INDEPENDENT AGENTS - Who are you appointed by, and do you recommend an aggregator?

[romeroaaron]

Hey you guys, this is my first post in here. I have been working as a State Farm agent team member for more than a year now and I am looking towards being an independent agent in the distant future. For all of the independent agents on here, I was curious if you use an aggregator, or how difficult it is to be appointed individually by different companies. Thanks in advance!

 

[Markthebroker]

By aggregator, do you mean cluster? Most successful agencies I know of do.

I suggest you work for an independent agency for a while before going on your own. There is a very high failure rate for new agencies.

 

[marindependent]

For indepedendent personal lines most agencies, at least those started in the past ten or so years use some sort of cluster/aggregator/mga. It is more a question of how much business goes through their main cluster vs their own appointments.

It is very difficult or next to impossible to get appointed as a new startup agency. Besides why would you want to? Until you have some experience in a specific niche- you are not going to know what plays well where.

There is a LOT of information on this forum about the various clusters.

 

[Matthew Labb]

Hey you guys, this is my first post in here. I have been working as a State Farm agent team member for more than a year now and I am looking towards being an independent agent in the distant future. For all of the independent agents on here, I was curious if you use an aggregator, or how difficult it is to be appointed individually by different companies. Thanks in advance!

Most networks will allow for you to contract with carriers on your own. Some don't.

Of the ones that do, some networks require you write the business through them if they can offer you the carrier. Others let you write the business through the carrier directly if you were able to find a direct appointment, even if the network offers that same carrier.

Networks are really nuanced...each one is different.

Good luck!