No franchise fee
Most franchises charge $25k–$65k before you sell a single policy. We charge $0 to start.
Side-by-side comparison
Compare before you commit
Starting an agency is a big decision. We put the numbers and terms next to the most common independent, franchise and captive models so you can see exactly how Insurance Exchange of America stacks up.
Insurance Exchange of America
Independent agent network with no start-up fee, full customer ownership, exclusive nationwide leads and done-for-you Google Ads, website and AI support.
Start my applicationStart-up fee
$0
Total investment
No franchise fee
New-business commission
75%
Renewal commission
75%
Customer ownership
You own 100%
Lead program
Unlimited exclusive real-time
Carrier access
150+ carriers
Territory
None — sell nationwide
Marketing & AI support
Google Ads, website, AI receptionist & drip marketing
How the models compare
Figures are estimates compiled from publicly available franchise disclosure documents, company websites and industry sources. Actual terms vary by contract, state and individual situation. Please verify directly with each provider before making a decision.
| Feature | Univista Insurance | We Insure | Goosehead Insurance | Brightway Insurance | Allstate (exclusive agent) | State Farm (exclusive agent) | Farmers Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start-up fee | $25,000 franchise | $25,000 – $50,000 | $50,000 – $65,000 | $25,000 – $50,000 | $0 franchise fee | Initial capital required | $0 franchise fee |
| Total investment | $70,000 – $132,000 | $60,000 – $120,000 | $66,000 – $111,000 | $56,000 – $159,000 | $50,000 – $100,000+ | $50,000 – $181,000 | $50,000 – $100,000+ |
| New-business commission | Franchise takes large share | Franchise takes large share | 20% royalty eats most | 15–20% kept by franchisor | Captive rate / low | Captive rate / low | Captive rate / low |
| Renewal commission | Low or withheld | Low or withheld | 50% royalty / low renewal | 45–50% kept by franchisor | Low or retained by Allstate | Low or retained by State Farm | Low or retained by Farmers |
| Customer ownership | Franchise controls the book | Franchise controls the book | Franchise controls the book | Franchise controls the book | Allstate owns the customer | State Farm owns the customer | Farmers owns the customer |
| Lead program | Shared / brand-dependent | Shared / brand-dependent | Shared platform leads | Shared marketing / cross-sell | Corporate marketing only | Corporate marketing only | Corporate marketing only |
| Carrier access | Limited carrier shelf | Restricted Florida panel | Restricted panel | Restricted to their panel | Allstate only — no choice | State Farm only — no choice | Farmers only — no choice |
| Technology & systems | Antiquated franchise systems | Basic proprietary platform | Locked proprietary platform | Dated proprietary AMS | Antiquated corporate systems | Antiquated corporate systems | Antiquated corporate systems |
| Territory restrictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Managed (no real freedom) | Yes | Yes | Select states |
| Marketing, website & AI support | Franchise marketing only | Franchise marketing only | Franchise marketing only | Franchise marketing only | Corporate brand marketing only | Corporate brand marketing only | Corporate brand marketing only |
| Notes | Limited product options and heavy brand control mean you operate more like a branch manager than an owner. Renewal commissions are often minimal or retained by the franchisor. | Florida-only franchise model with a narrow carrier panel and brand rules that limit how you run the agency. You give up a large portion of commission and receive little or nothing on renewals. | A 20% royalty on new business and up to 50% on renewals means you are essentially paying to work as a sales employee. Limited carriers and locked technology add to the cost. | They keep a large chunk of new and renewal commission, and you must use their dated systems. The 'we service' model means you do not control the customer relationship. | You cannot sell anything except Allstate products, so you lose clients you cannot place. The customer book belongs to Allstate, not you, and the technology is outdated. | One-carrier handcuffs and strict territory rules. You are building State Farm's book, not your own, and the renewal income is largely controlled by the brand. | Requires $50k–$100k+ to sell only Farmers products. You are not building an independent asset; you are building Farmers' customer list with their outdated systems. |
Why agents choose us
You own the book
Captive and franchise models often control your customer list. With us, 100% of your customers are yours.
Nationwide, independent
Sell 150+ carriers across multiple states. No single-brand handcuffs and no exclusive territory limits.
Real-time exclusive leads
No shared lead pools. No per-lead charges. Just exclusive, real-time prospects delivered to you.
Included tech stack
GTE Phone, Agency Compass 360 CRM and AI-powered follow-up are provided for every agent at no extra cost.
Customizable payout plans
Experienced, new-to-industry and you-sell-we-service models all come with flexible payout structures.
Done-for-you marketing & AI
We build and manage your Google Ads, build your website for free, run an AI receptionist and handle drip marketing so leads never go cold.
Keep more. Own more. Sell more.
Talk to us about the numbers and see if Insurance Exchange of America is the right fit for your agency.