Quick answer
A captive agent sells one company’s products and can’t place your coverage elsewhere even when it’s a poor fit. We’re appointed with multiple specialist carriers, Cincinnati Insurance and Chubb, chosen specifically because they underwrite high-net-worth risk individually rather than by formula, and we run a full asset review before quoting anything at all.
The practical difference is real market comparison and specialist underwriting, neither of which a captive relationship structurally allows.