Optio Group has secured fresh capacity for its real estate product, raising its binding authority from £60 million to £100 million total sum insured with effect from May 1.
The 67% uplift, delivered less than a year after the proposition launched, ranks as one of the faster capacity expansions in the UK real estate MGA segment.
The independent specialty managing general agent (MGA) said the increase reflects top and bottom line performance over the past nine months, supported by its A-rated capital providers.
The expanded backing extends Optio's capacity to write lead, follow and excess of loss placements across UK-domiciled commercial and residential mid-market real estate risks. The MGA confirmed its underwriting philosophy and risk appetite remain unchanged.
The uplift lands at a moment when carriers are leaning further into MGA partnerships. The Clyde & Co MGA Opinion Report 2025, supported by the MGAA (older data), found that 57% of carriers expect their capacity allocation to MGAs to rise over the next two years.
Graham Bailey, head of real estate at Optio, said the additional capacity represented "a strong endorsement of the performance delivered by the team over the past nine months."
He added that the business has built a disciplined, broker-focused real estate proposition with a clear underwriting appetite, and that the additional A-rated capacity will allow Optio to respond more effectively to broker demand.
The capacity boost arrives in a softening but pressured UK real estate insurance market.
Global commercial insurance rates fell 4% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Marsh's Global Insurance Market Index, with UK rates down 8% and global property rates off 9%. Marsh said insurers have continued to broaden appetite, particularly for mid-market and middle-market accounts, intensifying competition.
Loss costs are moving the other way. UK property insurance claims were forecast to reach £6.1 billion in 2025, the highest annual payout on record, with weather-related claims alone estimated at £1.6 billion. Rebuild Cost Assessment data, drawn from 43,000 property assessments, has previously indicated that around 80% of UK commercial properties are underinsured, with the average shortfall close to 40%.
The capacity uplift comes as Optio continues to broaden its specialty platform. Earlier this month, the group agreed to acquire London-based Gardian Marine Limited for an undisclosed sum, adding builders' risks, ship repairers liability, voyage and towage cover to a marine portfolio that already includes hull, cargo, war and shipbuilding risks via S Insurance.
The Gardian deal is the latest in a string of acquisitions for Optio over the past year, spanning professional indemnity, construction guarantee and continental European specialty platforms.
Gary Head, group chief underwriting officer, said it had been a pleasure to welcome Bailey and his team to Optio as the business continues to build what he called "The Underwriter's MGA."
Head said the team's specialist expertise and track record in delivering underwriting profit were already contributing to the proposition.
