In an industry that prizes growth, it’s easy to equate success with new client acquisition. Many insurance brokerage firms devote massive resources to lead generation, aggressive prospecting, and sales pipeline management. These are important tactics—but they’re not the only ones.

What if the greatest source of sustainable, profitable growth is hiding in plain sight—within your existing book of business?

At DOXA, we work with brokerages across the country to uncover value and identify strategic inflection points. Again and again, we see firms underestimate the power of account rounding—adding policies and coverage lines to existing customer accounts. The math is compelling. The long-term client relationships are even better.

More Policies, Stronger Retention

Retention is the bedrock of brokerage value. Whether you’re preparing for a sale or investing in long-term growth, client stickiness is a core driver of profitability.

Retention rates correlate strongly with the number of policies per client. Based on DOXA’s proprietary financial benchmarking systems, customers with a single policy retain at an average rate of 77.1%. But for clients holding five or more policies, that rate jumps to 84.7%.

That 7.6 percentage point difference may seem small—but over time, it compounds in a big way. A multi-policyholder is nearly twice as likely to stay over a 5-year period than a single-policy client. That equates to a 60% increase in long-term customer value—simply by deepening the relationship.

When scaled across your client base, the impact is profound. More policies mean more renewals, more touchpoints, and more trust. You’re not just insuring a building—you’re covering their fleet, their cyber risk, their executive liability. That kind of holistic relationship is incredibly sticky.

Better Retention = More Revenue

Increased retention doesn’t just make your business more stable—it makes it more profitable.

Let’s say your agency has a $5 million book of business. Improving your average client retention from 77.1% to 82.5%—just a modest shift—generates an additional $548,705 in revenue over five years on the original policy alone. Now imagine each of those retained clients adds a second policy worth 50% of the original. That second policy generates another $955,454 in revenue over the same period.

Combined? That’s over $1.5 million in added revenue—without acquiring a single new client.

It’s not magic. It’s account rounding. And most firms are sitting on this untapped growth lever.

According to DOXA’s data, roughly 50% of the average insurance firm’s customers hold just one policy. That’s half your book sitting idle, waiting to be optimized. And the good news? These opportunities don’t require rethinking your entire model. They simply require focus.

Synergies Without the Headcount

Cross-selling doesn’t just drive revenue—it also unlocks operational efficiencies. Serving a multi-policy client is almost always more efficient than managing separate accounts.

Think about it from your account managers’ perspective. Supporting a customer with multiple policies means:

• Fewer total clients to manage

• Centralized communications

• Familiarity with the business and risk profile

• Unified renewal timelines

You’re consolidating effort while expanding value. And in a labor-constrained environment, that matters. You don’t need to expand your production team or invest in massive marketing campaigns to achieve this kind of growth. You simply need to build depth, not just breadth.

It’s also easier on the client. You become their trusted partner, not just another vendor. You’re the one helping them think strategically about risk, coverage, and protection.

From Transactional to Transformational

What separates a high-growth brokerage from the rest? The best firms we see aren’t just closing policies—they’re building relationships. They’ve reoriented their teams, their incentives, and even their onboarding processes to support deeper, broader client engagements.

That includes:

• Conducting annual coverage reviews

• Training CSRs and producers to identify cross-sell opportunities

• Leveraging data analytics to segment and prioritize high-potential accounts

• Incentivizing retention, not just new business

These firms recognize that account rounding is not a sales tactic—it’s a service mindset. It reflects a genuine interest in understanding clients’ needs and meeting them comprehensively.

And in a world where clients expect seamless service and strategic insight, this approach builds trust that outlasts market cycles.

When Retention Drives Enterprise Value

If you’re exploring M&A, account rounding takes on even more importance.

Buyers want durability. They want to see a customer base that isn’t just large—but loyal. Multi-policy accounts signal strength. They suggest that your firm has built long-term relationships, reduced churn, and expanded your wallet share.

That kind of stability boosts your earnings quality, your valuation multiple, and your overall attractiveness in the market.

In fact, at DOXA, we often advise firms prepping for a sale to double down on account rounding in the 12–24 months leading up to a transaction. Not only does it enhance EBITDA—it also demonstrates proactive management and growth-oriented thinking.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Leave Value on the Table

It’s tempting to chase growth through top-of-funnel activity. New leads are exciting. New clients are tangible wins. But the best brokerages—those that last, scale, and command premium valuations—know how to extract value from what they already have.

Retention is the hidden engine of brokerage growth.
Account rounding is the key that turns it on.

At DOXA, we help firms evaluate and implement these strategies—not as one-off initiatives, but as part of a scalable, sustainable growth plan. We understand what drives value in this space, and we’re here to help forward-thinking firms unlock it.

Ready to unlock hidden growth inside your book of business? Let’s talk. At DOXA, we help brokerages maximize value today—and build legacy for tomorrow.

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