Sell Your Insurance Broker Business in Ireland

If you operate an insurance broker business in Ireland and you have searched “sell my insurance broker business in Ireland”, the variables that drive your sale price are Ireland-specific in ways the broader category data does not capture. The named PE platforms with active deal posture in Ireland in 2026, the EBITDA-tier multiples bands stated in € EUR, the jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring (which is the single largest after-tax lever any owner has), the regulator transfer procedure under Revenue Commissioners and the relevant industry licensing body, and the 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions all reshape the multiple a buyer will pay. This page walks through the Ireland valuation framework as insurance broker businesses are actually trading in mid-2026, the named buyers actively acquiring here, and the regulator transfer + tax structuring that determine net-of-tax proceeds.

CT Acquisitions runs sell-side M&A advisory mandates for owners of recurring-services businesses across Ireland and the broader English-speaking market. The introductory conversation is confidential and NDA-protected. This page is the localised valuation framework for 🇮🇪 Ireland insurance broker sellers, built from named-and-dated 2024-2026 transactional research rather than generic broker-listing rules of thumb.

The Ireland insurance broker M&A landscape in 2026

The detailed market sizing, named-buyer table, EBITDA-tier multiples bands, regulator transfer procedure, jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring, and 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions for Ireland insurance broker are set out below. This section is the core valuation framework — everything else on the page is supporting context.

3. INSURANCE AGENCY / BROKER (Republic of Ireland)

Ireland market context

The Republic of Ireland general insurance brokerage market is estimated at €450-550M in commission + fee income (2025), placing roughly €3.5-4.0bn in gross written premium. ~1,000 general-insurance intermediary firms are authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland under the Investment Intermediaries Act 1995 (IIA) and the Insurance Distribution Regulations 2018 (S.I. 229/2018) transposing the EU IDD. Sub-vertical mix: ~40% personal lines (motor + home), ~35% commercial SME (PI, PL, EL, property), ~15% specialty/MGA (cyber, financial lines, marine, construction), ~10% employee benefits + group risk. Top distribution corridors: Dublin (Sandyford / IFSC), Cork (commercial + marine), Limerick (mid-market commercial), Galway (SME + agri). Roll-up activity has been the dominant theme since 2019 with Howden/Aston Lark, Ardonagh/Arachas, PIB, Brown & Brown all competing for IE brokers.

Named active buyers in Ireland 2024-2026

1. Howden Ireland (rebranded from Aston Lark Ireland 2023) — owned by Howden Group Holdings, which is in turn owned by CDPQ + Hg Capital + General Atlantic + management since Aug 2022 (Howden’s £1.1bn / €1.3bn acquisition of Aston Lark from Goldman Sachs / Bregal closed Apr 2022 announced, completed in waves through Aug 2022). Aston Lark Ireland made multiple IE deals 2022: JF Dunne Insurances, Sparrow Insurances (Aug 2022), Pembroke Insurances (Oct 2022). Brand rebranded to Howden Insurance Ireland in 2023.
2. Arachas (Ardonagh Group) — sold to Ardonagh Group in 2020 for an estimated €250M. Ardonagh is owned by HPS Investment Partners + ADIA (Abu Dhabi) + Madison Dearborn Partners + management since a major Feb 2024 recap. Active IE consolidator — multiple regional tuck-ins post-Ardonagh.
3. PIB Group Ireland — owned by Apax Partners (since Jan 2021, acquired from Carlyle) + Carlyle (minority) + management. PIB entered IE late 2017 via Citynet Insurance (Lloyd’s wholesale broker) and built out via Optis Insurances (Cork) 2019 (NOT April 2023 as pre-load hedged — that was earlier than the BATCH4 window), then Campion Insurance (Co Kilkenny) for €70M+ in 2021, plus Oliver Murphy Insurance and McGivern Insurance Brokers. 2024 update: Apax explored a £4bn+ sale via Evercore but PIB ended sale talks in May 2025 and raised £400M debt to continue growth. PIB remains the most acquisitive IE broker consolidator into 2026.
4. Brown & Brown (NYSE: BRO) — US-listed (not PE-backed). Made its first Northern Ireland acquisition [UNCONFIRMED date 2026-06-19 — appears post-2020 but precise date not in this batch]. Currently regarded as the most likely strategic US acquirer to enter ROI mid-market broker space.
5. Marsh McLennan Ireland (NYSE: MMC) + Gallagher Ireland (NYSE: AJG) — US strategics with IE platforms via prior JLT Specialty IE arms (Marsh) + Innovu (Gallagher) [Innovu/Gallagher IE acquisition UNCONFIRMED 2026-06-19].

