What Encore Advisors does

Encore Advisors is a private boutique employee benefits brokerage founded in 2007 by Brett and Nicole Lane and headquartered in Norcross, Georgia (Atlanta metro / Gwinnett County). The firm provides customized group health, ancillary, and executive benefits solutions to over 100 small and mid-sized businesses, typically with employee counts ranging from under 10 to 1,000. Clients span manufacturing (Nydree Flooring), non-profit (Promise686, Southpointe Community Church), construction/roofing (All Roof Solutions, Bryan Electric), dental/healthcare (Gwinnett Family Dental Care), and media/consulting (Imagine Media Consulting) — a deliberately diversified SMB book.

The firm's service catalog centers on Group Benefits brokerage (package design, enrollment support, claims assistance, compliance guidance, year-round account management), supplemented by an Executive Planning practice (legacy arrangements, buy-sell and key man agreements, individual life insurance) and ancillary compliance/HR advisory services. Encore Advisors does not operate a proprietary benefits or enrollment platform; instead, it integrates with third-party HR/payroll systems including Employee Navigator, ADP, Namely, Paylocity, Paycom, Paycor, and Thread, and accesses 18+ insurance carrier relationships (Aetna, BCBS, United Healthcare, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Metlife, Unum, Guardian) to source coverage.

The revenue model is recurring commission-based: Encore Advisors earns ongoing compensation from carriers for placed business, with services quoted and tailored per client and no publicly disclosed pricing. The go-to-market is consultative, relationship-led, and reliant on referrals and testimonials rather than paid acquisition — there is no evidence of formal content marketing, paid advertising, or outside sales infrastructure. The team comprises five named professionals (founder couple plus VP-level client experience, group benefits, and client experience representatives), and the geographic operating footprint is the Southeast US with select out-of-state relationships.

Name

Encore Advisors

Legal name

Encore Advisors

Website

https://encoreadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Encore Advisors is a private boutique employee benefits brokerage serving over 100 small and mid-sized Southeast US businesses with health insurance, group benefits, and executive planning. Founded in 2007 in Norcross, Georgia, the firm earns recurring commissions via 18+ insurance carrier relationships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employee Benefits Brokerage

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards Advisory (BPACAJAG), Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

• Employee benefits brokerage
• Group health insurance
• Executive benefits planning
• Benefits consulting
• HR compliance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: As an employee benefits broker, Encore Advisors earns commissions from insurance carriers for placing employee health insurance and benefits coverage for their clients. This is a recurring commission-based model where they receive compensation from insurance providers for business brought to them.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Encore Advisors is a boutique employee benefits brokerage that designs, places, and services group health, dental, vision, life, disability and voluntary benefits packages for small and mid-sized employers (under 10 to 1,000 employees) using a network of 18+ insurance carriers. The firm also delivers executive planning services covering legacy arrangements, key man and buy-sell agreements, individual life insurance, plus ancillary advisory services including compliance guidance, HR resources, payroll/HRIS integrations and year-round account management.

Product overview

Encore Advisors is a boutique employee benefits broker that provides a unified service offering centered around Group Benefits and Executive Planning. Their primary product is Group Benefits, which encompasses customized benefits packages, technology solutions for benefits management, and payroll and carrier integrations. Their Executive Planning service offers legacy arrangements and life insurance solutions. Additional services include compliance guidance and HR resources, all delivered through a consultative, partner-based approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Benefits Core employee benefits brokerage service for small and mid-sized employers (under 10 to 1,000 employees), offering customized group benefits packages, education on benefits and usage, ongoing enrollment maintenance, claims assistance, technology solutions for benefits management, and payroll/carrier data integrations.
• Executive Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• Lowered premiums while improving coverage for clients

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AetnacoreTechnology or IntegrationInsurance carrier partner providing health insurance products. One of 18+ carrier relationships enabling Encore to offer diverse coverage options to clients.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)coreTechnology or IntegrationMajor insurance carrier partner providing health insurance products and coverage options to Encore's client base.
• United HealthcarecoreTechnology or IntegrationLeading national health insurance carrier partner providing coverage options through Encore's brokerage.
• CignacoreTechnology or IntegrationInsurance carrier partner offering health and benefits solutions to Encore's SMB client base.
• HumanacoreTechnology or IntegrationInsurance carrier partner providing health insurance and benefits products.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated health system partner offering coverage options in select markets.
• Employee NavigatorcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology integration for benefits management and enrollment. Encore directs clients to Employee Navigator for benefits administration and integrates with their platform for seamless data management.
• ADPcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayroll integration partner. Encore works with ADP for payroll and carrier data integrations, ensuring seamless benefits administration for clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• OneDigital: OneDigital is a large-scale boutique-leaning employee benefits, HR consulting, and wealth management firm that targets mid-market employers with a consultative, year-round service model — directly comparable to Encore Advisors' positioning, especially across the Southeast.
• Holmes Murphy: Holmes Murphy is an independent, employee-owned insurance brokerage with a strong employee benefits practice focused on middle-market employers, mirroring Encore's boutique, relationship-driven approach.
• Burnham Benefits: Burnham Benefits is a specialty employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm serving mid-market and select SMB clients in California with a high-touch advisory model analogous to Encore's.

Broad incumbents

• Lockton Companies: Lockton is one of the largest independent insurance brokerages globally with a major employee benefits practice serving mid-market and enterprise employers — a broader-scope comparator for Encore's benefits focus.
• USI Insurance Services: USI is a large national insurance brokerage with a substantial employee benefits practice serving middle-market clients across many regions; relevant as a scaled incumbent competing for the same mid-market segment.
• HUB International: HUB International is a large North American insurance brokerage with broad employee benefits capabilities and a growing footprint across the Southeast — overlapping Encore's regional and service focus.
• Marsh McLennan Agency: Marsh McLennan Agency is the middle-market arm of Marsh, offering employee benefits and HR consulting at significantly greater scale than Encore but to a similar SMB/mid-market buyer segment.
• Brown & Brown Insurance: Brown & Brown is a large national insurance broker with a strong employee benefits division; while broader in scope, it competes in the same Southeast SMB-to-mid-market corridor as Encore.
• AssuredPartners: AssuredPartners is a national insurance brokerage with employee benefits practices across the Southeast, competing for mid-market benefits business similar to Encore's.
• NFP (an Aon company): NFP is a mid-market-focused insurance broker and benefits consultant with a strong presence across the Southeast; competes for the same relationship-driven, multi-line benefits accounts as Encore.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Encore Advisors