Deacon

What Deacon does

Deacon, now trading as Gallagher Insurance UK following a December 2022 rebrand, is a specialist UK insurance brokerage focused exclusively on blocks of flats and residential property. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Bournemouth, the firm operates as a brand within Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, a subsidiary of the US-listed global brokerage Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG). Its core product is buildings insurance for blocks of flats and apartments, ranging from two-flat conversions to 200+-unit purpose-built blocks, including standard, non-standard, and listed-building construction. The firm holds full delegated underwriting authority from a panel of six major UK insurers — Aviva, Zurich, AXA XL, Covea, NIG, and LV — enabling it to issue policies and handle claims directly without intermediary delay. Revenue is generated primarily through brokerage commissions on core and add-on products (Directors' & Officers', Cyber, Terrorism, Engineering, Legal Expenses, Professional Indemnity, Landlord cover), supplemented by referral economics from a Gallagher Appointed Representative network and fees from professional services including building insurance valuations, fire risk assessments, health & safety assessments, and asbestos management surveys.

The go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct phone and online quote capture with a structured channel programme targeting property management agents, including AR status, CPD-accredited training, and white-label educational materials. Customers are segmented across Residential Management Companies, Right to Manage Companies, Residents Associations, freeholders, professional and buy-to-let landlords, and property management agents — predominantly UK mid-market and SMB accounts served on an annual, quote-based pricing model. Underlying technology consists of insurance underwriting and risk assessment workflows plus integrations with Xactware for claims estimation and an internal AGENTlink platform; no public APIs, AI/ML systems, or proprietary data assets are disclosed. The firm is FCA-authorised, GDPR-compliant, and has been recognised with awards including Block Insurer of the Year (2016, Property Management Awards) and Employer of the Year (2021).

Name

Deacon

Legal name

Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited

Website

https://deacon.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Deacon, trading as Gallagher Insurance UK, is a Bournemouth-based specialist insurance broker for UK blocks of flats, serving RMCs, RTMs, freeholders, landlords, and property management agents with delegated-authority underwriting from Aviva, Zurich, AXA XL, Covea, NIG, and LV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Habitational / Residential Property Managers BOP (FSAJAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landlord / Dwelling Fire (DP) Insurance (FSAJACAD), Real Estate / Lessors Risk BOP (FSAJAFAI)

Keywords

• Blocks of flats insurance
• Residential property insurance
• Insurance brokerage services
• Landlord building insurance
• Property risk assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Bournemouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: Deacon earns commissions from their panel of insurers for placing and managing insurance policies for blocks of flats, landlords, freeholders, and property management agents. The company searches their panel of well-known insurers to find suitable protection for customers.
2. Appointed Representative Program: Agents can become Gallagher Appointed Representatives, conducting regulated insurance activities on Gallagher's behalf, expanding the distribution network.
3. Professional Services: Additional revenue from services including building insurance valuations, fire risk assessments, health & safety risk assessments, and asbestos management surveys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Deacon (now trading as Gallagher Insurance UK) is a specialist insurance broker arranging buildings and related insurance cover for UK blocks of flats, apartments, freeholders and residential landlords, from two flats in a converted house to 200+ flats in a purpose-built block, including standard, non-standard and listed construction. It underwrites and issues policies directly under delegated authority from a panel of major insurers (Aviva, Zurich, AXA XL, Covea, NIG and LV), handles claims in-house with 24/7 reporting, and offers complementary risk services such as building valuations, fire risk assessments, health and safety assessments and asbestos surveys.