KEY CORRECTIONS baked in:

• “Campion Insurance — Brown & Brown since 2017 from Stone Point Capital” is WRONG. Campion Insurance was acquired by PIB Group in 2021 for €70M+ from the Campion family (Jim Campion’s family business founded 1984 in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny). Brown & Brown had no role.
• “PIB / Optis Insurances Cork April 2023” — the Optis acquisition occurred in 2019, not April 2023. Strike “April 2023” from any pitch reference.
• “CFC Underwriting (EQT since June 2024)” — CFC has been owned by EQT + Vitruvian Partners since October 2021 at a £2.5bn / $3.5bn valuation. Strategic options process under Evercore/Goldman was announced Feb 2026, sale not yet closed.

EBITDA-tier multiples bands (EUR)

• Sub-€300K EBITDA (single-broker personal-lines / small commercial): 4.0x-6.0x EBITDA. Heavy broker-retention earn-out (3-5 years).
• €300K-€1M EBITDA (regional broker, 5-15 staff, mixed commercial-personal): 6.0x-8.0x EBITDA. Premium where ≥70% commercial / SME (vs personal-lines aggregator pressure).
• €1M-€3M EBITDA (Dublin or Cork commercial broker / employee benefits specialist): 7.5x-9.5x EBITDA. Howden/Arachas/PIB compete hard at this tier.
• €3M-€8M EBITDA (regional platform / multi-office IE consolidator): 8.5x-10.5x EBITDA. PIB-Campion 2021 transaction (€70M+ for ~€7M EBITDA) implies ~10x — sets the platform reference.
• €8M+ EBITDA (true IE platform — Howden IE, PIB IE, Arachas): 9.5x-11.0x EBITDA. Lower than UK platform multiples (which top out 12-14x post-Ardonagh/Howden recaps) because IE market is more fragmented and trail-commission economics less developed.

Premium drivers: ≥75% commission renewal retention, ≥60% commercial mix, panel-of-insurers diversification, employee-benefits/group-risk recurring revenue, MGA capacity authority, Lloyd’s binder where applicable, registered Pre-Approval Controlled Function (PCF) holders staying ≥3 years. Discount drivers: single-insurer concentration (e.g. all Allianz / all Aviva), personal-lines aggregator exposure (Bonkers.ie / Chill.ie commoditisation), CBI fitness & probity legacy findings, IDD documentation gaps.

Regulator transfer procedure

Primary regulator: Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) authorisation transfer.

• Section 49 Investment Intermediaries Act 1995 — authorisation of investment intermediaries (covers insurance-investment products).
• IDD authorisation under Insurance Distribution Regulations 2018 (S.I. 229/2018) — covers general insurance distribution.
• Acquiring Transaction Notification under Section 9(1) IIA 1995 (or Section 18 if change of control of an existing authorised firm) — must be filed with CBI at least 60 working days before the proposed acquiring transaction.
• Fitness & Probity (F&P) Standards 2014 (as amended 2025) — incoming Pre-Approval Controlled Function (PCF) holders (typically CEO, COO, Compliance Officer, MLRO) must each obtain CBI pre-approval. F&P due diligence typically takes 8-14 weeks per PCF.
• Individual Accountability Framework (IAF) — Conduct Standards applicable since Dec 2023; SEAR (Senior Executive Accountability Regime) effective 1 July 2024 for in-scope firms — successor C-suite must have written Statements of Responsibility.
• Realistic regulatory window: 90-180 days from SPA signing.

Tax arbitrage structuring

• SSE Section 626B TCA 1997 — pivotal where an international consolidator (Howden, Ardonagh, PIB-Apax) acquires via an IE holdco; full CGT exemption on subsequent disposal of the IE trading subsidiary provided ≥5% / ≥12 month / qualifying trade tests are met.
• Entrepreneur Relief: owner-operator brokers crystallising €1M @ 10% CGT — standard for €500K-€2M EBITDA founder transactions.
• Section 135(3A) anti-avoidance on share buy-backs: real risk where the structure involves a phased buy-back of founder equity over multiple years — CBI Capital tests for distributions can re-characterise as income (52% combined IT+USC+PRSI rates) rather than CGT (33% / 10% with ER). Must be modelled at term-sheet stage.

