# Agency Verification Rates 2026: Only 0.46% of Agencies Are Claimed

*Pick an Agency · Insights · CHART · Oct 2026*

A 2026 data study on how few marketing agencies claim or verify their directory listings, and what it means for ratings.

> Out of 129,698 agencies tracked, just 591 (0.46%) have claimed their listing and only 79 (0.06%) are verified.

Across a directory of 129,698 marketing agencies, almost none have taken the basic step of claiming their profile. This study looks at how claim and verification rates relate to the ratings agencies display.

## Claimed and verified are both rare

Of 129,698 agencies in the dataset, 591 are claimed, which works out to about 0.46% of the total. Verification is even rarer: 79 agencies are verified, or roughly 0.06% of all agencies, and just 13.37% of claimed agencies go on to verify.

This means more than 99.5% of agencies in the directory have never claimed their own listing.

## Verified agencies rate slightly higher

Verified agencies carry an average rating of 4.97, compared to 4.81 for unverified agencies, a gap of 0.16 points. The direction is consistent with the idea that agencies willing to verify their identity also tend to curate a stronger review profile, though the gap is small in absolute terms.

With only 79 verified agencies in the sample, this comparison rests on a thin slice of the overall market.

## The data

| total | claimed | verified | verified_avg_rating | unverified_avg_rating |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 129698 | 591 | 79 | 4.97 | 4.81 |

## Methodology

Figures are computed live from the full directory of 129,698 agency listings, comparing self-reported claim and verification status against average ratings. Claimed and verified counts are tiny relative to the total, so rating comparisons for the verified group are based on a small sample of 79 agencies.

- Verified group is only 79 agencies, so the rating gap is based on a small sample
- Claim and verification status are self-selected, not independently audited

Free to cite with a link to Pick an Agency. Methodology details: [/methodology](https://www.pickanagency.com/methodology).

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HTML version: https://www.pickanagency.com/insights/agency-claim-engagement-2026