Key Takeaways
- • Darkhorse Insurance Brokers released the inaugural 2026 Index of Insurance Agent Independence, a benchmark survey of 1,001 U.S. insurance agents establishing a baseline score of 66.2 out of 100 for measuring agent sentiment on income, autonomy, and agency ownership.
- • Over half of non-owner agents report likelihood to explore greater independence or agency ownership if adequate platform support, systems, and resources become available; 85% of interested respondents identified a one-to-five-year timeframe for potential action.
- • Financial risk and operational burden represent equally significant barriers to agency ownership, each accounting for 32% of reported obstacles, with income loss or stability risk ranking as the single largest barrier at 20%.
- • The survey reveals a material gap between agents' aspirations for independence and their readiness to pursue it, indicating unmet demand for transition support infrastructure and operational scaffolding currently unavailable in the market.
Summary
Darkhorse Insurance Brokers unveiled the 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence on September 22, 2026, a newly established recurring benchmark designed to measure sentiment among U.S. insurance agents regarding income stability, workplace autonomy, agency ownership prospects, and industry outlook. The inaugural index, conducted by Morning Consult across 1,001 respondents, registered a score of 66.2 out of 100, providing a national baseline for tracking shifts in agent sentiment over successive periods.
The survey identifies a pronounced disconnect between aspiration and capability among the insurance agent workforce. More than half of non-owner agents expressed likelihood to pursue greater independence or ownership if provided with appropriate platform infrastructure, operational support systems, and necessary resources. Among the 427 respondents indicating openness to independence, 85% projected they would pursue such a transition within one to five years if conditions aligned favorably.
Financial and operational obstacles emerge as equally consequential deterrents to agency ownership, each representing 32% of the barriers agents identified. Within the financial category, the risk of losing current income or operational stability stands as the single most significant individual barrier, cited by 20% of respondents. This bifurcation of concerns—between financial sustainability and operational complexity—underscores that capital constraints alone do not fully explain the ownership gap; agents equally cite concerns about operational infrastructure replacement and business management complexity.
Dan Garzella, founder of Darkhorse Insurance Brokers, characterized the findings as revealing ambition without adequate systemic support. "Insurance agents are not short on ambition. What many are missing is a support system that helps them navigate the transition to ownership and replace the operational infrastructure they currently rely on," he stated. The index establishes a quantitative framework for monitoring whether emerging platforms and resources subsequently narrow the gap between agent intent and execution in pursuing ownership structures.
The survey identifies a pronounced disconnect between aspiration and capability among the insurance agent workforce. More than half of non-owner agents expressed likelihood to pursue greater independence or ownership if provided with appropriate platform infrastructure, operational support systems, and necessary resources. Among the 427 respondents indicating openness to independence, 85% projected they would pursue such a transition within one to five years if conditions aligned favorably.
Financial and operational obstacles emerge as equally consequential deterrents to agency ownership, each representing 32% of the barriers agents identified. Within the financial category, the risk of losing current income or operational stability stands as the single most significant individual barrier, cited by 20% of respondents. This bifurcation of concerns—between financial sustainability and operational complexity—underscores that capital constraints alone do not fully explain the ownership gap; agents equally cite concerns about operational infrastructure replacement and business management complexity.
Dan Garzella, founder of Darkhorse Insurance Brokers, characterized the findings as revealing ambition without adequate systemic support. "Insurance agents are not short on ambition. What many are missing is a support system that helps them navigate the transition to ownership and replace the operational infrastructure they currently rely on," he stated. The index establishes a quantitative framework for monitoring whether emerging platforms and resources subsequently narrow the gap between agent intent and execution in pursuing ownership structures.
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