Product overview

Deacon (now operating as Gallagher Insurance UK) offers a comprehensive suite of insurance products and services for the UK residential property sector. The core offering is Blocks of Flats Insurance, which serves as the primary product for residential management companies, freeholders, and agents managing multi-dwelling properties. This is complemented by a portfolio of add-on insurance products including Directors' & Officers' Liability Insurance, Landlord Building and Contents Insurance, Professional Indemnity Insurance, Cyber Liability Insurance, Terrorism Insurance, Legal Expenses Insurance, Engineering Insurance, Estate Management Insurance, Emergency Assist Group Insurance, and Office Buildings and Contents Insurance. Supporting these products are valuation and risk assessment services including Building Insurance Valuations, Fire Risk Assessments, Health & Safety Risk Assessments, and Asbestos Management Surveys. The company operates with delegated authority from major UK insurers including Aviva, Zurich, AXA XL Insurance, Covea, NIG, and LV=, enabling direct underwriting decisions and claims handling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Blocks of Flats Insurance Buildings insurance for blocks of flats and apartments ranging from two flats in a converted house to 200+ flats in a purpose-built block, covering standard, non-standard and listed construction, underwritten under delegated authority from major UK insurers.
• Directors' & Officers' Liability Insurance for Residential Management Companies Liability cover for directors and officers of RMCs, RTMs and leaseholder-owned freehold companies against personal liability for errors and omissions in running the building.
• Cyber Liability Insurance Insurance protecting businesses (especially RMCs, RTMs and managing agents) against cyber threats, data breaches and related liabilities.
• Engineering Insurance and Inspection Services Combined insurance and inspection service for engineering systems and equipment within property blocks.
• Estate Management Insurance Insurance for multiple buildings, communal areas and the estate management company responsible for shared facilities.
• Emergency Assist Group Insurance 24/7 emergency helpline providing residents in blocks of flats with immediate advice and tradesman attendance for emergencies such as lock replacements.
• Landlord Liability and Legal Cover Combined liability and legal protection for landlords, including rent guarantee cover for rental income loss and repossession costs.
• Landlord Building and Contents Insurance Property cover for buy-to-let landlords: buildings, landlord contents, accidental damage, loss of rent and property owners' liability.
• Legal Expenses Insurance Cover for legal costs arising from disputes, criminal prosecutions and legal documentation for property owners and managers.
• Office Buildings and Contents Insurance Insurance for office premises, contents, equipment breakdown, portable equipment and business interruption.
• Professional Indemnity Insurance Professional liability cover for property managers, agents and businesses against claims arising from professional mistakes or negligence.
• Terrorism Insurance Specialist cover for property damage and business interruption caused by acts of terrorism, typically excluded from standard policies.
• Building Insurance Valuations Professional valuation service determining accurate buildings sum insured and declared values for insurance purposes.
• Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats Assessments identifying and mitigating fire risks in residential block properties, supporting compliance with the Fire Safety Act 2021.
• Health & Safety Risk Assessments Risk assessments covering health and safety obligations for property managers and building owners.
• Asbestos Management Surveys Asbestos surveys and management services identifying asbestos-containing materials and supporting compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 claims service available year-round
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AvivacoreTechnology or IntegrationAviva is part of Deacon's panel of well-known insurers providing delegated authority for underwriting block of flats insurance. Deacon has full underwriting authority from Aviva, enabling direct policy issuance and claims handling.
• ZurichcoreTechnology or IntegrationZurich provides delegated authority to Deacon for underwriting blocks of flats insurance. The partnership enables Deacon to offer comprehensive coverage options through Zurich's insurance products.
• AXA XL InsurancecoreTechnology or IntegrationAXA XL Insurance is part of Deacon's panel of insurers with delegated underwriting authority for block of flats coverage.
• CoveacoreTechnology or IntegrationCovea provides delegated authority to Deacon for underwriting insurance for blocks of flats, offering enhanced coverage options for their customers.
• NIG (Network Insurance Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationNIG is part of Deacon's insurer panel providing delegated underwriting authority for block of flats and related insurance products.
• LV (Liverpool Victoria)coreTechnology or IntegrationLV provides delegated authority to Deacon for underwriting residential property insurance, including blocks of flats coverage.
• Intact InsurancecoreTechnology or IntegrationIntact Insurance is shown on Deacon's agents page as one of their insurance partners, providing coverage options for property insurance products.
• IntasureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntasure, like Deacon part of Gallagher, specializes in second home and overseas property insurance. They have developed post-Brexit solutions for customers wanting to insure properties across the UK and EU. Contact is direct or through referral.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Towergate Insurance: Towergate is one of the UK's largest specialist insurance brokers, with established property and landlord lines. Like Deacon, it distributes via direct sales and appointed representatives, and covers residential and commercial property risks, making it a close competitor for landlord and freeholder accounts.
• Lark Insurance Group: Lark is a UK specialist broker focused on residential property, landlord, and blocks of flats insurance. It competes head-to-head with Deacon in the same niche, offering similar delegated authority arrangements for blocks and landlord cover.
• Hamilton Fraser: Hamilton Fraser is a UK specialist in landlord, letting agent, and block-of-flats insurance and compliance services. Its product mix and target customers (landlords and property managers) overlap directly with Deacon's primary segments.
• BIB Insurance Brokers: BIB Insurance Brokers is a UK broker with a focus on property and landlord cover, including blocks of flats. It targets a similar customer base of landlords, freeholders, and property managers using delegated authority from UK insurers.
• Total Landlord Insurance: Total Landlord is a UK specialist broker dedicated to landlord and buy-to-let insurance. It competes with Deacon on the landlord sub-segment of Deacon's book and uses a similar online/direct-quote distribution model.
• Intasure: Intasure is a sister company of Deacon within Arthur J. Gallagher, specializing in second home and overseas property insurance. It shares the same distribution and underwriting infrastructure and is referenced as a partner within Deacon's network, operating as a complementary specialist broker.

Broad incumbents

• Marsh UK: Marsh is one of the world's largest insurance brokers with a substantial UK commercial property practice. While much broader in scope, Marsh competes for large freeholder, property management, and corporate real estate accounts that overlap with Deacon's upper-end block-of-flats customers.
• NFU Mutual: NFU Mutual is a major UK mutual insurer with a significant property and home insurance book, distributed via a tied-agent network. It overlaps with Deacon on residential property and landlord cover, though its distribution model and scale are materially different.
• Hiscox UK: Hiscox is a UK-listed specialist insurer and broker that serves small commercial and niche residential property risks. While it underwrites some property lines itself, it competes with Deacon for specialty residential and landlord customers via broker and direct channels.
• Aon UK: Aon is a global insurance and reinsurance broker with a strong UK presence across commercial property and real estate. It does not specialize in blocks of flats but competes for institutional landlord and real estate accounts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Deacon_Flats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deacon-insurance

Compliance2 records

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 Deacon