Over the past few years, we’ve had the privilege of helping dozens of agents transition out of their Medicare business, whether it was for retirement, relocation, or simply moving on to the next chapter.
Each agent’s journey is unique, but one thing remains the same: they wanted a smooth, fair, and trustworthy process.
Rather than us telling you why agents choose to sell to New Horizons, we’ll let them speak for themselves.
1. Ensuring Clients Are Taken Care Of
Many agents have spent decades building strong relationships with their clients. The biggest concern we hear? Ensuring those clients continue receiving great service.
Kevin Wood sold his book in 2022 when he relocated to Florida: “I probably went above and beyond with my clients, and I know you'll keep that tradition going with them. You contacted them already and followed up shortly after that. That's what clients like! They want to be in touch.”
Bill & Amy felt the same way.
Bill explained, “I tell everyone who contacts me: 'We haven’t sold you off to a call center. Joe Namath's cronies aren’t going to be calling you up and trying to push something on you.' The people who are taking over know you, they have your file, and they’re not just a faceless phone room. I think our clients take comfort in that. They know we truly care about them, and we’ve handed them to someone else who truly cares about them.”
Holly Roberts, who sold in 2020, said: “My customers are all happy. I do run into some occasionally here in town, and they're being treated well.”
Dan McBrayer, who sold his book in 2023, was also relieved: “In the year and a half since the sale, I haven't had any complaints from customers.”
2. Fair and Transparent Valuations
A common worry when selling a business is whether you’re getting a fair price.
Agents who sold to us here at New Horizons appreciated the open conversations about valuation.
Carrie Sansom admitted she didn’t even realize her book had value at first: “I thought I was just going to lay it down somehow, extract myself from it, and walk away. [...] I had no idea I could sell my book of business.”
Kevin Wood was also happy with the offer he received: “It's not like you're going to get pennies on the dollar. You stepped up and gave me an actual valuation of my book of business. And I appreciate that.”
Dan McBrayer wanted to make sure his years of hard work didn’t go to waste: “What I was looking for was compensation for my business, and I thought the price we settled on was fair.”
3. Smooth Transition With Good Support
Selling a book of business is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. We’ve worked hard to make the process as smooth and seamless as possible.
Dianne Phillips liked how the process was mostly hands-off for her: "The process was seamless. Your team's professionalism and efficiency were commendable. I didn't have to exert much effort—just provide usernames, passwords, and the customer list."
Violet Taul faced an unexpected challenge when her husband, an agent, passed away suddenly. “Fortunately, I knew David had talked to you about selling his business. I would have been completely lost if I had to handle it by myself. [...] I couldn't have gotten through it without you. You were very caring and hands-on.”
Debbie Deane has always been focused on customer service, so she was very pleased with the way the hand-off was handled: "One of the greatest helps that you all provided was assisting with the letter. You posted it for me to make adjustments, and in sending it out, it gave the comfort my members needed. It wasn't like, 'Where are you going?' It was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is great news for you. Thank you for not just dropping me.'"
When we met Paul & Lucille, we knew pretty early in the spring that they wanted to do sell. We got to terms on the price and all that, but they needed to push off the actual close until late in the summer when they were moving to Portugal.
Lucille explained, "Timing was very important to us, and you worked with us on that, which was wonderful. You really accommodated [us], and we appreciated that."
Harry Kneifel, who initially paused his sale, later said: “For six months, I gave it that extra shot. It's not like I don't care, but it's not as all-consuming for me as it was for so many years. [...] You guys deserve all the time and attention I've spent with you and your staff."
4. Hybrid Solutions
Not all agents who sell are ready to stop working.
Some still want to sell new business but don’t want the administrative burden of servicing old clients.
John Knepper was one of them. He said, "What we arranged was for me to sell my existing book to you guys to take over the maintenance of those customers while I continue to be in the business, focusing on new clients turning 65."
From an FMO point of view, why wouldn't we want someone like John out there selling policies? We put our heads together and came up with this plan.
We bought his book and transitioned him to work with us as an LOA (at same commission level as before). His commissions come through us now as opposed to directly from the carrier.
5. Protecting Your Family
For many agents, planning ahead for their family’s financial security was a major factor in their decision to sell.
Dan McBrayer put it best: “God forbid something happens, and you're not there, your surviving spouse may not know what to do. If nothing is done, within about 30 days, all that business reverts back to the companies, and your surviving spouse gets nothing."
John Knepper shared a similar perspective: “[T]hinking about the future, this arrangement makes it easier for my wife to manage things if something happens to me. It avoids the hassles we've had with some carriers."
6. Freed From Compliance and Industry Changes
The Medicare market has changed dramatically in the past few years, with new compliance regulations, CMS rules, and call recording requirements.
Dan McBrayer said: “When I sold to you, I was 71 years old, and I had hundreds of clients. I realized it was time for me to scale back and not go through the hassle of another open enrollment season with all the new regulations.”
Dianne Philips echoed that sentiment: "With all the compliance and technology, representing more than one company, it wasn't fun anymore."
Carrie Sansom also felt the burnout: “This would have been my 12th AEP. [...] When it was my 10th AEP, I just knew.”
Steve Cooke was also very much done with the compliance regulations and government interventions. "I didn't like the idea of my clients giving me permission to record them. Some of them are going to say 'take a hike!' [...] I've had enough."
7. Freedom
At the end of the day, selling a book of business is about freedom.
Bill & Amy put it best: “Tomorrow is promised to no man."
They want to travel, explore, and enjoy life. Selling their book of business and drawing that line in the sand gave them that freedom.
John Knepper echoed this statement: "In the past, I'd bring my laptop and be on the phone a few times a day, worrying about clients. The psychological pressure of doing the right thing was a hinderance to any kind of vacation. [...] Too many people I know retired without hobbies or business to continue and just curled up and watched TV until they died."
Thinking About Selling?
Whether you’re planning to retire, relocate, or just want a change, we’re here to help.
We’ll make sure you get a fair valuation, your clients are taken care of, and the transition is seamless.
Schedule a free, no-pressure discovery call with me directly on my calendar:
