Empire State Brokerage Services

What Empire State Brokerage Services does

Empire State Brokerage Services LLC is a wholesale insurance broker and program manager headquartered in Plainview, New York, with additional regional offices in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Holyoke, Massachusetts. The firm acts as an intermediary between retail insurance agents and a roster of more than twenty specialty and standard carriers — including Blitz, Foxquilt, Neptune Flood, Hiscox NOW, Coterie, RLI Bond, Propeller, and Highlander Insurance Group (rated A-VIII) — placing small-to-mid commercial accounts across verticals such as Healthcare, Restaurants, Contractors, and Trucking. Its competitive positioning rests on giving retail producers a single point of access to non-admitted and specialty markets that they cannot reach directly, supported by in-house program management expertise.

The firm's primary technology asset is Empire Express, a proprietary self-service portal launched in 2022 and powered by Coverforce, which enables retail agents to quote, bind, and service policies from multiple carrier partners without manual intermediation. Empire State complements this with the Clickable Coverage® educational tool (released in 2017) and is increasingly integrating embedded digital distribution channels such as Foxquilt (2025), Coterie (2022), Hiscox NOW, Blitz, Neptune Flood, and Propeller to broaden how business reaches the wholesale desk. Recent product launches include the Responsive Contractors Insurance Program (2025), a packaged solution targeting contractor exposures.

Empire State earns revenue through wholesale brokerage commissions on placements, program management fees on the programs it administers, and transaction-based fees on digital-bind volume flowing through its portal. Pricing is quote-based and tied to carrier rate filings rather than fixed SaaS subscriptions, making revenue cyclical with premium volume and commission timing. The firm is partner-led, with David Schepsman identified as Partner/Producer, and operates with a disclosed team of roughly eleven staff across production, account management, and administrative functions.

Name

Empire State Brokerage Services

Legal name

Empire State Brokerage Services LLC

Website

https://empirebrokerage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Empire State Brokerage Services is a wholesale insurance broker and program manager connecting retail agents to 20+ specialty carriers across NY, SC, and MA, with proprietary Empire Express portal technology and programs in Healthcare, Restaurants, Contractors, and Trucking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB)

Keywords

• Wholesale insurance brokerage
• Surplus lines broker
• Specialty insurance programs
• Program management services
• Commercial insurance distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Brokerage Commissions: As a wholesale broker and program manager, ESBS places business on behalf of retail insurance agents and brokers with admitted, non-admitted, and surplus lines carriers (including Lloyd's of London) and earns brokerage commissions on those placements. Revenue is driven by the volume and type of risk placed with the 20+ insurance carrier partners.
2. Program Management Fees: As a program manager for specialty industry programs (e.g., Restaurants, Contractors, Healthcare, Real Estate, Non Profit, Trucking Ancillary, Responsive Contractors, Hotels/Motels, Daycare, etc.), ESBS designs, underwrites, and administers specialty insurance programs with delegated carrier authority, earning program management and override commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Core offering

Empire State Brokerage Services LLC is a full-service wholesale insurance broker and program manager that gives retail insurance agents and brokers access to 20+ admitted, non-admitted, and Lloyd's of London markets across 25+ U.S. states. The firm places and administers specialty commercial and personal lines (contractors, restaurants, healthcare, real estate, non-profit, trucking, hospitality, daycare, hotels) through delegated program authority, supported by the proprietary Empire Express comparative rating tool, a 24/7 client self-service portal, and a producer appointment workflow.

Product overview

Empire State Brokerage Services (ESBS) is a full-service wholesale insurance brokerage and program manager organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture: the core wholesale brokerage offering provides retail insurance agents and brokers with access to 20+ admitted, non-admitted, and Lloyds of London markets across 25+ US states, while specialized modules layer on top including the Empire Express comparative rating tool, the Responsive Contractors Insurance Program, industry specialization modules (Restaurant, Contractors, Healthcare, Real Estate, Non-Profit, Specialty, and Trucking Ancillary), and embedded partner-platform quoting portals (Blitz, Foxquilt, Hiscox NOW, Coterie, Neptune Flood, Propeller, and RLI Bond). Supporting modules include the Client Portal for self-service (claim reporting, certificate requests, auto ID cards, bill payment), the Clickable Coverage® interactive educational tool, and the carrier-applications and appointment onboarding workflow. The platform is delivered via Agency Revolution's website framework and powered by Coverforce for Empire Express.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empire Express: Empire's own comparative rating / quote-and-bind system for BOP, General Liability, Workers Compensation, and Professional Liability, accessed via webapp.coverforce.com.
• Responsive Contractors Insurance Program

