How brokers are converting prospects into clients

Want those prospects to become paying customers? Get into the weeds.

So say 78% of respondents to this year’s National Broker Survey who indicate ‘engaging in a substantive dialogue about customers’ needs’ has helped them convert prospects into clients over the past two years.

The approach is getting slightly less shiny over time, though. Last year, 80% of survey respondents ranked the tactic Number 1, as did 82% in 2023 and 84% in 2022.

For 2026, men (90%) are more likely to say they get into deep client conversations than women (75%), as are mid-career brokers (85%) with between 16 and 30 years in the business, followed by veterans (83%) with more than 31 years in insurance, and younger brokers (80%) with 16 or fewer years under their belts.

Brokers at large firms (85%) with more than 100 employees also favour the long road to client knowledge, followed by those at mid-sized companies (84%) with 20 to 99 employees, and those at smaller firms (82%) with 20 or fewer people.

“Be genuine and transparent, as much as one can, in the initial and continual interactions with clients,” says one woman respondent who’s newer in the business. “Approach everyone as if you were selling [and] managing a policy to yourself. Treat others as you would treat yourself!”

What’s more, 60% of 2026 respondents say researching a prospect prior to a first meeting is key to converting them into a client. That’s well ahead of the 53% saying the same thing last year, but below 63% in 2024 and 64% in 2023.

Again, men (79%) are more supportive of the tactic, compared with women (44%). And mid-career brokers (71%) are most likely to conduct advanced research, followed by older brokers (61%) and newer entrants (56%) to the business. Those at large firms (69%) are most predisposed to favour the approach.

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Also less popular than last year is the tactic of tailoring the sales approach to a customer’s age, with 49% favouring the method this year, compared to 55% in 2025 and 56% in 2024.

Women (54%) show a higher preference for the approach than men (46%), as do younger brokers (55%) and those at larger firms (55%). Veteran brokers (49%) are next most likely to say age tailoring helps convert shoppers into buyers, followed by those at mid-career (43%). Those at small firms (48%) and mid-sized firms (47%) are statistically tied in their views about age-specific messaging.

Highlighting credentials or awards, at 16%, is this year’s least popular sales approach, and that’s statistically consistent with responses in the prior four years. Men (18%), newer brokers (19%), veterans (19%) and those at large firms (22%) are most likely to say they employ the tactic.

Investing time

Meanwhile, a related survey question finds brokers saying they’ve become increasingly hands-on with their clients. Eighty-one percent of respondents to this year’s survey say they ‘spend a meaningful amount of time working directly with customers’ as a producer. That’s up from 79% in 2025 and 71% in 2024.

Men (86%) are most likely to say they’re actively work in a producer capacity, compared to women (76%). Newer brokers (86%) are more likely to be hands-on with customers, followed by mid-career brokers (83%) and veterans (69%).

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Those at smaller firms are most likely (88%) to say they spend meaningful time with customers, followed closely (87%) by those at large firms, with a significant drop-off (67%) for those at medium-sized firms.

Responding quickly and allocating time after hours also work. Fully 90% of respondents say getting back to clients fast helps seal the deal, and that percentage is consistent with findings over the past five years. And a bit more than half (53%) of respondents say that responding after hours is a key service component that helps move buyers from shopping to buying.

“We find that clients are very appreciative if you respond on a Saturday or in the evening,” says a woman respondent who’s newer to the business in a verbatim response. “But the final decision really depends on premium offered. Even the most exemplary service cannot win you a client if you are unable to offer them competitive pricing.”

Canadian Underwriter’s 2026 National Broker Survey heard from 169 brokers, with 32 identifying as brokerage owners or principals. The survey was conducted in February 2026, with support from Sovereign Insurance.

Phil Porado

Phil, an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in financial topics, has been managing editor of Canadian Underwriter for more than three years.