This page is a working list. Each step says what to do, what it costs you (time or money) and what to set up before you move on. The steps are in the order most agents can start them, but you can run several at once.
Key points
- Your current book of business is the cheapest place to find the next policy: reviews, renewals and missing lines.
- Referrals and partner introductions work best when you ask on a schedule and make it easy to send a name.
- Local search, content and paid search bring in people you have never met, but each takes setup before the first lead.
- Bought leads add volume on a set schedule. They only pay off if you call within minutes and track results by source.
- Record consent on every form you run, and check Do Not Call status before you call anyone who did not ask you to.
Before step 1: decide which leads you want
A lead is only useful if you can write the policy. Before you spend time or money, write down four things. Every later step uses this list to decide where to look and which leads to turn away.
- Lines. Which lines you can quote and want to grow: auto, home, renters, life, final expense, or a bundle.
- States. Where you hold a license to sell. The NAIC explains that people who sell, solicit or negotiate insurance must be licensed as producers, and each state sets its own rules (NAIC producer licensing).
- Customer. Who you want to reach: new drivers, homebuyers, young families, retirees, small landlords.
- Capacity. How many new conversations you can handle each week without leaving people waiting.
If you are new to the business side, how insurance lead generation works explains who produces, routes and buys insurance leads. This page assumes you know that and want a plan.
How to get insurance leads: the 10 steps at a glance
- Review your current book for missing lines and upcoming renewals.
- Ask every satisfied client for referrals, on a schedule.
- Collect x-dates (policy renewal dates) from people who said "not now".
- Build two or three referral partnerships with local businesses.
- Agree how partners send names and how you report back.
- Set up your local search presence and ask for reviews.
- Publish short, useful content that answers local questions.
- Run paid search ads to a quote form you own, with consent language.
- Buy leads to fill the gaps your own channels leave.
- Answer every lead fast and track cost and results by channel.
Steps 1 to 5 cost mostly time. Steps 6 to 8 cost time to set up and, for paid search, ad spend. Step 9 costs a price per lead. Step 10 decides whether any of the others pay off.
Steps 1 to 3: start with people who already know you
Step 1: review your book of business
Export your client list and sort it by line. A client with auto but no home or renters policy, or a homeowner with no life policy, is a lead you already have. Book a short coverage review with each one at renewal, and ask what has changed: a new car, a new driver, a move, a new child, a paid-off mortgage.
Step 2: ask for referrals on a schedule
Most agents ask for referrals when they remember to. Pick fixed moments instead: after a policy is bound, after a claim is paid, and at each renewal review. Ask a specific question, such as "Who else in your family is shopping for car insurance this year?", and give the client a simple way to pass on a name, like a text with your contact card.
Thank every referrer, whether or not the referral buys. Rules on gifts or payments for referrals differ by state, so check with your state insurance department before you offer anything of value.
Step 3: collect and work x-dates
An x-dateX-dateThe expiration or renewal date of a consumer's current insurance policy. Glossary is the date a prospect's current policy renews. When a quote does not close, ask for the x-date and permission to contact them before it. Put each date in your calendar or CRM about a month ahead. A prospect who said "not now" in March may be ready at renewal in September.
Steps 4 and 5: build referral partnerships
Local businesses meet your future clients at the moment they need a policy. A partnership is an agreement that they pass on names, with the person's permission, and that you take good care of those people.
| Partner type | When their customer needs a policy | Lines it usually leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Car dealers and used car lots | Before driving a newly bought car off the lot | Auto |
| Real estate agents | Before closing on a home | Home, auto bundle, life |
| Mortgage loan officers | When the lender asks for proof of homeowners coverage | Home, mortgage protection |
| Property managers and landlords | At lease signing | Renters, auto |
| Accountants and financial planners | At tax time or during a financial review | Life, final expense |
Step 4: pick two or three partner types that match the lines on your checklist, and meet them in person. Step 5: agree how a name reaches you (a shared form, an email address, a phone number), how fast you will call, and how you will tell the partner the outcome. Partners keep sending names to agents who respond quickly and report back.
Steps 6 to 8: build channels you own online
Step 6: set up local search
People search for an agent near them. Claim and complete your business profile on Google and on map apps, with your office address, hours, lines and photos. Ask clients for reviews after a good experience. Give each office or town you serve its own page on your website.
Step 7: publish useful content
Write short pages that answer questions people in your area ask, such as what changes when a teen starts driving or what a lender needs before closing. Answer the question, then invite the reader to request a quote. Content is slow to bring in leads, but each page keeps working after you write it. Do not quote prices or promise savings.
