When it's time to renew insurance, many business owners default to the same plan:

“Let’s get a few agents competing for quotes. More quotes = better deal, right?”

Not quite.

Commercial insurance doesn’t work like a typical bidding process, and treating it that way can actually backfire.

Here’s what most people don’t realize:

• Insurance carriers only offer one quote per business per year — and they give it to the first agent who approaches them.

• Most agents are accessing the same pool of carriers, so there’s little true variation in options.

• The price is already built-in. Switching agents doesn’t unlock secret discounts.

• When multiple agents try to quote, it usually blocks markets and weakens your negotiating position.

The result? The agent who already has the info and moves quickest usually wins — and everyone else just wastes time.

A better way to approach it:

• Spend time up front talking with potential agents.

• Ask how they’d represent your business and what kind of support you can expect after the policy is in place.

• Choose the agency you trust most — and let them take it from there.

You’ll get better results by choosing the right advisor early… not by creating a race to the market with no real upside.