Smart Choice recently achieved a significant milestone with the addition of our 10,000th agency partner. There are many reasons why the independent insurance agency community has made Smart Choice the fastest growing insurance network in the nation.
“One of the most critical decisions an independent insurance agency can make is whether to partner with a network and who to partner with. First, the terms of the contract must be agent-friendly but just as important is the strength of the network measured in the number of agency members, carrier partnerships, geographic coverage and level of influence when negotiating agency compensation.”
- Andrew Caldwell, Smart Choice President
A recent report from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (aka the Big “I”) shows independent agents are continuing to grow their market share. A greater number of independent agencies are being established -- accelerated by the hard market, disruptions sparked by agency acquisitions, new dynamics in the captive agency model and a desire to provide insurance consumers with greater choice.
“It is imperative that agencies exploring potential relationships with a network ask probing questions regarding fees, length of contract commitments and retaining 100% ownership. But they must also ask how many agencies they have under contract – because most networks, alliances and clusters are surprisingly quite small.”
- Ashley Wingate, Smart Choice Senior VP of Sales