Step 8: run paid search ads to your own quote form
Search ads on Google put you in front of people typing "car insurance quote" plus your town. Send the click to a quote form on your own site, not to a general contact page. The form should ask only what you need to quote, and it needs clear consent language next to the submit button that says who will contact the person and how.
Read prior express written consent for lead forms before you write that language, and keep a record of every submission (record keeping for consent). Start with a small daily budget and a short list of exact-match search terms, then widen what works.
Step 9: buy leads to fill the gaps
Your own channels take months to produce steady volume. Bought leads arrive on a schedule you set, from people who asked for a quote that day. Agencies often use them to keep new agents busy, to test a new state or line, or to cover slow months.
Before you buy, decide your lines, states, filters, daily cap and how you will handle returns. How to buy insurance leads walks through each decision, and insurance leads for agents explains the lead types. To judge whether the spend makes sense for your agency, read is buying leads worth it and how much insurance leads cost.
If you want leads without a price per lead, see free insurance leads for what "free" means in practice.
Step 10: answer fast and track every channel
A quote request goes cold quickly, because shoppers often ask more than one agent. Call web leads within minutes, during business hours and after. If you cannot, set up an automatic text or email that confirms the request and says when you will call. Speed to lead covers how response time affects contact rates.
Track each channel in one sheet or CRM report, with the same columns for every source:
| Column | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Leads received | Volume from the channel each month |
| Contacted | How many people you reached by phone, text or email |
| Quoted | How many reached a quote |
| Policies written | How many bought, by line |
| Cost | Ad spend, lead spend, or hours of your time |
| Cost per policy written | Total cost divided by policies written |
Review the sheet monthly. Put more time or budget into channels with the lowest cost per policy, and fix or drop the rest. Cost per lead and lead conversion rate explain the two measures behind this table.
Which channel to start with
Each channel has a different start-up cost and time to the first lead. The table compares them in general terms. Results depend on your market, your lines and how consistently you work the channel.
| Channel | What it costs | Time to first lead | Ongoing effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book review and cross-selling | Your time | Days | Low, tied to renewals |
| Client referrals | Your time | Days to weeks | Low, if built into your routine |
| Referral partners | Time and relationship building | Weeks to months | Medium |
| Local search and reviews | Time to set up | Weeks to months | Low to medium |
| Content | Time to write | Months | Medium |
| Paid search to your own form | Ad spend plus setup | Days after launch | High: daily checks |
| Bought leads | A price per lead | Days after onboarding with a seller | High: fast follow-up |
A new agent with an empty book often starts with referrals from family and friends, partners and bought leads. An agent with an established book usually gets more from steps 1 to 3. For a full marketing plan for an agency, see insurance agency marketing.
Common mistakes
- Spreading across every channel at once. Run two or three channels well before adding more.
- Asking for referrals once. Ask at every renewal and after every paid claim, not only at the first sale.
- Sending ad clicks to a home page. A visitor who has to look for the quote form often leaves.
- No consent language on your own form. Without it, you may not be able to call or text the person who asked for a quote.
- Calling cold lists. Calling numbers that did not ask to hear from you raises Do Not Call risk. See Do Not Call rules for businesses.
- Buying leads without a follow-up plan. A lead called the next day is harder to reach than one called in the first few minutes.
- Not tracking by source. If every lead lands in one list, you cannot tell which channel to grow.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get insurance leads?
Start with your current clients, referrals and local partners, then add local search, content and paid search ads to your own quote form. Buy leads to fill gaps in volume, and track the cost per policy of each channel.
Which lead channel should a new insurance agent start with?
Usually personal referrals, two or three local partners and, if the agency allows it, a small order of bought leads. These produce conversations quickly while slower channels like content and local search build up.
Do I need my own website to get insurance leads online?
For local search, content and paid search, yes. Each needs a page you control, and paid search needs a quote form with consent language. Referrals, partners and bought leads do not need a website.
How often should an insurance agent ask clients for referrals?
At fixed moments: after a policy is bound, after a claim is paid and at every renewal review. A routine produces more names than asking only when you remember.
Related guides
Sources
- Producer Licensing, National Association of Insurance Commissionerscontent.naic.org
- State insurance departments, National Association of Insurance Commissionerscontent.naic.org
Buying or generating insurance leads?
Buyers: email us the lines, states, daily volume and fields you need. Suppliers: email us your lines, traffic sources, how consent is captured, and daily volume.
Or write to team@summitleads.ai. We reply by email.
What happens next
- Step 1: You email us.
- Step 2: We reply by email.
- Step 3: Return terms are agreed on the onboarding call, before you go live.