Vacant Express
Vacant Express (J.H. Ferguson & Associates, LLC) is a Managing General Agent founded in 1978 that underwrites and distributes specialty vacant property, landlord, builder's risk, and short-term rental insurance nationwide via licensed agents on behalf of Diamond State Insurance Company, part of Global Indemnity Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersBala Cynwyd, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vacant Express does
Vacant Express is the digital brand of J.H. Ferguson & Associates, LLC, a specialty Managing General Agent founded in 1978 and operating as a member of Global Indemnity Group, LLC. The company underwrites and distributes vacant, landlord, builder's risk, short-term rental, and vacant land insurance products on behalf of Diamond State Insurance Company (A.M. Best A Excellent). Its customer base is fragmented across individual property owners, landlords, builders, and short-term rental operators in the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii for premises liability, with surplus lines treatment in AL, FL, LA, and MS).
The company's core technology is a proprietary online portal (VacantExpress.com) that enables registered licensed P&C agents to quote, bind, and issue policies electronically 24/7 across most states. The platform supports flexible policy terms (3, 6, or 12 months) and installment billing, with minimum retained premiums of $100. Product coverage limits reach up to $5 million in property, $1 million in general liability (and $2 million aggregate for landlord), with named peril and all-risk forms available for short-term rentals. Distribution is exclusively wholesale/agent-based — Vacant Express does not sell direct to consumers and instead relies on a nationwide agent network and an agent locator tool to source policyholders.
Commercially, Vacant Express generates revenue through insurance premiums collected via licensed agents on a subscription/recurring basis. Pricing starts at a $100 minimum policy premium with percentage-based down payments (25% for 12-month, 50% for 6-month, 100% for 3-month policies) and installment plans on longer terms. The company pursues no external funding as a subsidiary of a rated insurance group, and operates with 101–250 employees headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Vacant Express firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vacant Express
- Legal name
- J.H. Ferguson & Associates, LLC
- Website
- https://vacantexpress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Vacant Express (J.H. Ferguson & Associates, LLC) is a Managing General Agent founded in 1978 that underwrites and distributes specialty vacant property, landlord, builder's risk, and short-term rental insurance nationwide via licensed agents on behalf of Diamond State Insurance Company, part of Global Indemnity Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Vacant Express is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bala Cynwyd
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Vacant Express business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Premium Revenue: Vacant Express operates as a Managing General Agent for Diamond State Insurance Company, collecting insurance premiums from policyholders through licensed insurance agents. The company offers flexible policy terms of 3, 6, and 12 months with premium installments available for longer-term policies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard insurance policy with minimum $100 premium |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Vacant Express product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vacant Express is a Managing General Agent that underwrites and distributes specialty insurance policies for vacant residential dwellings, vacant commercial buildings, rental property landlords, renovations, builders risk during construction, short-term rentals, and vacant land. Coverage is offered on behalf of Diamond State Insurance Company, an A-rated carrier within the Global Indemnity Group, and is delivered exclusively through licensed insurance agents via an online platform that supports electronic quoting, binding, and policy issuance.
Product overview
Vacant Express provides a comprehensive portfolio of specialty insurance products for vacant, rental, and construction properties. The product suite includes eight distinct offerings: Vacant Dwelling Insurance for unoccupied residential properties, Vacant Commercial Buildings for commercial properties, Landlord Insurance for rental properties with up to four units, Renovations coverage for properties undergoing remodeling, Builders Risk Insurance for new construction up to $5M in value, Short Term Rental Insurance for vacation homes with property limits up to $5M, Builders Risk Premises Liability Insurance for construction site liability, and Vacant Land Insurance for undeveloped properties. The company operates as a Managing General Agent for Diamond State Insurance Company, providing electronic quote, bind, and issue capabilities through an online platform for registered insurance agents nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vacant Dwelling Insurance
Companies that use Vacant Express
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Vacant Express technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Vacant Express partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- J.H. Ferguson & AssociatescoreJ.H. Ferguson & Associates created VacantExpress.com and is the Managing General Agent for Diamond State Insurance Company. The company is an industry leader in vacant property insurance since 1978, understanding the nuances of vacant property insurance and responding to the needs of both insurance customers and producers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vacant Express competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Markel Corporation: Large specialty insurer with a property and inland marine book that includes builder's risk, lessor's risk, and vacant property coverage — overlapping in product set while operating across a much broader specialty portfolio.
- Westfield Insurance: Mid-sized U.S. property and casualty carrier with specialty and small commercial offerings including vacant and rental dwelling coverage — a regional incumbent with overlapping products but a broader personal and commercial book.
- Hiscox USA: Specialty insurer offering landlord, vacant/renovation property, and builder's risk products through agents and brokers — competing in the same non-owner-occupied and small commercial property niche from a broader specialty platform.
Emerging players
- Kinsale Insurance: Public E&S specialty insurer with growing small commercial and habitational property appetite, including landlord and non-owner-occupied risks — a newer, technology-forward entrant competing for the same specialty property submissions.
Direct peers
- SageSure Insurance Managers: Tech-enabled MGA specializing in coastal and catastrophe-exposed personal and small commercial property — closely comparable in MGA model, electronic agent platform, and concentration on difficult-to-place property risks.
- Burns & Wilcox: National wholesale insurance broker and MGA placing specialty property risks, including vacant and non-owner-occupied dwellings, into E&S markets — directly comparable in wholesale distribution model and producer-facing electronic workflow.
- Rockhill Insurance: Program manager and specialty MGA writing commercial habitational, vacant, and landlord property risks through wholesale and retail producers — directly comparable in MGA structure, specialty property focus, and agent distribution model.
- American Modern Insurance Group: Specialty insurer (an AmTrust company) writing vacant dwellings, landlord, builder's risk, and short-term rental coverage through agent and direct channels — a direct functional competitor across nearly all of Vacant Express's product lines.
- RPS (Risk Placement Services): One of the largest U.S. wholesale brokers and MGAs, placing specialty property risks including vacant property through a national producer network — overlapping directly in distribution model, producer self-service tools, and specialty property appetite.
- Foremost Insurance Group: Specialty property and casualty insurer (part of Fortegra) with a long-standing focus on vacant, seasonal, and non-standard dwellings as well as landlord and mobile home coverage — directly overlapping Vacant Express's core vacant dwelling and landlord products.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Vacant Express social profiles
Digital presenceVacant Express financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vacant Express leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Vacant Express funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vacant Express M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vacant Express
What does Vacant Express do?
Vacant Express is a Managing General Agent that underwrites and distributes specialty insurance policies for vacant residential dwellings, vacant commercial buildings, rental property landlords, renovations, builders risk during construction, short-term rentals, and vacant land. Coverage is offered on behalf of Diamond State Insurance Company, an A-rated carrier within the Global Indemnity Group, and is delivered exclusively through licensed insurance agents via an online platform that supports electronic quoting, binding, and policy issuance.
Is Vacant Express a public or private company?
Vacant Express is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Vacant Express founded?
Vacant Express was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Vacant Express based?
Vacant Express is headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vacant Express make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Premium Revenue.
Who are Vacant Express's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Markel Corporation, Westfield Insurance and Hiscox USA. Kinsale Insurance is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are SageSure Insurance Managers, Burns & Wilcox, Rockhill Insurance, American Modern Insurance Group, RPS (Risk Placement Services) and Foremost Insurance Group.
Does Vacant Express have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vacant Express.