Carlos Penaloza – Home & Auto (Castle Rock, CO)

Frequently Asked Questions

LAST UPDATED: June 28th, 2026

What is InsureOpp?

InsureOpp stands for “Insurance Opportunity.” InsureOpp is built to be a superior alternative to traditional lead vendors. Instead of providing a basic name and phone number, we provide much more: coverage intent, qualification details, risk context and available insurance information.

The goal is to help agencies quickly understand whether a prospect fits their appetite before they claim the opportunity.

Why do you call opportunities “prospects” instead of leads?

We use the phrases “prospects” because these are intended to be more than raw insurance leads.

A typical lead vendor may provide limited contact information. InsureOpp is focused on providing bona fide insurance opportunities with context, intent and useful qualification details. In some cases we provide enough information that your agency can start a quote without even having to contact the client.

Are prospects exclusive?

Yes. Prospects are 100% exclusive to the agency that claims them.

We do not sell shared leads nor do we plan to. We believe shared leads create unnecessary competition and reduce the value of the opportunity.

The only exception is a recycled prospect. This can happen when a prospect is claimed, the agency is unable to connect, the agency follows the Guaranteed Connection policy requirements and the credits are refunded.

In that case, the prospect may be placed into the Secondary Market where it can be claimed by another agency.

Where do prospects come from?

Currently most opportunities originate from CastleRockInsurance.com and CastlePinesBrokers.com.

Prospects go through a structured intake process before appearing in the portal.

How are prospects qualified?

Prospects are qualified through structured intake, available property and risk data, coverage questions and any documents the prospect provides. When appropriate, we may follow up directly to gather more details or request existing insurance declarations.

Not every prospect will have the same level of detail, but the goal is to provide agencies with enough context to make a clear claim decision.

Do you directly communicate with prospects?

Sometimes. Most intake is automated, but we may personally follow up when more detail is needed. This can include clarifying coverage needs, asking follow-up questions or requesting existing insurance documents.

We try to avoid unnecessary contact to minimize confusion. Our objective is to have a clean handoff for the agency claims the prospect.

Do you write policies yourselves?

The short answer is no. The owner of InsureOpp is a licensed insurance agent. However this was only necessary for errors and omissions coverage when directly qualifying prospects.

InsureOpp’s business model is focused on opportunity volume, qualification quality and delivering efficient service to participating agencies. In other words, we don’t have time to write & manage policies ourselves. We count on registered agencies for that.

Do you provide prospects outside Colorado?

Currently the primary focus is Colorado. Occasionally, out-of-state prospects are received. These are clearly labeled in the preview so agencies can decide whether they want to pursue them.

We plan to expand into additional states in the future. To ensure you’re eligible for new opportunities as they become available, please update your agency profile to include all states where you are licensed to write business. This will help us route more opportunities to your agency.

What is the "Est. Annual Premium"?

The Estimated Annual Premium is our best general estimate of what the total insurance premium could be over a 12-month period based on the information available when the opportunity is created. It is intended to help agencies quickly evaluate the overall size and potential value of a prospect.

This figure is an estimate only and is not a quote or guarantee. Actual premiums may vary based on underwriting, carrier eligibility, coverage selections, property characteristics, driving history, claims history, credit (where permitted), available discounts, and many other rating factors.

While the Estimated Annual Premium is one of the most important factors used when determining an opportunity’s credit price, it is only one part of the overall evaluation. Credit pricing is also influenced by factors such as the competitiveness of the opportunity, risk complexity, the amount and quality of information collected, supporting documentation, and the manual effort invested in generating and qualifying the prospect.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For policies that are commonly written on a 6-month term, such as many personal auto insurance policies, we annualize the premium for consistency across all opportunities. For example, a 6-month auto policy estimated at $1,250 would be displayed as an Estimated Annual Premium of approximately $2,500.
This methodology also reflects how insurance policies typically perform over time. Industry research indicates that approximately 82 to 90% of standalone auto policies renew after their initial six-month term. Home and auto bundles have even stronger retention, with roughly 92 to 96% renewing after the first six months. While individual results will vary, annualizing 6-month auto premiums provides agencies with a more consistent and meaningful way to compare opportunities across different lines of business.

How do you determine credit prices?

Prospect pricing is based on several factors, including the estimated annual premium, competitiveness of the opportunity, risk complexity, documentation provided and the amount of manual effort required to generate and qualify the prospect.

As a very broad guideline, pricing is generally around 1% of the estimated annual estimated premium.However, this is only a guideline and actual pricing may be higher or lower depending on the specific opportunity and its overall value.

Please note that we are continually refining our pricing model to better reflect the value of each opportunity. We try to “under promise and over deliver” with the estimated annual premium. However, we do not provide credit refunds if an estimated annual premium is overpriced vs. what was quoted. (Interestingly, agencies rarely let us know when they think a prospect was underpriced. Enjoy the bargain on those 🙂)

What is the "Quote Ready" status & why does it matter?

InsureOpp understands that your time is valuable and that certain information, such as names, addresses, dates of birth and driver’s license numbers, is typically required by carriers to generate accurate insurance quotes.

To help agencies understand how much information has already been collected, we assign different levels of Quote Ready status. For example, if a prospect has provided a name, existing policies, verified property address, mailing address, date of birth and driver’s license number, they may be classified as “Mostly Quote Ready.” If key underwriting information is still missing, the opportunity will be marked as “Not Quote Ready,” indicating that additional follow-up is required before a quote can typically be completed. These opportunities can still represent excellent value depending on the circumstances.

Quote readiness is one of several factors that influences credit pricing. Opportunities that are fully quote ready, including all required underwriting data and existing policy information, may be priced higher than opportunities that require additional follow-up or qualification.

