In their rush to modernize customer experience, many insurers have overlooked one of their most powerful allies: the independent agents and brokers who sell their products every day.

In Carrier Management, Bre Armstrong, VP at Reach3 Insights, argues that these frontline professionals are the bridge between carriers and customers — and that understanding their experience is essential for growth, loyalty, and competitive advantage.

Here are three reasons insurers need to bring agents into their feedback loop now.

1. The broker experience (BX) shapes customer experience (CX)

With more than 1 million independent agents in the U.S., this group isn’t just an extension of the business — they are the business. They explain policies, field tough questions, and influence purchasing decisions in categories like auto, home, and specialty insurance.

Yet, as Bre points out, most insurers have deep customer research programs but few systems to understand their brokers’ day-to-day realities. Many agents juggle multiple carriers, and if one portal or quoting tool feels clunky or slow, that carrier may quietly fall out of rotation — regardless of product quality or price.

“When a broker has multiple carriers in their ecosystem, the easiest option wins.”

The takeaway: BX directly drives CX. A poor broker experience ripples into customer frustration and ultimately lost business.

2. Real-time feedback builds trust and competitive advantage

Carriers that are excelling in competitive markets are rethinking how they engage intermediaries. Instead of relying on annual surveys or secondhand feedback, they’re introducing more agile, conversational methods — short mobile check-ins, text-based touchpoints, and real-time prompts that make feedback feel natural.

This conversational research approach helps insurers surface friction points early, from quoting inconsistencies across states to confusing multilingual interfaces. But just as importantly, it signals respect.

“When brokers feel heard, they’re more likely to advocate for the brand, push its products, and stay loyal in a fragmented ecosystem," Bre points out. 

That's why a part of an insight leader's playbook needs to be moving from transactional measurement to continuous listening — building an ongoing dialogue with the very people representing the brand in market.

3. BX Is the new competitive differentiator

Insurance products themselves often blur together. Once price and coverage are roughly equal, what sets a carrier apart isn’t the policy — it’s the experience brokers have when doing business with them.

Streamlined quoting tools, responsive service teams, and intuitive portals make it easier for brokers to sell. Over time, this convenience translates into higher placement rates, stronger advocacy, and more consistent loyalty.

As Bre explains: “If brokers consistently associate a carrier with reliability, speed, and support, that reputation travels quickly within networks and associations.”

Forward-thinking carriers are already weaving agent feedback into product launches, portal redesigns, and training materials. By treating BX as a competitive lever — not a service obligation — they’re earning both trust and market share.

Final thought: Research the front line

In an industry built on trust, the people selling your products are as critical as the people buying them. Engaging independent agents through conversational research and ongoing feedback loops (via insight communities and other similar tools) isn’t just good relationship management — it’s smart business.

As Bre concludes, insurers don’t need to guess what will improve the agent experience. They just need to ask.