Independent Insurance Agents Feel Undervalued, Underserved by Carriers, J.D. Power Finds

Many Carriers Fail to Meet Agents’ Most Basic Informational and Communications Needs

TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Despite being responsible for more than 61% of all property and casualty (P&C) insurance policies written,¹ independent insurance agents say they are not getting the support they need from their carriers. According to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study,^SM released today, just 56% of personal lines agents and 57% of commercial lines agents say their carriers are meeting their foundational needs. Even more concerning, 25% of personal lines agents and 22% of commercial lines agents perceive insurers do not value them as partners.

The study, now in its eighth year, was developed in conjunction with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA). It evaluates the evolving role of independent agents in P&C insurance distribution, general business outlook, management strategy and overall satisfaction with personal lines and commercial lines insurers in the United States.

“Independent insurance agents are working on the front lines of an extraordinarily challenging market environment right now, where rates are still at or near historic highs and large numbers of insureds are shopping around for new policies,” said Craig Martin, executive director, global insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “To do their jobs well and continue to effectively match their clients with the right carrier, agents need to understand the carrier’s risk appetite and priorities to align the right customer with the right policy. Far too frequently, independent agents aren’t getting the critical information they need to be efficient and effective, which wastes time and resources of both agents and carriers.”

Following are key findings of the 2025 study:

• Carriers fall short on hierarchy of agent needs: When it comes to meeting the basic minimum expectations of agents in terms of clearly communicating risk appetite, signaling what types of clients will qualify for policies and showing flexibility when writing new policies, just 56% of personal lines and 57% of commercial lines independent agents say their carrier partners are delivering. When it comes to key differentiators that help insurers stand out as preferred partners, just 29% of personal lines insurers and 24% of commercial lines insurers are making the top grade with agents.
  
• Agents who feel undervalued write fewer policies: One-fourth (25%) of personal lines agents and 22% of commercial lines agents say they are not valued by insurers. Personal lines agents who say they feel undervalued by a carrier are four times more likely to write less business with that insurer than they did in the last year. Among commercial lines agents, those who feel undervalued by insurers are seven times more likely to write less business with those carriers.

• Agents are looking for carriers that make things easier: Among personal lines agents, satisfaction is 274 points higher when working with insurers is described as “very easy” compared to when ease is rated low (1–3 on a 5-point scale). Among commercial lines agents, the satisfaction gap increases to 314 points. That said, more than six in 10 (61%) independent agents say it’s not “very easy” to work with the insurer overall.

Study Rankings

Erie Insurance ranks highest among insurers for personal lines for a second consecutive year, with a score of 754. Auto-Owners Insurance (749) ranks second and Cincinnati Insurance (717) ranks third.

Erie Insurance ranks highest among insurers of commercial lines, with a score of 747. Cincinnati Insurance (742) ranks second and Auto-Owners Insurance (738) ranks third.

See the rank chart for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2025118.

The U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study was redesigned for 2025, thus overall satisfaction scores are not comparable with previous-year studies. The study measures P&C insurance independent agent satisfaction with insurers based on six dimensions (in alphabetical order): business support, compensation, ease of doing business, operational support, product competitiveness and servicing of clients. The 2025 study is based on responses of 6,893 evaluations of personal and commercial lines insurers with which agents had placed policies during the prior 12 months. It was fielded from May through July 2025.

For more information about the U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/insurance/independent-agent-satisfaction-study.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services, and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 55 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

¹ Big I 2025 Market Share Report, https://www.independentagent.com/market-share-report/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251001754694/en/

Media Relations Contacts
Joe LaMuraglia, J.D. Power; East Coast; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
John Roderick; East Coast; 631-584-2200; john@jroderick.com

Source: J.D. Power