The insurance distribution landscape has undergone a shift, with independent agents now managing relationships with 10 or more insurers simultaneously. A new report from Datos Insights surveying 144 independent property and casualty agents reveals surprising gaps between industry assumptions and agent realities, offering a roadmap for insurers looking to win in an increasingly competitive distribution environment.
Insurance Agents Manage 15+ Carrier Relationships in Competitive Market
Today’s insurance agents operate as portfolio managers, juggling multicarrier relationships that create competition within every line of business (LOB); 65% of specialty lines agents, 56% of commercial lines agents, and 42% of personal lines agents manage over 15 insurer partnerships simultaneously within their primary LOB. Most also sell lines outside of their primary LOB. Larger agencies with over US$5 million in revenue show even greater appetite for carrier diversity, with 59% to 67% maintaining over 15 insurer partnerships within their primary LOB.
This fundamentally changes the game for insurers. Being one option among 15 or more means every interaction must reinforce value and streamline the agent experience. Agents aren’t just comparing prices; they’re evaluating the entire distribution experience. Success depends on capturing mind share in crowded agent portfolios, where superior digital capabilities become a critical differentiator.
What Insurance Agents Really Want: AMS Integration, Claims Reporting, and Quick Quotes
When it comes to digital capabilities, agents have clear priorities that challenge conventional wisdom about insurance technology investment. Three capabilities emerge as absolutely critical: agency management system (AMS) integration leads consistently across all segments (63% to 67% rating it extremely important), claims reporting follows as the second priority (particularly crucial for specialty lines at 67%), and quick quotes round out the top three.
The research reveals that agents crave operational efficiency. AMS integration dominates because agents live in their agency management systems. Forcing them to toggle between platforms to rekey submissions saps productivity. Claims reporting ranks highly because it directly impacts client service and retention.
What’s equally revealing is what agents don’t prioritize. Marketing tools consistently rank at the bottom across all segments, with only 13% to 25% rating them extremely important. For independent agents managing 15 or more carriers, carrier-provided marketing tools with branded content specific to one insurer have limited value.
Why Mobile Apps and Marketing Tools Fall Short for Insurance Agents
Perhaps the most surprising finding challenges the industry’s mobile-first assumptions. Mobile applications show consistently weak performance across all segments. Personal lines agents show the highest rating, with 48% rating it extremely important, while commercial (27%) and specialty lines (27%) agents show even less enthusiasm.
This disconnect likely reflects the limitations of current mobile solutions rather than agent resistance to mobile technology. Insurance workflows involve complex data entry, document management, and multi-step processes that don’t translate well to mobile interfaces. Despite mobile-first trends in consumer technology, insurance distribution remains desktop-centric.
Similarly, policyholder self-service capabilities receive lukewarm reception. Only 31% of commercial lines agents consider it extremely important, suggesting agents prefer maintaining control over client relationships rather than encouraging direct insurer-policyholder interactions. This reveals agents’ protective stance toward their value proposition—they want tools that make them more productive, not necessarily more replaceable.
How AI and Seamless Technology Integration Drive Insurance Agent Productivity
The research points toward a clear strategic direction: invest in invisible technology that enhances agent productivity without demanding attention. The winners will be insurers who recognize that agents don’t want to learn new systems or navigate complex features—they want simplified quoting, binding, and servicing experiences that integrate seamlessly with their existing processes.
Artificial intelligence is already contributing to this vision. Intelligent document processing is making email submissions increasingly viable, while enhanced data sources reduce information requirements for quoting. These advances suggest that reliance on agent portals may actually diminish over time.
The data delivers a straightforward message: agents will work with insurers who make their lives easier, not those who complicate their technology stack. In an increasingly crowded marketplace where experience truly is king, the choice is simple—evolve toward friction-free, efficient distribution experiences or watch competitors capture the relationships that drive growth.
To read the full report, The Battle for P/C Distribution Attention: What Insurance Producers Really Want (July 2025), please visit our website.