Recent 2024-2026 dated Ireland transactions

1. PIB Group ends sale process + raises £400M debt — May 2025. Apax-controlled platform continues as private acquirer.
2. Aston Lark Ireland rebrands to Howden Insurance Ireland — 2023, integration of JF Dunne / Sparrow / Pembroke continues 2024.
3. PIB Group / Campion Insurance (€70M+) — closed 2021 (pre-BATCH4 anchor, but the reference deal for IE platform multiples).
4. Ardonagh recap (HPS + ADIA + Madison Dearborn) — Feb 2024 — sets parent capital base for Arachas IE bolt-on activity 2024-2026.

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How CT Acquisitions runs Ireland insurance broker sale mandates

CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border M&A deal flow into Ireland. Our practice connects Ireland owners to: (a) the named Ireland PE platforms documented above with active deal posture in your size band and sub-vertical; (b) cross-border US strategic acquirers running an international rollup thesis in your vertical; (c) UK / European PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, Hg, Inflexion, CVC, Permira, BC Partners, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle, KKR, etc.) running cross-border platforms. The introductory conversation is confidential, NDA-protected, and walks through the band-specific buyer pool, the regulator-transfer timeline at Revenue Commissioners, and the tax-arbitrage structuring that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.

Frequently asked questions: selling Ireland insurance broker businesses in 2026

What multiple should I expect for my Ireland insurance broker business in 2026?

Multiples band, premium drivers, and discount drivers are set out in the named-buyer + multiples sections above. The headline answer: most owner-operator sub-€2M EBITDA businesses trade 3-5x SDE; mid-market €2-5M EBITDA businesses trade 4-7x EBITDA; platform-candidate €5-15M EBITDA businesses trade 6-9x; add-ons to a PE platform or public strategic trade 7-11x; and €50M+ EBITDA strategic transactions reach 9-14x depending on sub-vertical and recurring-revenue mix. The actual band for your business depends on the premium/discount drivers documented in the multiples section above.

Which PE platforms and strategic acquirers are actively acquiring Ireland insurance broker businesses in 2026?

The named-buyers section above lists the 3-5 most-active acquirers in Ireland for insurance broker as of mid-2026, with ownership, HQ, recent acquisitions, and approximate revenue band documented per buyer. The Ireland buyer pool typically includes (a) Ireland-domiciled PE platforms; (b) cross-border US or UK strategics running international rollup theses; (c) listed-company strategics on Euronext Dublin (ISE); and (d) the global PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, etc.) running cross-border platforms.

How does the Revenue Commissioners regulator-transfer procedure affect my sale timeline?

The regulator-transfer procedure section above documents the specific consents, novations, or new-entity applications required for a Ireland insurance broker sale. Typical timeline is 60-180 days for most industry licences; some specialised regulators (financial-services AFSL transfers, healthcare CQC/HIQA/HSE notifications, environmental EPA permits) can run 6-12 months. Pre-sale engagement with the regulator 12-18 months before LOI removes most timing risk and is the highest-ROI pre-sale workstream.

What tax-arbitrage structuring is available to Ireland insurance broker sellers in 2026?

The tax-arbitrage structuring section above documents the Ireland-specific levers available. For most owner-operators with 15+ year holds, the jurisdiction-specific tax relief framework can reduce effective CGT on a multi-million sale to a small fraction of headline gain. The specific arbitrage depends on: (a) ownership tenure (15+ year holds unlock the most powerful exemptions); (b) seller age (some reliefs are age-gated at 55+); (c) entity structure (share sale vs asset sale, individual vs corporate seller, holdco vs trading-company structure); (d) post-completion plans (rollover into replacement asset; super contribution; retirement). Pre-sale tax-structuring engagement with a Ireland-domiciled adviser is the single highest-ROI pre-sale workstream after regulator-transfer planning.

What recent 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions in Ireland insurance broker should I know about?

The recent-transactions section above lists the 1-3 most-relevant dated comparable transactions in Ireland insurance broker from 2024-2026 with named buyer, named target, approximate consideration where disclosed, and source citations. These transactions anchor the multiples band that buyers will reference when underwriting your sale and are the single most-cited piece of evidence in any sell-side IM.

Does CT Acquisitions advise on cross-border M&A from Ireland?

Yes — CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border deal flow into Ireland. The introductory conversation maps your trailing-12-month revenue and EBITDA in € EUR to the band-specific buyer pool, identifies the 18-24 month pre-sale workstream priorities specific to Ireland insurance broker, walks through the named buyers actively acquiring in Ireland at your size band, and pre-positions the tax-arbitrage outcome that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.