Company Description
Goosehead Insurance, Inc. (NASDAQ: GSHD) is an independent personal lines insurance agency in the finance and insurance sector, classified under insurance agencies and brokerages. According to company disclosures, Goosehead distributes insurance products and services through both corporate and franchise locations throughout the United States. The company describes itself as a rapidly growing agency built on the premise that the consumer should be at the center of its business, with a focus on broad product choice and a high-touch service experience.
Goosehead operates as an insurance agency that offers a range of personal lines insurance products. Based on available information, its insurance products include homeowner's insurance, auto insurance, and other personal lines such as flood, wind and earthquake insurance, excess liability or umbrella insurance, and specialty lines insurance covering items like motorcycles and recreational vehicles. The company also offers commercial lines insurance for small businesses, such as general liability, property and auto insurance, as well as life insurance. These products are underwritten by a large panel of third-party insurance carriers.
The agency emphasizes its independent model and carrier access. Goosehead states that it represents over 200 insurance companies that underwrite personal and commercial lines. This broad carrier network is a core part of its value proposition, as it allows Goosehead to present clients with multiple coverage options from different insurers. The company highlights product choice, client service, and the ability to match clients with coverage options from its carrier panel as central to its approach.
Business model and revenue drivers
Goosehead’s public financial disclosures describe a business model that generates revenue primarily from commissions and fees tied to insurance policies placed through its platform. The company identifies several recurring revenue components that it refers to collectively as Core Revenue. These components include New Business Commissions, Agency Fees, New Business Royalty Fees, Renewal Commissions, and Renewal Royalty Fees. Core Revenue is described as the most reliable revenue stream for the company and is closely linked to total written premiums and policies in force.
In addition to Core Revenue, Goosehead reports franchise-related revenues, contingent commissions, and initial franchise fees. Franchise revenues and royalty fees arise from its network of franchise producers, while commissions and agency fees are associated with policies placed by both corporate agents and franchisees. The company also reports contingent commissions and other franchise revenues as ancillary revenue, and interest income and initial franchise fees as cost recovery revenue. These categories are detailed in its quarterly financial statements and reconciliations of non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted EBITDA and Core Revenue.
Goosehead’s management commentary in earnings releases emphasizes that growth in total written premiums and policies in force is considered a leading indicator of future revenue growth. The company attributes Core Revenue growth to factors such as increased producer count, improved franchise productivity, client retention, and changes in premium rates. It also notes investments in corporate producers, service functions, and technology as important to supporting its revenue model.
Corporate and franchise distribution network
Goosehead operates through a combination of corporate agents and franchise producers. The company regularly discloses the number of corporate agents and total franchise producers as part of its quarterly highlights, indicating that it is expanding productive capacity in both channels. Corporate agent headcount and franchise producer counts are presented as key operational metrics that support growth in written premiums and Core Revenue.
The franchise model allows independent operators to use Goosehead’s platform, carrier relationships, and systems while paying royalty fees and, in some cases, initial franchise fees. Goosehead’s financial reporting breaks out franchise revenues, renewal royalty fees, and new business royalty fees, underscoring the importance of the franchise network to its overall business. The company also reports bad debt expense and other franchise-related items, reflecting ongoing management of the franchise portfolio.
Technology and partnerships
In its public communications, Goosehead highlights investments in technology and systems intended to support growth and improve the client experience. The company notes spending on technology functions and systems as part of its general and administrative expenses and describes initiatives to develop tools that allow clients and partners to engage either through agents or via digital channels. Management commentary also references technology-enabled capabilities in the context of partnerships with real estate firms.
Goosehead has disclosed strategic franchise collaborations that embed its insurance offerings directly into the homebuying process. For example, it has formed franchise partnerships with real estate brokerages where the insurance option is integrated into the real estate transaction. In these arrangements, Goosehead’s broad portfolio of insurance carriers and licensed agents are made available under specific franchise brands, with the goal of providing homebuyers with access to home insurance coverage options as part of their purchase journey. These partnerships are presented as extensions of Goosehead’s client-centric model and as ways to simplify insurance selection during complex transactions such as home purchases.
Geographic footprint and market focus
Goosehead describes itself as distributing products and services throughout the United States through corporate and franchise locations. Earlier descriptions of the business indicate that it has operated in states such as Texas, California, Illinois and Florida, along with other regions. While the company does not enumerate all markets in its recent news releases, it does reference geographic expansion and the addition of producers in varied geographies as part of its growth strategy.
