Buyer due diligence | Revenue, payroll, cash, receivables and carrier payables, plus quality of earnings |
| Seminars | Perpetuation and M&A talks for agents and carriers |
Agencies they work with
- Deal sizes it reports
- From $500,000 to more than $250 million since 2005
- Types
- Agents and brokers, carriers and their agents, agent associations and banks
- Where
- United States
How they value an agency
- Method
- Fair market value: the price a willing buyer and seller would agree on, after a review of finances, operations and risk
- What adjusts the value
- Future profit, concentration, how long clients stay, staff, producer ownership rights and systems
Producer ownership rights matter because a producer who owns the accounts can take them on the way out. OPTIS weighs that alongside marketplace risks and risks specific to the firm.
Terms on this page in plain words
- Fair market value
- What the agency would sell for between a willing buyer and seller who both know the facts
- ESOP
- A plan that holds company stock for employees, sometimes used to buy out an owner
- Quality of earnings
- A check that the profit figures a deal rests on are real and will last
- 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
- Report types
- Fair market valuation report, fairness opinion, quality of earnings and pro forma analysis, sale book and perpetuation funding plan
- How it's priced
- Quote for each job, with turnaround agreed in the engagement
Selling your agency with them
Sale book
OPTIS writes a confidential information memorandum about the agency.
Buyers
It finds buyers and checks that they are qualified.
Meetings
It sets up and runs meetings between you and the buyers.
Negotiation
It negotiates price, terms and conditions for you.
Deal structure advice
OPTIS advises sellers on price and deal structure and negotiates the terms. On the buy side it negotiates terms and conditions and checks the target's pro forma results before closing.
Succession and after the sale
Perpetuation runs on its PACT framework. OPTIS sets the value, plans how the handoff will be paid for and builds the cash flow projections the plan depends on.
People, Agency Value, Capital, Time
The four parts of PACT: who takes over, what the agency is worth, where the money comes from and how long the handoff takes.
Credentials and transactions
- Team
- Timothy J. Cunningham, Steven Germundson and Daniel P. Menzer, a CPA
- Research
- A regular report on agent and broker deals in North America
Recent transactions
| Deal | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| J.P. Kush and Associates to Reliance Global Group | 2021 | Buyer advisor |
Fees and engagement terms
OPTIS quotes its fees, retainer, expenses, exclusivity and tail terms with each engagement. None are on its site.
Ask OPTIS to confirm
- The valuation fee and how long the report takes
- For a sale, the success fee and what it is based on
- Any retainer and the expenses you pay
- How long you are exclusive and the tail after that
OPTIS Partners alternatives
- B. H. Burke & Co.Quote onlyCertified appraisers with a perpetuation focus
- Reagan ConsultingFees not publishedLarger brokerages, with fee types disclosed
- INS Capital GroupQuote onlyThree valuation levels and bank loans for buyers
- Agency Consulting GroupDIY valuation software $750Inside handoffs and a do-it-yourself valuation tool
- Mercer CapitalQuote onlyAppraisal firm with a stated turnaround
See every option in insurance agency valuation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an OPTIS valuation cost?
OPTIS quotes each one, along with how long it will take.
Does OPTIS represent buyers or sellers?
Both, in separate engagements. Buyers can also hire it just for due diligence.
What is the PACT framework?
Its perpetuation method, built on People, Agency Value, Capital and Time. It ends with a valuation, a funding plan and cash flow projections.
What size deals does OPTIS handle?
Since 2005 it reports deals from $500,000 to more than $250 million.
How we researched this review. We based this review on the terms and product pages published by OPTIS Partners, 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 OPTIS Partners quit selling or a contract term that reads different now, let us know and send the link to the page where OPTIS Partners has it. Somebody here pulls up that page and checks it before we change anything on ours.