By: Daniel Seltzer, CPCU, Senior Risk Advisor, RCM&D
This article was originally published in Modular Building Institute’s Modular Advantage January/February 2026 Issue.
A Legacy in Risk Management
B. Daniel Seltzer’s grandfather and father founded a risk management/ insurance brokerage in Philadelphia in the 1920s, establishing the foundation for what would become his lifelong career. Over the span of 44 years, he’s built a distinguished path in insurance and risk advising, holding the CPCU.
Early in his career, Seltzer gained early underwriting experience during eighteen months “running slips” at Lloyd’s of London. He later returned to the family firm, where he climbed to President and CEO before its sale in 2013, and continued his career with a respected company in the field. Eighteen months ago, he joined RCM&D—a firm he has admired since childhood. For Seltzer, it was coming home again.
Founded in 1885, RCM&D (platform company of Unison Risk Advisors), employs roughly 1,600 people, all of whom share ownership in the privately controlled company.
Defining the Management of Risk in Real Estate Development
Seltzer categorizes real estate development risk into three primary types:
1. Stabilized Assets — Completed buildings where operational risk management is key, such as ensuring protective systems— sprinklers, surveillance, and life-safety components—are functioning properly.
2. Development Projects — Buildings under construction, where well-crafted insurance programs and strong indemnification requirements for general contractors and subcontractors are essential, including optimal Additional Insured endorsements and precise contractual language.
3. Corporate Risk — Directors and Officers or General Partnership Liability, requiring careful evaluation of exposures and selection of appropriate limits and retentions to protect the balance sheet.