Rafail Insurance Agency

What Rafail Insurance Agency does

Rafail Insurance Agency is an independent insurance brokerage founded in 2009 in Houston, Texas, by Mark and Sylvia Rafail. The firm operates as a carrier-agnostic broker, shopping coverage across multiple A-rated national and specialty carriers — including The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Chubb, USLI, GEICO, and Travelers — to place commercial, business, personal, life, and benefits insurance for Houston-area business owners, commercial property owners, real estate investors, contractors, and families. The agency also offers insurance expert witness and litigation support services through Mark Rafail, distinguishing it from typical retail brokerages.

The firm's product portfolio spans Commercial Insurance (commercial property, commercial auto, general liability, cyber liability, professional liability/E&O, workers' compensation), Business Insurance tailored by industry and stage, Personal Insurance (home, auto, flood/wind, umbrella), Life Insurance (term, whole, key-person, buy-sell), and Employee Benefits (group health, dental, vision, group life, disability, 401(k)). The agency reports 6,000+ policies serviced, 500+ businesses insured, 1,000+ individuals insured, and nearly $1B in assets insured. Two-time Houston Chronicle "Best Insurance Agency" recognition and MDRT membership provide regional brand credibility. The technology stack is standard for an independent brokerage — no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no published APIs or integrations — with operations run through direct customer relationships, a website quote/booking flow, and referral partnerships.

Revenue is generated through standard insurance brokerage commissions paid by carriers on placed and renewed policies. The agency employs approximately 10 people with 150+ years of combined industry experience, and is led by Mark Rafail as President and Principal Broker and Sylvia Rafail as Vice President. The firm is privately held, founder-owned, and operates without external institutional capital. Its primary market is Greater Houston and Texas, with active expansion into Arizona and Florida. Go-to-market is sales-led and education-first, anchored by a free, no-obligation policy review offer and supported by content marketing, community events (CCIM, Coldwell Banker, Houston Astros networking), and referrals from attorneys, real estate professionals, and contractors.

Name

Rafail Insurance Agency

Legal name

Rafail Insurance Agency

Website

https://rafailinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rafail Insurance Agency is an independent Houston-based insurance brokerage founded in 2009 that shops commercial, personal, life, and benefits coverage across multiple A-rated carriers for business owners, property owners, real estate investors, and families across Texas, Arizona, and Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

Keywords

• Independent insurance brokerage
• Commercial insurance coverage
• Business insurance solutions
• Personal lines insurance
• Employee benefits brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: As an independent insurance broker, Rafail Insurance Agency earns commissions from insurance carriers (The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Chubb, USLI, GEICO, Travelers) for placing insurance policies. They shop coverage across multiple A-rated carriers and earn commission-based compensation on each policy sold or renewed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rafail Insurance Agency is an independent insurance brokerage that shops commercial, business, personal, life, and employee benefits coverage across multiple A-rated carriers (The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Chubb, USLI, GEICO, Travelers). The agency delivers free policy reviews, gap analysis, plain-language coverage recommendations, and annual re-reviews to Houston business owners, commercial property owners, real estate investors, contractors, and families. It also provides insurance expert witness and litigation support for attorneys handling coverage disputes.

