'Horizontal' means more general and can do everything. If you are a 'horizontal' wholesale broker, you'll be known as the jack of all trades or a generalist. This is typically how wholesale brokers start out in the business as they try to find their footing, at least in my limited experience, this is what I've seen. Horizontal is good and almost necessary if you have not found your passion and you have not really figure out what you 'want to do when you grow up'. The problem with horizontal, though, is that it's rare to be successful in this day and age while trying to do everything because it's so easy to find the guy who is the expert at the one thing you need.
'Vertical' on the other hand means a deep focus on one thing. A vertical broker will focus only on 'property' or more specifically 'wind-exposed property in South Florida'. Or you may have a broker that only focuses on 'casualty for contractors in New York.' If you are that person that is known to be an expert in your niche and it fuels your passion, then you have the start of what Jim Collins calls the 'Hedgehog Concept'. 'Vertical' works well for a wholesale broker because they have the volume of targeted business to put into the market and can build relationships around this business.
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