Pros
Due to the fact that the franchise is given the appointments, the agents have access to virtually every available carrier for their clients. You are able to insure literally any conceivable risk type.
Kontras
The independent agencies are, in theory, staffed with agents and the back office management of the book of business is handled by the corporate office. In a perfect world, that could be good. However, the turnover is tremendous and there's no way to ensure that your clients are being helped or perhaps talked out of switching to a different agency. Due to the tremendous cut that Brightway corporate takes off the top, unless you own the agency and are actively writing, it is nearly impossible to build your book and make a decent living.