Products and services

• Wholesale Brokerage Services Core wholesale brokerage service providing retail insurance agents and brokers with access to 20+ admitted, non-admitted, and Lloyd's of London carriers across 25+ U.S. states for commercial and personal lines placements.
• Empire Express Comparative Rating Tool Proprietary comparative rating platform that delivers rapid multi-carrier quotes for BOP, General Liability, Workers Compensation, and Professional Liability; supports ACORD export and cross-sell of additional lines.
• Responsive Contractors Insurance Program Exclusive contractors insurance program writing in CA, AZ, and NV on Highlander specialty paper (AM Best A-VIII); online portal allows producers to customize coverage via optional forms selection and apply pricing credits; minimum premium $500; 24-hour quote turnaround.
• Restaurant Insurance Program Tailored insurance program for restaurants covering loss of income, liability, fire legal, liquor liability, workers compensation, equipment breakdown, signs, umbrella, and seasonal variation for 14+ eligible classes (bagel shops, pizzerias, coffee shops, bakeries, delis, etc.).
• Contractors Insurance Program Specialized contractors insurance program including General Liability, Artisan Contractors (with $500 minimum premium), Owner's & Contractor's Protective Liability, Surety Bonds (payment/performance), Railroad Protective Liability, and Builder's Risk with up to $2M aggregate available.
• Healthcare Insurance Program Healthcare industry program covering Medical Professional Liability (medical clinics, physicians, surgeons, dentists, labs, etc.), Healthcare Workers' Compensation, and Home Healthcare (CGL $1M each claim, PL $3M aggregate, Excess $5M, Property $5M TIV) on GuideOne (A X) or United Specialty (A VIII) paper.
• Specialty Insurance Programs Specialty programs for Community Associations, Convenience Stores, Daycare Facilities, Personal Enrichment Schools, Gym/Fitness Centers, Hotels/Motels, and Lumber/Logging with tailored coverages including EPLI, abuse/molestation, property enhancement, and liquor law liability.
• Trucking Ancillary Coverages Supplemental trucking coverages including Automobile Physical Damage (APD), Motor Truck Cargo (MTC) with reefer/towing/cleanup/non-owned trailer interchange options, and Truckers' General Liability (TGL) for fleets and owner-operators.
• Coverage Options Catalog Catalog of integrated risk management coverages across Commercial Property, Commercial Auto, Contractors Insurance, Business & Professional, Special Events, Environmental, Personal Lines, and Miscellaneous Coverage categories.
• Client Portal Self-Service 24/7 online self-service portal for retail clients and agents to report claims, request policy changes, request certificates of insurance, request auto ID cards, and pay insurance bills.
• Foxquilt Online Quote Embedded Foxquilt online quoting and binding for small-business insurance with cross-border US/Canada coverage and multi-ISO rating; supports instant quote, purchase, and document delivery across 26+ profession categories.
• Hiscox NOW Online Quote Instant small-business online quoting via Hiscox NOW; supports multiple lines with broker service-level requirements and deep industry expertise accessible without login for product/marketing info.
• Coterie Insurance Online Quote Coterie embedded online quoting platform offering BOP and GL in all 50 states and MPL in most others (excluding DC, IL, MA, MT, NY, ND, VA), backed by A- (Excellent) rated carriers, with producer resources and appetite guide.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• RPS Insurance Brokerage: RPS is one of the largest U.S. wholesale insurance brokers and specialty program managers (a division of Ryan Specialty Group). It offers multi-carrier market access to retail agents across virtually the same product set — BOP, GL, contractors, professional lines, and specialty — making it the most direct competitor to ESBS's wholesale brokerage model.
• Burns & Wilcox: Burns & Wilcox is a major specialty wholesale broker and program manager (within the H.W. Kaufman Group) offering surplus lines and specialty products to retail agents. It is directly comparable to ESBS on program management, niche industry specialization, and wholesale market access, though at substantially larger scale.
• Brown & Riding: Brown & Riding is a national wholesale insurance broker and specialty program manager focused on excess & surplus lines and specialty risk placement for retail agents. It overlaps directly with ESBS on surplus lines market access, specialty program management, and multi-carrier wholesale placement.
• Amwins: Amwins is one of the largest specialty wholesale distributors and program managers in the U.S., offering retail agents access to specialty markets, binding authority, and proprietary programs. Its wholesale brokerage division competes directly with ESBS in small commercial, contractors, and specialty lines.
• CRC Insurance Services: CRC is a top-tier wholesale broker and program manager (part of Truist Insurance Holdings) providing retail agents access to admitted, non-admitted, and excess/surplus markets across all 50 states. CRC competes head-to-head with ESBS in specialty verticals like contractors, restaurants, and healthcare, while operating at significantly greater scale.
• LoVullo Insurance Group: LoVullo is a specialty wholesale broker and program manager known for niche programs in restaurants, contractors, and hospitality. Its product mix, vertical specialization focus, and program-management economics make it a close comparable to ESBS's specialty verticals.

Emerging players

• Coverforce: Coverforce powers ESBS's proprietary Empire Express comparative rating tool and provides comparative rating technology to other wholesalers and agencies. It is a direct technology peer and platform enabler in the wholesale rating/comparative-quoting space.
• Coterie Insurance: Coterie is a digital MGA providing instant-bind small commercial insurance (BOP, GL, MPL) through an API and dashboard. ESBS embeds Coterie's quoting platform for retail agents, making Coterie both a partner and a competitive reference point for digital-first wholesale distribution.

Broad incumbents

• IMA Financial Group: IMA Financial Group is a national insurance brokerage offering commercial insurance, wholesale, surety, and benefits across all 50 states. Its wholesale and specialty practice overlaps with ESBS's producer-facing market access, though within a much larger diversified platform.
• Higginbotham: Higginbotham is a large, diversified insurance brokerage and risk-management firm offering retail, wholesale, and employee benefits services across multiple states. It is comparable to ESBS on the wholesale/specialty side while operating a much broader multi-line platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmpStBrokerage
• Facebookfacebook.com/empirebrokerage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empire-state-brokerage-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Empire State Brokerage Services