Independent insurance agents play a major role in the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market, responsible for writing more than 61% of all policies. Yet, many agents say they are not receiving the support they need from carriers, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study, released on October 1, 2025. The findings show that carriers are struggling to meet even the most basic communication and informational needs of independent agents.
Study Overview
Now in its eighth year, the study was developed with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA). It examines the role of independent agents in insurance distribution, their business outlook, management strategies, and overall satisfaction with personal and commercial lines insurers in the United States. For 2025, the study was redesigned, making this year’s satisfaction scores not directly comparable with prior years.
The research is based on 6,893 evaluations of insurers, collected from May through July 2025. It measures satisfaction across six dimensions: business support, compensation, ease of doing business, operational support, product competitiveness, and servicing of clients.
Key Findings
- Carriers fall short on agent needs: Just 56% of personal lines agents and 57% of commercial lines agents say carriers meet basic expectations such as clearly communicating risk appetite and showing flexibility in writing new policies. When it comes to standout differentiators, only 29% of personal lines insurers and 24% of commercial lines insurers received high marks.
- Agents feeling undervalued write less business: One-fourth of personal lines agents (25%) and 22% of commercial lines agents say they are not valued by insurers. Agents who feel undervalued are significantly less likely to write business with those carriers. Personal lines agents in this group are four times more likely to reduce business with a carrier, while commercial lines agents are seven times more likely.
- Ease of doing business drives satisfaction: For personal lines agents, satisfaction scores are 274 points higher when working with insurers is described as “very easy” compared to low ease ratings. For commercial lines agents, the gap is even greater at 314 points. However, 61% of agents overall say it is not “very easy” to work with insurers.
Rankings
In the 2025 study, Erie Insurance ranked highest among insurers for both personal and commercial lines:
- Personal lines: Erie Insurance (754) ranked first, followed by Auto-Owners Insurance (749) and Cincinnati Insurance (717).
- Commercial lines: Erie Insurance (747) ranked first, followed by Cincinnati Insurance (742) and Auto-Owners Insurance (738).
Industry Commentary
Craig Martin, executive director of global insurance intelligence at J.D. Power, noted that agents face mounting challenges in today’s insurance market. “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,” Martin said. He added that agents often lack the critical information they need to effectively match clients with the right carriers, leading to wasted time and resources for both parties.
About the Study
The U.S. Independent Agent Satisfaction Study is published annually by J.D. Power. For more details, visit J.D. Power Independent Agent Satisfaction Study.
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