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Independent agencies see revenue gains as AI adoption rises
AI usage among independent agencies climbed to 46% in 2026 from 15% in 2024, while average staff grew to 9.9 employees from 8.2.
Three in four independent insurance agencies reported revenue increases between 2024 and 2025, while the share seeing revenue declines fell from 12% to 8%, according to the 2026 Agency Universe Study by Future One, a collaboration of the Big "I" and independent agency companies.
The study estimated about 37,000 independent agencies operate in the US, broadly stable over the past decade, and found average staff size rose from 8.2 employees in 2024 to 9.9 in 2026. One in three agencies reported adding employees over the past two years, and revenue growth was concentrated across personal lines and commercial lines, with roughly 70% and about two-thirds reporting increases, respectively, in the 2024 to 2025 period.
Marketing budgets increased, with the average agency spending rising from $14,300 in 2024 to $20,600 in 2026, a 44% increase. Social and digital marketing led activity, and social media channel use remained widespread, with Facebook used by 70% of agencies.
AI adoption also accelerated, with 46% of agencies using AI in 2026, up from 15% in 2024. The most common uses were marketing content generation, coverage form analysis, and contract reviews, while the biggest barriers were gaps in knowledge about AI capabilities and security and privacy concerns, each cited by roughly half of agencies.