Insurance Agency Clusters and Networks: Compare 19 Options
A cluster or network gives independent agencies carrier access they might not get alone. You either write under the network's carrier contracts or get help winning appointments in your own name, and you pay with a fee, a share of commission or both.
We compared 19 networks on what they charge, how you reach carriers and whether you keep your book when you leave.
A few terms on this page. An appointment is a carrier's contract to sell its policies, and a network that holds one has a master code that members write under on a subcode of their own. The label under each name says whose appointment you write on: Network code means the network's, Your own codes means yours and Both means either.
Profit sharing is a yearly carrier bonus for profitable growth, and expirations are the renewal records that make a book worth something. A carrier bar is a noncompete that stops you from signing with carriers you reached through the network. A blank cell means the network does not publish it.
Most figures come from each network's own site. Strategic Agency Partners' fee and split come from trade-press interviews, and FirstChoice's $500 fee comes from the PIA associations that offer it. Smart Choice's Leadership Level is a commission volume it does not publish.
- Networks compared
- 19
- Take no share of base commission
- 5
- Take startup agencies
- 13
Quick picks by need
Starting from scratch
Takes new agencies with no upfront or monthly fee, but keeps part of your commission.
Smart Choice, Advantage Partners Network, Agents Alliance Services
Keep all of your commission
Charges a flat fee or dues instead of taking a share of base commission.
Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers, ISG United, FirstChoice, Strategic Agency Partners, Big I Alliance
Help getting your own codes
Helps your agency win carrier appointments in its own name.
American Agents Alliance, Combined Agents of America, ISG United
Leaving a captive carrier
Takes captive agents going independent.
Planning to sell one day
Offers help selling or passing on the agency.
Smart Choice, Ironpeak, Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers
Quick picks are matched on published features, not ranked. Each list follows our default order.
Compare 19 clusters and networks
| Network | Entry fee | Ongoing fee | Commission share | Startups | Network says you keep your book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Pro AgenciesNetwork code | $0, plus $799 setup with first software month | $169 a month for software | 20%, min $495 | With experience | Move clients to other carriers |
| Smart ChoiceNetwork code | $0 | $0 | 30%, ends at Leadership Level except Smart Start | 2-year carrier bar | |
| SIMGNetwork code | $0 | $300 a year or $600 for life | 5% to 30% | Says yes, agreement not public | |
| Pacific Interstate Insurance BrokersNetwork code | $850 a month | 0% of base | With experience | Yes, $5,000 exit fee | |
| FireflyNetwork code | One-time fee | No dues, EZLynx extra | 10% | With experience | 30% fee to move |
| Advantage Partners NetworkNetwork code | $0 | $0 | Varies by market | 2-year carrier bar | |
| IronpeakBoth | $0 | $0 | Varies by PartnerPlan level | No, minimum premium | In a 2025 interview |
| RenaissanceBoth | $0 | Monthly, quoted to you | With experience | Yes, 180 days' notice | |
| American Agents AllianceNetwork code, then your own | $0 | $50 to $130 a month | Says yes, agreement not public | ||
| Combined Agents of AmericaBoth | 20% on CAAIS only | Own codes stay yours | |||
| Agents Alliance ServicesNetwork code | $0 | At least 10%, per its website | Says yes, agreement not public | ||
| ISG UnitedSays own codes | $0 | $299 to $749 a month | 0% | With experience | Yes, flat exit fee |
| Greater Midstates Insurance AgencyNetwork code | One-time, quoted by phone | $0 | Yes, 12 months to move | ||
| SIAABoth, mostly direct | Set by region | Set by region | Set by region | Yes, terms set by region | |
| FirstChoiceYour own codes | $500 a month, per PIA | 0% on direct | Via LaunchPad | Says yes, agreement not public | |
| ISU SteadfastBoth | Set by revenue | 0% on your own codes only | No, $250K+ revenue | ||
| Big I AllianceBoth | $3,000 to $3,500 on Gold | $300 to $350 a month on Gold | 0% on Gold | Emerging tier | Yes, 3-year exclusive term |
| Strategic Agency PartnersBoth | $0, per trade press | Quoted when you apply | 0%, per trade press | ||
| SecureRiskGroup agreements |
Vendors sit in our default order, which comes from trust factors and not from any fee. Prices as of October 2026.
See what agencies pay in the cost guide.
Questions to ask before you join
Who holds the carrier appointment?
If the network holds it, you write under its code and usually can't keep that carrier when you leave, unless the agreement says otherwise. If your agency holds it, the carrier relationship goes with you.
Is it a fee, a split or both?
A commission split is the share of each commission the network keeps. Flat fees cost the same whatever you write, so they get cheaper per policy as you grow.
Who gets the profit sharing?
Ask what share of the carrier bonus reaches you and what volume you need before you qualify.
What happens to my book if I leave?
Ask who owns the expirations. Then ask whether you can keep renewals or must move clients to other carriers.
What does it cost to leave?
Look for exit fees, buyouts, notice periods and bans on the network's carriers after you go.
Can I read the agreement first?
Ask for the full agreement before you sign. Two networks publish theirs, Insurance Pro Agencies and Advantage Partners Network, and ISU Steadfast offers a sample. Most share it only after you apply or not at all.
Frequently asked questions
What is an insurance agency cluster or network?
A cluster or network is a group that gives independent agencies access to carrier appointments or market access, usually in return for a fee or a share of commission.
How is this list ordered?
We start from a default order built on trust factors, which are how many buyer facts the vendor publishes, whether its identity is verified, how openly it shows prices, how long it has been in business and an editorial review. Affiliate and paid links play no part, and a higher spot does not mean a better product. Read how we order vendors.
How we researched this. We based this page on each vendor's published pricing where available, terms and product pages, reviewed in October 2026, together with our team's experience working with insurance agents and agency owners since 2008.