What does the Directly Qualified status mean?

InsureOpp uses three verification levels to indicate how much manual effort was invested in qualifying a prospect: Standard Verified, Concierge Verified and Elite Verified. These verification levels help agencies understand the depth of the qualification process and may influence opportunity pricing.

How do you estimate minimum premiums?

We use available information such as coverage type, property characteristics, risk details, policy information and imported insurance declarations to estimate a minimum annual premium.

Imported declarations usually improve accuracy. When those are not available, we use intake responses and conservative assumptions.

We strive to “under-promise and over-deliver” on these premium estimates. However, the minimum premium estimates are not guaranteed to be 100% accurate, but they continue to improve over time. We do not offer credit refunds for inaccurate minimum estimated premiums. However the minimum estimate premium is only one of several factors for credit pricing.

How do you price prospects?

Pricing is based on estimated minimum premium, prospect competitiveness, risk complexity, provided documentation and the manual effort required to generate and qualify the opportunity.

A very broad pricing guideline is roughly 1% of the estimated minimum annual premium. However, pricing can vary based on the specific opportunity and qualifying factors.

What does directly qualified mean?

InsureOpp uses three different verification levels for prospects published in the portal. Standard Verified prospects are primarily processed through automated systems with a quick manual review for overall accuracy and completeness. Concierge Verified prospects involve some direct contact with the prospect, such as emails or text communication to gather additional underwriting information or import existing policies, along with additional manual qualification effort. Elite Verified prospects are directly qualified over a phone call and typically involve extensive verification, deeper underwriting review and significantly more manual time spent evaluating the opportunity. Higher verification levels generally result in higher prospect pricing due to the additional qualification work involved.

InsureOpp strives to provide the most accurate prospect data possible through automation, document review and manual qualification processes. However, not all information may be 100% accurate, complete or ultimately acceptable to underwriting guidelines and final eligibility or pricing decisions always remain subject to carrier review and underwriting approval.

What does Standard Verified mean?

Standard Verified means the prospect completed the qualification process through our automated systems without any direct manual communication from the InsureOpp team during intake.

What does Concierge Verified mean?

Concierge Verified means the prospect was further qualified through brief SMS conversations and/or email communication to collect additional information or clarify details. Because additional manual effort was invested, these opportunities may be priced slightly higher than Standard Verified opportunities.

What does Elite Verified mean?

Elite Verified means the prospect was extensively qualified through multiple communications and/or a direct phone conversation. This represents the highest level of manual qualification and generally indicates that additional time was invested to gather information, verify details and better evaluate the opportunity. Because of the increased qualification effort, Elite Verified opportunities are generally priced higher than lower verification levels.

Do you guarantee accurate data?

InsureOpp strives to provide the most accurate prospect data possible through automation, document review, direct prospect communication and manual qualification processes. However, not all information may be 100% accurate, complete or ultimately acceptable to underwriting guidelines and final eligibility or pricing decisions always remain subject to carrier review and underwriting approval. However we are continually improving our data intake.

How do you know if a prospect is working with competing agents?

During the intake process, InsureOpp specifically asks each prospect whether they are currently working with any other insurance agencies. If the prospect does not provide an answer, then prospect preview will simply say not confirmed. If the prospect confirms they are working with other agencies, InsureOpp will disclose any additional details the prospect is comfortable sharing, such as the agency type, quote status or approximate quoted premium amounts.

It is also important to understand that prospect activity can change over time. A prospect may initially indicate they are not working with any other agencies, but later decide to contact another agency if there is a delay before the prospect is claimed or contacted.

What is the minimum price for a prospect?

The minimum price for a main portal prospect is 25 credits. This helps cover acquisition, technology, intake and qualification costs.

Do credits expire?

Yes. Promotional credits expire 30 days after issuance. Purchased credits expire 1 year from the date of purchase.

What happens to prospects as they age?

Prospects are automatically discounted by a set percentage every 24 hours. After 7 days, they are automatically moved into the Secondary Market, which is subscription-based.

What if I cannot connect with a prospect?

InsureOpp offers a Guaranteed Connection policy for qualified prospects.

This applies only to full-priced prospects that have not been discounted, aged or claimed using promotional credits. If the agency follows the required contact attempt guidelines, it may submit a credit review request after the waiting period.

If approved, the credits will be refunded. Once refunded, the prospect may be recycled and placed into the Secondary Market. Restrictions apply so please make sure to read the full policy information.

How important is response time?

Response time is very important (speed to the lead). Once a prospect is claimed they will receive an automated email & SMS text message the assigned producer’s name & contact number.

Prospects are usually expecting follow-up after submitting their request. Faster contact generally improves engagement and close probability.

What is the Secondary Market?

The Secondary Market is a month-to-month subscription-based feature inside the InsureOpp platform.

It includes prospects that may not fit the main portal but may still have value for agencies that want more volume and are willing to work less structured opportunities.

What types of prospects are in the Secondary Market?

Secondary Market opportunities may include:

Inbound inquiries with limited detail
Prospects requesting general information / estimates
Highly competitive or heavily shopped prospects
Higher complexity risks including E&S scenarios
Aged prospects that have been in the main portal for 7+ days
Recycled prospects after a Guaranteed Connection credit refund
Opportunities with incomplete underwriting information
Unique underwriting requests.

These prospects usually require more effort, but many can still convert.

How does Secondary Market pricing work?

The Secondary Market uses a subscription model instead of per-prospect credit pricing.

Agencies pay a monthly fee and can claim opportunities in this section without using credits.

Are Secondary Market prospects guaranteed?

No. Secondary Market prospects do not include the Guaranteed Connection policy. They are provided without guarantees on contactability, accuracy or conversion.

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