The FMO that worked when you were a solo agent may not be the one you need when you have five producers and a service team. Agency owners need different things from an upline: help contracting a team, training new hires, tracking production, and protecting the business they are building.
I'm Justin Brock. Brock has helped agents and agencies serve 250,000+ Medicare beneficiaries. For a staged plan to grow from solo agent to real business, read How to Grow a Medicare Agency on justinbrock.com. This piece covers what to look for in an upline once you start building a team.
What changes when you grow
As a solo agent, you need contracts, training and case help. As an agency, you also need:
- Team contracting. Getting new agents appointed under your hierarchy quickly and correctly.
- Onboarding for new hires. Training that gets producers certified and selling without you teaching every session.
- Visibility. Reports on who is producing, who is certified and where applications are stuck.
- Retention systems. Tools that help your service team keep clients after AEP.
- Clear ownership. A plain understanding of who owns the book and the data.
What to ask an FMO as an agency owner
- How do you set up and manage an agency hierarchy?
- How fast can you contract and certify new agents I recruit?
- What training can my new hires join without me?
- What reporting do I get on my team's production and certifications?
- How do you handle book ownership and client data for my agency?
- What do you do to help agency owners, not just agents?
Owning your data and your book
The more you build, the more you have to protect. Make sure you understand release terms, data access and what happens if you ever change uplines. Our guide to moving your contracts covers the basics.
How Brock supports agencies
Brock works with agency owners on contracting, onboarding, training and tools. Our Behind the Agency sessions focus on running the business side, and new hires can join weekly live webinars and Medicare Agent Bootcamp. See our tools, our events and Why Brock.
Building a team? Book a call with the Brock team.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a different FMO when my agency grows?
Not always, but your needs change. A growing agency needs team contracting, onboarding for new hires, production reporting, retention tools and clear rules on book ownership. If your current upline was built for solo agents and cannot provide those, it may be time to look at a partner built for agencies.
What should an FMO provide to agency owners?
Look for fast contracting and certification for new hires, training your team can join, reporting on production and certifications, tools for service and retention, and clear answers about hierarchy and data ownership. Ask what the FMO does specifically for agency owners and talk to owners who already work with them.
Who owns the book of business in a Medicare agency?
It depends on your contracts with carriers and your upline, plus any agreements with your own agents. Read every agreement and ask direct questions before you sign. Clear terms on releases and client data protect the business you are building if anything changes later.
When should a Medicare agency hire its first employee?
Many agency owners start with service help rather than another producer, so they can spend more time selling while clients still get fast answers. The right timing depends on your volume and cash flow. The justinbrock.com guide to growing a Medicare agency walks through a staged hiring order.