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Here's the problem with real estate income: it resets to zero every January. You can close 20 deals this year and start next year with nothing under contract. Your database gets bigger, but it doesn't pay you until someone moves again, often years from now.
Insurance works the other way. A policy you write this year pays you again next year when it renews, and the year after. That's why a growing number of Maryland agents are adding an insurance license. Not to become insurance agents, but to get paid by the database they've already built.
Why insurance fits a real estate business
Every buyer you close needs homeowners insurance before settlement. Most of them also own cars. You're already in the conversation at the exact moment they're shopping for coverage.
Today, that business goes to someone else. With an insurance license, you can offer to quote it yourself, or have your agency do it. You become the person who helped with the house and the coverage, which gives you a natural reason to check in every year when the policy renews.
How the money works
Insurance commission is a percentage of the premium. For personal lines like home and auto, it's commonly in the range of about 10–15% of the premium, depending on the carrier and product. The key word is renewal: when the policy renews next year, commission is paid again.
Here's the illustration we use, with every caveat attached. Say a household pays enough in home and auto premium that your share works out to roughly $450 a year.
| Households on your books | Illustrative yearly renewal income |
|---|---|
| 10 | $4,500 |
| 25 | $11,250 |
| 50 | $22,500 |
| 100 | $45,000 |
These are illustrations, not promises. Actual income depends on the policies, the carriers, your commission split and how many clients stay. But the shape is the point: it compounds. Every household you add keeps paying, while each real estate commission pays once.
Getting licensed in Maryland
Insurance producers in Maryland are licensed by the Maryland Insurance Administration. The process got simpler recently:
- Pick your line. Property and casualty (home and auto) is the natural fit for real estate agents. Some agents add life and health later.
- Study and pass the state exam. Maryland repealed its pre-licensing education requirement for producer applicants effective October 1, 2024. You no longer need a state-approved course before testing. Most people still use an exam-prep course.
- Apply for your producer license with the Maryland Insurance Administration after you pass.
- Get appointed. A license lets you sell; an appointment through an agency or carrier lets you actually write policies and get paid.
Check the Maryland Insurance Administration's producer licensing page for current requirements before you start.
Doing it right with your clients
A second income only works if your clients trust you more because of it, not less. Three rules:
- Always give them the choice. Clients pick their own insurance provider, title company and lender. Offering is service; pressuring is not.
- Keep the licenses straight. Real estate advice comes under your real estate license; coverage advice comes under your insurance license. Don't blur them.
- Disclose relationships. If your brokerage has an affiliated insurance agency, your clients should know.
How it works at REVOL
At REVOL, insurance is optional. Agents who want the second income get licensed and appointed through REVOL Financial Group, LLC, REVOL's affiliated insurance agency, and REVOL runs in-house licensing classes to get you through the exam. Your real estate compensation never depends on whether a client buys insurance from you.
It's the reason REVOL can offer 100% commission plans: the brokerage earns on insurance commissions as well as real estate, so the commission plan doesn't have to carry the whole company. See the plans.
The bottom line
Your database is the most valuable thing you own, and right now it only pays you when someone moves. An insurance license lets it pay you every year. It takes an exam and a few weeks, and the income builds with every client you already serve.
Watch the private webinar to see exactly how REVOL agents set up the second income, or read the 100% commission math.
Frequently asked questions
Can a real estate agent sell insurance in Maryland?
Yes, with a separate insurance producer license from the Maryland Insurance Administration and an appointment with an agency or carrier. Your real estate license alone does not allow it.
Do I need a pre-licensing course for a Maryland insurance license?
Not anymore. Maryland repealed the pre-licensing education requirement for producer applicants effective October 1, 2024. You still have to pass the state licensing exam.
How much can a real estate agent earn from insurance?
It depends on how many households you write and keep. Insurance commission is paid on the premium, and it is paid again each year the policy renews, so the income builds as your book grows. Any figure is an illustration, not a guarantee.
Do my clients have to buy insurance from me?
No. Clients always choose their own insurance provider. You offer the option; they decide.
Does REVOL require agents to get an insurance license?
No. Insurance is optional at REVOL. Agents who want it can get licensed and appointed through REVOL Financial Group, LLC, REVOL's affiliated agency.
Ryan was a top-producing RE/MAX agent from 2015 to 2019 before founding REVOL Real Estate in Timonium, Maryland. He built REVOL around one idea: a brokerage should invest in its agents, not just collect from them.
