Staying power: the MGA advantage
The top MGAs in Canada are winning on performance. In a market where broker reliance has levelled into consistent patterns, Insurance Business Canada’s 2025 Brokers on MGAs survey highlights the organizations that distinguish themselves through responsiveness, technical expertise, and ability to place risks that direct markets will not touch. Their strength lies less in market share and more in how they deliver speed, sound governance, and specialized capacity that brokers value most.
As executive director of the Canadian Association of Managing General Agents (CAMGA), Steve Masnyk, put it, “A valuable MGA to brokers is one that is an expert in a certain niche product or class, in a certain region of the country, and one whose service levels exceed what carriers are offering today. It’s a trusted partnership between the broker and the underwriter.”
IBC’s 2023–25 survey data show a channel defined by consistency. Broker reliance on MGAs has neither expanded nor declined but instead settled into a dependable mid-tier role. MGAs remain the go-to option for specialty placements and flexible capacity, while the bulk of broker business continues to flow through direct markets. IBC’s survey confirms a pattern of steady use, where brokers lean on MGAs for certain classes, but not as their dominant distribution channel. Or, as Masnyk says, “There is no such thing as a bad risk; there are only badly priced risks.”
Read more :
The Top MGAs in Canada | 5-Star Brokers on MGAs