The company’s primary focus is on personal lines insurance, including homeowners and auto, with commercial lines and life insurance also part of its product set. Management commentary emphasizes that Goosehead places a significant volume of annual premiums in the U.S. personal lines market and that it views its opportunity in that market as substantial relative to the total size of U.S. personal lines premiums.
Capital markets profile
Goosehead Insurance, Inc. trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol GSHD. The company provides regular quarterly updates on its financial performance, including total revenues, Core Revenue, net income, Adjusted EBITDA, written premiums, and policies in force. It also discloses information on liquidity, term loan balances, and share repurchase authorizations and activity. These details are made available through press releases and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 8-K that furnish earnings releases as exhibits.
Management uses non-GAAP measures such as Core Revenue, Adjusted EPS, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin to supplement GAAP results, and provides reconciliations of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP metrics. The company also discusses factors that could affect future performance, including conditions impacting insurance carriers, the ability to attract and retain personnel and franchisees, and other risks described in its annual and quarterly reports.
Client-centric philosophy
Across multiple public statements, Goosehead emphasizes a client-first philosophy. The company states that it was founded on the premise that the consumer should be at the center of its universe and that its activities are directed at providing value through broad product choice and a strong service experience. It highlights principles such as meritocracy and servant leadership in the context of its human capital strategy and notes that attracting, developing and retaining talent is important to its operations.
Goosehead’s communications also reference efforts to enhance the personal lines insurance experience for clients, agents and partners, including the use of technology and, in some cases, AI-driven tools. While detailed technical descriptions are not provided in the available sources, the company links these initiatives to its broader goal of improving efficiency, client engagement and growth in personal lines insurance.
FAQs about Goosehead Insurance, Inc.
- What does Goosehead Insurance, Inc. do?
Goosehead Insurance, Inc. is an independent personal lines insurance agency that distributes insurance products and services through corporate and franchise locations throughout the United States. It offers personal and commercial lines insurance products underwritten by third-party carriers. - What types of insurance products does Goosehead offer?
According to company descriptions, Goosehead’s insurance products include homeowner's insurance, auto insurance, other personal lines such as flood, wind and earthquake insurance, excess liability or umbrella insurance, specialty lines insurance related to items like motorcycles and recreational vehicles, commercial lines insurance for small businesses, and life insurance. - How does Goosehead generate revenue?
Goosehead reports that its most reliable revenue stream, called Core Revenue, consists of New Business Commissions, Agency Fees, New Business Royalty Fees, Renewal Commissions, and Renewal Royalty Fees. It also earns franchise revenues, contingent commissions, initial franchise fees, and interest income, as disclosed in its financial statements. - What is Goosehead’s relationship with insurance carriers?
The company states that it represents over 200 insurance companies that underwrite personal and commercial lines. As an independent agency, Goosehead uses this panel of carriers to offer clients multiple coverage options, with policies underwritten by those third-party insurers. - How does the franchise model work at Goosehead?
Goosehead operates a franchise network in which franchise producers use the company’s platform, carrier relationships and systems. The company reports franchise revenues, initial franchise fees, and royalty fees, and identifies total franchise producers as a key operating metric in its quarterly results. - Where does Goosehead operate?
Goosehead indicates that it distributes its products and services through corporate and franchise locations throughout the United States. Earlier descriptions note operations in states such as Texas, California, Illinois and Florida, along with other regions. - On which exchange does Goosehead trade and what is its ticker symbol?
Goosehead Insurance, Inc. trades on the NASDAQ stock market under the ticker symbol GSHD. - What are Core Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for Goosehead?
Core Revenue is a non-GAAP measure defined by the company as total revenue excluding contingent commissions, initial franchise fees, interest income, and other franchise revenues. Adjusted EBITDA is another non-GAAP measure that adjusts net income for items such as interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization, equity-based compensation and impairment expense. Goosehead provides reconciliations of these measures to GAAP metrics in its earnings releases. - How does Goosehead describe its client service philosophy?
Goosehead states that it was founded on the premise that the consumer should be at the center of its universe. It emphasizes providing extraordinary value by offering broad product choice and a strong service experience, and it highlights a focus on client-first principles in its public communications. - What kinds of partnerships does Goosehead pursue?
Public announcements show that Goosehead enters into strategic franchise partnerships with real estate brokerages and other partners to embed insurance options into the homebuying process. In these collaborations, clients gain access to Goosehead’s carrier network and licensed agents as part of their real estate transactions.