This general and highly abstract truth applies no less to insurance agents than to anyone else. Agents want a larger share of the commissions. Agencies, on the other hand, want to keep as much as possible for themselves. Agents want to maintain continuing business relationships with their clientele.
Agencies see insureds as their customers.
Agencies frequently subject agents to covenants not to compete. Agents want to avoid them. The agency was neither understanding nor forgiving. One relatively frequent area of controversy is the right to commissions on routine policy renewals. Both agents and agencies want to maximize their participations, and that as they say is a zero-sum game.