What’s helping brokers generate leads?

Asking for referrals from existing customers is still the Number 1 way brokers create new client contacts, say respondents to CU’s 2025 National Broker Survey.

More than half (64%) of 2025 survey respondents say they ask customers for referrals, compared with 68% last year. That response has topped the field for the past five survey years, ranging from 64% to 71%. For 2025, men (68%) are more likely to request referrals than women (61%), and the practice is most prevalent among brokers with between 16 and 30 years in the business (74%) and at firms with between 20 and 99 employees (70%).

Verbatim comments from survey respondents stress the cost effectiveness of requesting referrals – they’re free – as well as the simplicity of the process. “Happy clients are your best advocates. Encouraging them to refer their friends, family and colleagues has been beneficial,” says a male respondent who’s relatively new to the business.

Respondents also stress solid service can lead customers to make referrals without being asked. Adds a woman respondent with fewer than 16 years in the business, “Excellent customer service and competence leads to high referrals, as clients, normally after the first year, stop receiving the same standard of service. If we maintain our standards, retention of new clients is easy, and referrals have been rolling in.”

Related: What’s worrying Canada’s brokers now?

Networking is also a key provider of fresh leads, say 53% of 2025 respondents, down slightly from 57% last year. Men say they’re more likely to use the tactic (64%), compared with women (47%). And networking is most popular with those with between 16 and 30 years of experience (65%) and among those at firms with between 20 and 99 employees (64%).

One respondent at a large firm stresses the importance of making time to attend events. “Networking…builds your brand and relationships that can influence decision making,” the broker says.

Requesting referrals from professionals providing services that are ancillary to insurance, like accountants and lawyers, is a popular way to garner business among 28% of 2025 respondents. That’s down from 43% in 2024 and 46% in 2023.

Verbatim responses emphasize the need for brokers to build relationships with a few centres of influence related to their insurance practice niche. One woman respondent at a firm with fewer than 20 employees notes she garners business via “contacts through financial institutions and real estate agents.”

Related: How brokers can boost their value proposition

In some cases, verbatim respondents say, referrals can organically emerge from client conversations. “A lot of business that I’ve received has been from existing [personal lines] clients ‘discovering’ that we are able to insure their businesses,” says a women broker at a smaller firm.

Lower on brokers’ list of lead-generating tactics are maintenance of an ‘active social media presence’ at 26%, with one verbatim response from younger broker indicating he’s drummed up business on Facebook and Instagram.

Another method supported by 18% of 2025 respondents is personal advertising beyond what’s provided by the brokerages where they work. A further 11% say virtual events like webinars can generate referrals, and 9% say they rely on cold calling. Lowest on the list, at 7%, is the purchase of lists from aggregators.

Canadian Underwriter’s 2025 National Broker Survey was fielded between Jan. 22 and Feb. 20 with 165 responses. The survey is supported by Sovereign Insurance.