Why P&C Carriers Must Rethink Their Agency Portals

Independent agents are at the heart of the P&C insurance industry. They drive new business, build customer trust, and strengthen carrier brands in the marketplace. Yet, too many carriers are making their jobs harder—forcing them to use rigid, outdated, and frustrating agency portals that were never designed with agents in mind.

We need to rethink our approach if we want to strengthen our distribution partnerships. Out-of-the-box agency portals from core system vendors aren’t cutting it.

The winning carriers are investing in configurable, agent-first digital experiences that remove friction and make it easier to write business. That’s where solutions like ManageMy come in—helping insurers provide a seamless experience that keeps agents engaged and selling.

Why So Many New Agents Leave Insurance—And What That Means for Carriers

We’ve all seen the statistics: 89% of new insurance agents quit within their first three years. (AgencyBloc)

The number one reason? It’s just too hard to sell insurance.

• • Agents struggle with complex, multi-step quoting and underwriting processes.
  • They spend too much time re-entering data, calling underwriters, and chasing paperwork.
  • They lose deals because customers demand a digital-first experience, and their tools don’t support it.

As a result, new agents walk away—and even experienced agents shift their focus toward carriers that make it easier to do business.

This isn’t just an agent problem—it’s a carrier growth problem.

If we’re serious about strengthening our distribution network, we need to address the real obstacles agents face when selling our products—and that starts with better technology.

Where Most Agency Portals Fall Short (and How to Fix It)

The traditional agency portal was built for carrier operations, not agent success. That’s why most out-of-the-box solutions from core system vendors struggle in these key areas:

1. Quoting and Underwriting Take Too Long

• • Legacy portals force agents to enter data across multiple screens and rekey the same information.
  • Real-time underwriting feedback is rare, leading to wasted time submitting ineligible risks.
  • Better Approach: A modern portal automates data intake, eliminates redundant entry, and provides instant underwriting decisions—reducing quote time from hours to minutes.

2. Limited Integration with Third-Party Data Providers

• • Agents need instant access to credit scores, driving records, and property data—but many core system portals require manual input.
  • Better Approach: A connected agency portal pulls LexisNexis, TransUnion, and ISO data automatically, improving speed and accuracy.

3. No Visibility into Commissions and Incentives

• • Many out-of-the-box portals don’t show agents what they’re earning in real-time.
  • Agents lose motivation if they don’t understand their incentives.
  • Better Approach: A portal that tracks commissions, rewards, and bonuses in real-time keeps agents engaged and focused on selling.

4. Limited Multichannel Engagement (Email, SMS, AI Assistants)

• • Traditional portals rely on email and manual follow-ups, making it harder to close deals.
  • Better Approach: Modern agency portals embed automated email sequences, SMS engagement, and AI-driven chat to keep prospects moving through the pipeline.

5. Delays in Binding and Policy Issuance

• • Some core vendor portals still require wet signatures or faxed documents before a policy can be issued.
  • Better Approach: A digital-first portal enables eSignatures and instant policy issuance, ensuring agents can bind coverage before customers lose interest.

6. Rigid Product Offerings That Can’t Keep Up with Market Demand

• • Many legacy portals make it difficult to introduce embedded insurance, usage-based products, or flexible payment options.
  • Better Approach: A flexible agency portal allows insurers to adapt quickly to market changes, giving agents competitive products to sell.

What This Means for Carriers

The message is clear: If writing new business is too difficult, agents will sell someone else’s product instead.

That means:

• • Less premium written
  • Lower agent retention
  • More business going to competitors

On the other hand, carriers that invest in modern, flexible agency portals see:

• • Higher agent satisfaction and engagement
  • More policies bound per agent 
  • Faster speed to market for new products
  • Stronger relationships with their broker network

That’s why so many insurers are turning to ManageMy—the platform delivers a configurable, best-in-class agency portal that removes friction, improves efficiency, and keeps agents focused on what they do best: selling.

Final Thought: If You’re Not Making It Easier for Agents, You’re Losing Business

The industry has changed. Agent experience is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a key competitive advantage.

If your current agency portal is frustrating, slow, and difficult to use, agents will shift their focus elsewhere. That’s the reality.

The good news? Better options exist.

For insurers looking to modernize their agency experience, it’s time to explore solutions that truly empower agents, streamline sales, and drive growth.

Want to learn how ManageMy is helping carriers transform their agency experience? Let’s talk.