BOR (broker of record) letter (definition)
The client's written designation of a new agent on an account; the instrument by which books move between agencies.
A broker of record letter is the client’s written instruction to a carrier naming a new agent or broker on the account. It is the instrument by which accounts, and at scale whole books, move between agencies without any sale taking place.
Carriers honor BOR letters subject to their own procedures, commonly including a waiting period during which the incumbent can attempt to save the account. The commission typically follows the new broker at the next policy event the carrier’s rules specify.
BOR activity runs both directions: it is how growing agencies take accounts and how unprotected books leak. Service quality and contact frequency are the practical defense.