Product overview

Rafail Insurance Agency is an independent insurance brokerage offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services for Houston business owners and families. The core offering consists of Commercial Insurance and Business Insurance programs that protect the physical and financial foundation of businesses, supplemented by Personal Insurance, Life Insurance, and Benefits services. The Commercial Insurance umbrella includes sub-products for commercial property, commercial auto, general liability, cyber liability, professional liability (E&O), and workers' compensation. The agency operates as an independent broker, shopping across multiple A-rated carriers including The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Chubb, USLI, GEICO, and Travelers to find coverage that fits each client's specific needs. Additional services include expert witness and litigation support for insurance coverage disputes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Insurance Comprehensive commercial insurance program protecting business property, income, and liability including commercial property, general liability, cyber liability, workers' compensation, professional liability (E&O), and commercial auto coverage for Houston business owners.
• Business Insurance Business insurance tailored by industry and stage for Houston companies including contractors, restaurants, franchises, convenience stores, manufacturers, and service-based businesses.
• Personal Insurance Personal lines coverage including home, auto, flood and wind, and umbrella coverage for business owners and their households.
• Life Insurance Term and whole life insurance for families and business owners protecting income, loved ones, business continuity, key-person coverage, buy-sell funding, and collateral for business loans.
• Benefits Employee benefits packages for Houston employers including group health, dental, vision, group life, disability, and 401(k) retirement plans.
• Commercial Property Insurance Coverage for buildings, equipment, inventory, and tenant improvements against fire, storm, theft, and vandalism with replacement cost and actual cash value options.
• Commercial Auto Insurance Coverage for business vehicles, drivers, and fleets including liability, physical damage, medical payments, uninsured motorist, and hired and non-owned auto (HNOA) protection.
• General Liability Insurance Third-party bodily injury and property damage coverage including legal defense, settlements, medical payments, and additional insured certificates for contracts.
• Cyber Liability Insurance Data breach and cyberattack protection including first-party coverage for breach response, ransomware, data restoration, and business interruption, plus third-party liability and regulatory defense.
• Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Errors and omissions coverage for claims of mistakes, omissions, missed deadlines, and bad advice with claims-made policy management including retroactive dates and prior-acts coverage.
• Workers' Compensation Insurance Texas workers' comp coverage for employee injuries including medical care, lost wages, disability benefits, death benefits, and employer liability protection with experience modifier (comp mod) management.
• Insurance Expert Witness & Litigation Support Expert testimony and consultation for attorneys on coverage disputes, policy interpretation, agent and broker standards of care, and claims handling by Mark Rafail.
• Free Insurance Review No-cost, no-obligation policy review service where current policies are read line by line, compared against the market, and delivered with a plain-language verdict.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,000+ policies serviced across all lines
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The HartfordcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor A-rated national insurance carrier offering commercial property, casualty, and employee benefits products. Rafail Insurance Agency shops The Hartford as one of their carrier partners for commercial insurance placements.
• Liberty MutualcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor A-rated national insurance carrier. Rafail Insurance Agency offers Liberty Mutual products as part of their independent broker portfolio for commercial and personal lines.
• ProgressivecoreTechnology or IntegrationA-rated national carrier known for commercial auto and small business insurance. Rafail Insurance Agency offers Progressive products through their independent broker platform.
• ChubbcoreTechnology or IntegrationA-rated global insurance carrier specializing in high-value commercial and personal property/casualty coverage. Rafail Insurance Agency offers Chubb for clients needing premium market products.
• USLIcoreTechnology or IntegrationUnited States Liability Insurance Company - A-rated specialty carrier. Rafail Insurance Agency offers USLI products as part of their commercial insurance offerings.
• CCIM InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial Investment Real Estate Institute - Professional organization for commercial real estate professionals. Rafail Insurance Agency actively participates in CCIM events including luncheons, sporting clays events, and networking functions. Builds referral relationships with commercial real estate professionals.
• Coldwell BankerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor real estate brokerage firm. Rafail Insurance Agency conducts lunch-and-learn sessions with Coldwell Banker offices, building referral relationships with real estate professionals who refer clients needing insurance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Acrisure: Tech-enabled, fast-growing insurance brokerage with extensive commercial, personal, and benefits offerings. Comparable to Rafail on multi-line placement but with proprietary technology, far larger scale, and a national footprint across Sun Belt markets including Texas and Florida.
• Alliant Insurance Services: National specialty insurance brokerage with strong property, casualty, and benefits offerings. Comparable to Rafail on multi-carrier commercial placement philosophy, but at significantly larger scale and with deeper specialty expertise (e.g., cyber, professional liability).
• USI Insurance Services: Top-10 U.S. insurance brokerage with substantial middle-market commercial and employee benefits practice. Overlaps with Rafail on multi-line commercial placement and benefits, though USI serves substantially larger accounts and operates proprietary risk analytics platforms.
• AssuredPartners: Large national insurance brokerage with deep commercial property, casualty, and benefits capabilities and a strong Texas/Gulf presence. Competes with Rafail on mid-market commercial lines but operates at materially greater scale with broader carrier and product access.
• Aon (Private Risk Management / Affinity): Global insurance brokerage with substantial commercial and personal lines practices, including Houston-area presence. Comparable to Rafail on carrier-agnostic placement and high-net-worth/commercial advisory, though Aon serves far larger accounts and operates globally with proprietary analytics.
• Marsh McLennan Agency (Private Client Services): Middle-market brokerage affiliate of Marsh McLennan, offering commercial, personal, and benefits solutions. Comparable to Rafail on multi-line advisory positioning, though MMA operates with significantly larger carrier leverage and proprietary risk advisory capabilities.

Direct peers

• Brown & Riding Insurance Services: Specialty insurance brokerage with deep expertise in professional liability, cyber, and excess/surplus lines — directly overlapping with Rafail's cyber liability and professional E&O offerings. Comparable on specialty placement, though Brown & Riding focuses on wholesale/E&S distribution.
• Risk Placement Services (RPS): Specialty wholesale brokerage and binding authority platform with strong E&S, professional liability, and commercial property capabilities. Comparable to Rafail in specialty placement and carrier relationships for harder-to-place commercial risks in the Gulf region.
• Higginbotham: Texas-headquartered independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits across multiple A-rated carriers. Highly comparable to Rafail on independent broker model, carrier-agnostic placement, and Texas-centric commercial focus, but operates at significantly greater scale.
• The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers: Multi-state independent insurance brokerage serving commercial and personal lines clients with an education-led, relationship-driven sales motion. Comparable to Rafail in carrier-agnostic placement philosophy and multi-state Sun Belt expansion strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rafail-insurance-group
• Xx.com/rafailinsurance
• Facebookfacebook.com/rafailinsuranceagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Rafail Insurance Agency