Inaugural Edition • Published by Darkhorse Insurance Brokers • Research conducted by Morning Consult
What 1,001 U.S. Insurance Agents Say About Income, Control and the Path to Ownership
The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence is a composite measure of agent sentiment based on a national survey of 1,001 U.S. insurance agents conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Darkhorse Insurance Brokers. It measures agent sentiment across five pillars of professional independence: growth opportunity, autonomy, technology, ownership and industry confidence — and this inaugural edition scores 66.2 out of 100, establishing the baseline for future editions of the Index.
Insurance agents believe in their own ability to succeed — but far fewer are satisfied with the agency structures they currently work within. 79% of agents are confident they will reach their professional goals, compared with 66% who are satisfied with their current agency model — a 13-point gap that holds in every segment, and widens to 17 points among captive and semi-captive agents. The finding reveals an important tension: agents remain confident in their own ability to succeed even when they are less satisfied with the structures in which they currently operate.
Full sample, n=1,001. Confidence and satisfaction reflect ratings of 7-10 on 10-point scales. Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, conducted by Morning Consult.
Each pillar is scored 0-100, with 50 as the neutral midpoint — scores above 50 indicate net-favorable agent sentiment, and the overall Index score is the mean of the five pillar scores.
How agents perceive their ability to grow their business within the current system.
The importance of professional autonomy and control over business decisions.
Satisfaction with the tools and systems agents rely on to operate their businesses.
Agent sentiment on ownership of their book of business and overall economic structure.
Overall sentiment on the future of the insurance agency model.
All five pillars score above the 50-point neutral midpoint. Item-level scores range from 78.2 (technology reducing administrative burden) to 42.8 — the only item-level score below the midpoint — for the reverse-scored statement that the industry makes it difficult to build meaningful ownership. Full sample, n=1,001.
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Finding 1
79% are confident they will reach their professional goals, compared with 66% who are satisfied with their current agency model. Confidence exceeds satisfaction in every agent segment.
Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, conducted by Morning Consult. Full sample, n=1,001.
Finding 2
91% of agency owners are satisfied with their current model, compared with 63% of captive and semi-captive agents and 57% of independent non-owner agents.
Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, conducted by Morning Consult. Agency owners n=174; captive and semi-captive n=480; independent non-owners n=347.
Finding 3
78% believe they could earn significantly more with greater flexibility over how they operate, grow and serve clients. Meanwhile, the Index's highest-scoring individual item concerns technology's ability to reduce administrative burden.
Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, conducted by Morning Consult. Full sample, n=1,001.
Finding 4
Operational and financial concerns each account for 32% of the barriers agents report. These operational barriers include the complexity of running an independent operation, hiring and retaining talent, back-office support, carrier access, and technology and systems.
Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, conducted by Morning Consult. Full sample, n=1,001, single response.
Finding 5
85% of agents who rate themselves likely to explore greater independence or ownership select a timeframe of one to five years if they were to pursue such a move. Overall, 51% of non-owner agents rate themselves likely to explore greater independence or ownership if the right platform, support system and resources existed.
Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, conducted by Morning Consult. The 85% figure covers the 427 respondents who rated their likelihood 5 to 7 on the seven-point scale, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.7 percentage points.
The findings above point somewhere: agents want more control over how they work. But wanting independence and being ready for it are two different things — and the gap between them is where the real story is.
Interest in greater independence or ownership is substantial, but most agents who are likely to explore a move see it as a multi-year decision rather than an immediate one.
of non-owner agents are likely to explore greater independence or agency ownership if the right platform, support system and resources existed.
Among that likely-to-explore group (n=427), if they were to pursue such a move:
selected a timeframe of one to five years
selected a timeframe within the next 12 months
Non-owner agents, n=834, were asked the likelihood and timeframe questions. The timeframe figures shown are calculated among the 427 respondents who rated their likelihood to explore greater independence or ownership 5–7 on a seven-point scale; margin of error ±4.7 percentage points. Independent non-owners rate themselves likely at 57%; captive and semi-captive agents at 46%.
Financial risk and operational burden each account for 32% of the barriers agents report. Financial risk is concentrated in income stability and transition costs, while operational burden reflects the combined demands of running the business, building a team, replacing back-office support, securing carrier access, and assembling the necessary technology and systems.
Financial risk and operational burden each account for 32% of barrier responses; contract restrictions or non-competes account for a further 5% (separately, 17% of agents agree they feel locked in by contract or carrier restrictions). 14% say they've already achieved their ideal agency model, 13% cite lack of time or bandwidth, and 5% are uncertain which path is right for them. Full sample, n=1,001, single response; totals may differ from the sum of displayed percentages due to rounding.
All resources below are freely available — no form or email required.
Complete findings summary
PDFIncluded in the full report (pages 25–26)
PDFAll 8 white-background infographics
PDFFull survey questions and scales
PDFFull question wording and topline results from Morning Consult
PDFFull results broken out by agent segment
PNGHigh-resolution cover tile for media use
Source: The 2026 Darkhorse Index of Insurance Agent Independence, a study conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Darkhorse Insurance Brokers. Base varies by question; see methodology and individual chart notes.
Agency owners report high satisfaction with their model, suggesting that the challenge lies less in the value of ownership than in the path to achieving it. Financial considerations and operational complexity are significant reported sources of friction. The findings point to the need for a better-supported transition — helping qualified agents evaluate the financial realities of ownership while reducing the operational burden of building and operating an independent agency.
This inaugural edition establishes a baseline for future editions: an overall Index score of 66.2, a 13-point gap between confidence and satisfaction, and a finding that 85% of agents likely to explore greater independence or ownership selected a one-to-five-year timeframe.
Darkhorse Insurance Brokers is an Agency Ownership Platform that helps qualified insurance professionals build, own, and grow independent agencies. Darkhorse combines carrier access, operational infrastructure, onboarding, training, business guidance, and ongoing agency-success support to help owners move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and momentum. Agency owners build and operate their own brands while benefiting from Darkhorse's experience and infrastructure.
Considering agency ownership? Insurance professionals can use Darkhorse's Agency Ownership Readiness Assessment to consider the financial, operational and professional factors involved in pursuing ownership.
Explore the Readiness Assessment
Spokesperson for the Darkhorse Index
Dan Garzella built a scratch captive agency into one of the top five Farmers Insurance agencies in the country before entering the independent market and building Garzella Group, a portfolio of five insurance businesses that includes Darkhorse Insurance Brokers. With firsthand knowledge of what successful agency ownership requires, he founded Darkhorse to give ambitious insurance professionals the carrier access, operational foundation, and practical guidance to build and grow agencies of their own.
Media inquiries: Shayna Zeigen, Perception Public Relations — shayna@perceptionprllc.com
Media Contact: Shayna Zeigen