As the First Public Adjusting Franchise, Tiger Adjusters Leads Change
Linda Davis thought she had done everything right. When Hurricane Ida ravaged her Louisiana townhome in 2022, she expected her insurance provider to be her lifeline. Instead, she received a gut-wrenching blow — a check for just $1,300, a fraction of what she needed to rebuild. With her husband in hospice and her granddaughter forced to sleep on a mattress in the kitchen of their ruined home, the 72-year-old felt hopeless.
Then she found the team that fought for her. Ted Patestos and Stewart Severino stepped in, took on her insurer, and won her the payout she needed. That victory led to the creation of Tiger Adjusters, the first public adjusting franchise in the U.S., dedicated to helping homeowners like Davis get the support they deserve.
“We ended up getting Linda and her family a little over $53,000,” says Ted Patestos, co-founder and CEO of Tiger Adjusters. “That was their policy limit. They were underinsured, but to go from $1,300 to $53,000 makes a big difference. Stories like Linda’s are why we started Tiger Adjusters. We saw firsthand how insurance companies often shortchange homeowners, and we built a business to fight back.”
A Growing Industry
Before starting Tiger Adjusters, Patestos and Severino ran a lead generation business, working with contractors and public adjusters. When a client suggested a hybrid payment model that required a public adjuster license, they jumped at the opportunity. But there was a problem — Patestos initially got the wrong license.
“I ended up working for Allstate for about four weeks,” he recalls. “It was storm season, and I got a crash course in insurance adjusting from the carrier’s side. That experience showed me all the shortcomings of the system.”
After getting the correct license, they drove to Beaumont, Texas, and checked into a Red Roof Inn. “We spent three days in that motel cold-calling victims of a recent storm. We didn’t know what we were doing, but we figured it out — and we were successful.”
Then came Texas’s 2021 winter storm, which collapsed the state’s power grid and left millions with damaged homes. “We didn’t even have a website or an office yet, but we made more money responding to that disaster than we had selling leads all year,” Patestos says. “That was our ‘aha’ moment.”
The Evolution into a Franchise
The company gained national attention when the Linda Davis story was picked up by The Advocate and The New York Times. The company grew rapidly, working on claims from major disasters like Hurricane Ida. “That storm alone caused over $30 billion in damage, and we were right in the middle of it,” Patestos says.
Recognizing the demand, Patestos and his team realized they needed a scalable model. “We brought in an angel investor, officially rebranded to Tiger Adjusters, and built a system designed for growth before we ever offered franchise opportunities. We wanted to do it right.”
In July 2024, Tiger Adjusters became the first public adjusting franchise. Since then, the brand has expanded into multiple territories, including Houston, Philadelphia, Orlando and Atlanta.
Why Public Adjusting?
The demand for public adjusters has never been higher. According to IBISWorld, the claims adjusting industry has grown at a steady 1.9% compound annual growth rate, reaching $11.7 billion in 2024. But it’s not just industry growth driving demand — insurance companies’ tactics are a driving force.
“More and more consumers are dealing with underpayments, delayed payments and outright claim denials,” Patestos says. “A 60 Minutes episode and a Dr. Phil segment recently exposed how insurers alter estimates behind the scenes. It’s happening in nine out of ten cases. People are finally waking up to how unfair the system is.”
Unlike many industries, public adjusting is recession-resistant. “This isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity,” Patestos explains. “Insurance claims don’t stop during economic downturns. Our business isn’t tied to catastrophic events either. Most of our work comes from ‘daily claims’ — things like roof leaks, plumbing failures and fire damage.”
Despite the constant demand, the industry remains highly fragmented. Patestos notes that franchising offers a solution, streamlining operations for business owners while improving service for consumers.
The Tiger Adjusters Franchise Opportunity
The Tiger Adjusters franchise offers a low-cost, high-reward business model. “You don’t need a background in insurance or construction. We train you from the ground up,” Patestos says. “If you’ve got basic sales skills, are detail-oriented and can build relationships, you can succeed in this business.”
The franchise model is designed to help operators achieve profitability quickly. “The first 30 days are all about getting licensed and compliant,” Patestos explains. “Then, there’s 60 days of training, which includes over 30 hours of interactive, proprietary modules.”
Franchisees don’t need a storefront, inventory or expensive equipment. “All you need is a laptop, an iPad, and a laser measurer. You can run this business from home,” Patestos says. “There’s no need for a brick-and-mortar office, and while you do need a reliable vehicle, we don’t require vehicle wraps. We keep overhead low.”
A Proven Model with Real Support
Tiger Adjusters franchisees can count on continued support. The company provides data-driven leads, marketing support and a proprietary claims management system. “We generate leads through a combination of SEO and referrals,” Patestos says. “We also negotiate significantly lower rates for third-party estimate writers, saving franchisees thousands.”
Their claims system is built for remote support. “If a franchisee in Missouri needs help, we can access their dashboard and assist with claims from anywhere in the country. Almost everything is digital,” Patestos says. “That’s the power of our system.”
First Public Adjusting Franchise
With a rapidly growing network, Tiger Adjusters is poised to disrupt the industry as the first public adjusting franchise. “We built this company with franchisees in mind,” Patestos says. “We started this business with just a few thousand dollars, so we know how important it is to minimize risk. Our model is built to maximize profitability while keeping costs low. This is a great business for those looking to enter a recession-resistant, home-based business with real potential to help others. We fight for homeowners and business owners when they need us most,” Patestos says. “And now, we’re giving franchisees the opportunity to do the same.”
For more information, visit the Tiger Adjusters franchise website.
