New business
New business is any policy an agency writes that is not a renewal of an existing policy: a brand-new client, or a new line of coverage for an existing client. Agencies track it separately from renewals because it measures growth, and because commission treatment can differ between the two.
The new business pipeline
The flow is the same across most agencies: intake (collecting applicant information), submission to carriers directly or through a comparative rater, quotes back, a proposal to the client, then bind. Each handoff is a place deals stall.
A deal can stall while the team waits for client answers, carrier responses, or a completed application. Separate that waiting time from time spent reading, re-entering, and comparing information. Each needs a different fix: a clear follow-up, a better handoff, or less repetitive work.
The growth math
A book grows when new business plus rate increases outpace lost accounts. An agency that only services renewals shrinks through normal attrition, which is why producer compensation plans usually weight new business production, with the exact split set by each agency.
A new line for an existing client may count as new business in the agency's reporting. A commercial auto policy added for an existing BOP client is one example. Track it separately from a new client so the team can see where growth is coming from.
Find the actual bottleneck
Review five recent opportunities from first contact to proposal. Separate client waiting time, carrier waiting time, preparation time, and review time. If the delay is missing client information, adding faster typing alone will not resolve it.
In Relay
Relay's AI Quoting (Research Preview) runs configured carrier portal workflows and returns results with source evidence for your team to review. See how →
Common questions
Does a cross-sell count as new business?
Usually yes. A new line for an existing client is new business even though the client relationship already exists. Most agencies track it that way in their production reports.
Do carriers pay different commission on new business vs renewal?
It depends on the carrier contract. Some pay the same rate on both, others pay more on new business to encourage growth. The commission schedule in the carrier agreement is the answer.
Part of the Relay insurance operations glossary. Updated 2026-07-11. See how we source content.
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