The vision for Ventis began in 2023 with the goal of bringing better broker support and stellar customer service to the UK real estate insurance market. Ventis underwrites a broad range of SME and mid-sized property risks, focusing on the risks often overlooked by larger insurers.
“I started Ventis not to reinvent the wheel but to do the basics, do them right, do them well, and do them consistently. Ventis – true to our name – is intended to be a breath of fresh air,” said CEO Gareth Roberts.
After 20 years in the real estate industry, Gareth noticed a shift in the dynamics of customer service among carriers, especially following the pandemic. He also observed that the hybrid work environment created new challenges.
“Without brokers, there is no business,” reflected Gareth. “Success is about our partnership with our brokers – we’re not trying to be everything to everybody. We’re building a small team that can be real estate brokers’ number one choice.”
Gareth delivered on his promise to put brokers first by founding Ventis.
To set up a new MGA, Gareth would need to take charge of all facets of the business including, regulatory compliance, IT, administration, strategic planning, credit management, finance, and human resources. Recognising the importance of having a solid infrastructure in place, he understood the necessity of being well-prepared to prevent becoming overwhelmed.
Gareth partnered with Accelerant-owned Mission Underwriters, which empowers high-performing underwriters to establish their own MGAs with the support of teams of business, finance, technology, marketing, and regulatory experts and differentiated technology infrastructure. Gareth was also excited about Accelerant’s five-year capacity, expert service model, and Risk Exchange.
After hitting the ground running and merely 5 months into these relationships, Ventis had already surpassed their initial growth targets by 30%+.
“It’s the quality of people that made it easy, both at Mission and Accelerant,” said Gareth. “The teams complement each other and everyone has vast experience, enabling faster deal flow and better business outcomes”
Gareth believes trust is the most valuable element in a long-term partnership. When Ventis joined forces with Accelerant, Ventis planned to work with a specific loss adjuster – “they are the best at what they do when it comes to our field and part of our strategy is to work with premium partners.” The loss adjuster wasn’t in Accelerant’s network yet, but Accelerant quickly onboarded them. This speed enabled Ventis to land its two largest clients!
“There’s a ‘can-do’ attitude at Accelerant that’s refreshing. Its forward-thinking approach and ability to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities makes doing business easy.”
In its commitment to be the best at what they do, Ventis focus is on targeting the business that may fall between the cracks at some large insurers due the high minimum premium in the real estate open market space. Ventis puts a unique new customer service model on the table with its IT platform and personal support empowering employees to make better decisions for customers.
According to Gareth, Ventis is the only MGA in their space with a branded digital platform built for real estate. The system works precisely the way they want it to, and that operational efficiency generates greater services from a team making more agile decisions with more data.
Ventis remains focused on its core business tackling a massive market opportunity. As the business expands, Gareth hopes to attract individuals who share the team’s DNA.
He stresses that the relationship Member MGAs have with their capacity provider is the most important: “Nurture this relationship over time – it should be at the forefront of everything you do. The more you put in, the more you get out, and that includes trust, transparency, and open communication.”