Key takeaways
- Ask who pays the broker and how much.
- Exclusivity deals and equity stakes change the recommendation.
- A broker who never tells you to stay put is not comparing anything.
The word broker covers everything from a genuine market specialist to a single provider's reseller wearing a neutral badge. The difference is entirely in the incentives, and incentives are easy to ask about.
Six questions worth asking
- Who pays you, and is the fee the same across every provider you present?
- Do you hold exclusivity with anyone on your panel?
- Do you or your directors hold equity in any provider you recommend?
- How many providers priced my numbers, and can I see the ones that lost?
- What happens at renewal — do you re-shop, or does the introduction end at go-live?
- When was the last time you told a client not to switch?
A comparison you cannot see the losing entries of is not a comparison. It is a recommendation with extra steps.
Why the last question matters most
Any intermediary paid on completion has a structural reason to find a reason to move you. The only defence is a documented habit of advising against it. Ask for the number. If it is zero, the panel is decoration.
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