You know the feeling: a client brings you a risk that doesn't fit any of your carriers. A non-standard auto. A coastal home. A contractor class code your carriers won't write. You refer it out — and that client's entire account goes with it.
An aggregator fills those gaps. Instead of 5-15 carriers, your brokerage accesses 50+ — covering virtually every risk that walks through your door.
The Cost of Carrier Gaps
Every client you can't help is:
- Lost premium: Not just the policy you can't write — often the entire household
- Lost referrals: The client tells their network about the agent who COULD help them
- Lost retention: If you refer one policy elsewhere, the client starts shopping everything
- Producer frustration: Your team wants to close deals, not turn them away
If your agency turns away just 5 accounts per month due to carrier gaps, at $3,000 average premium × 13% commission × 12 months = $23,400/year in lost revenue. Over 5 years with renewals? Over $100,000.
The Hybrid Model: Direct + Aggregator
- Direct appointments: Keep your existing carriers where you have volume and strong commission levels
- Aggregator access: Add 35-45+ additional carriers for risks your direct panel can't handle
- Best of both: Full commission on your core carriers, slightly lower (but not zero) on overflow carriers
What You Gain
- Serve every client: Non-standard auto? Got it. Coastal home? Got it. Specialty commercial? Got it.
- Recruit better: "We have 50+ carriers" is a powerful recruiting pitch for new producers
- Retain more: Clients stay when you can solve every problem
- Grow faster: No more turning away business
How It Works for Your Team
- Brokerage joins aggregator: One agreement covers your entire agency
- All licensed producers get access: Quote, bind, and service through the expanded panel
- Technology integration: Comparative rating across all carriers (direct + aggregator)
- Commission tracking: Clear reporting on direct vs. aggregator business
- Book ownership: Your book remains 100% yours — direct and aggregator business alike
When an Aggregator Makes Sense for a Brokerage
- You have fewer than 20 direct carrier appointments
- You're turning away business you should be writing
- You want to add personal lines to a commercial-focused agency (or vice versa)
- You're recruiting producers who want broader market access
- You want access to specialty and surplus lines markets
Bottom line: Every account you turn away is revenue you never recover. An aggregator fills your carrier gaps, retains more clients, and gives your producers the tools to close every deal that walks through the door.