Winning new business is often a race to the finish line—and speed matters. With Smart Choice, our member agents gain instant access to a wide range of market options to handle diverse risks through our Smart Start and Express Markets programs. Plus, subcode appointments open the door to profit-sharing and enhanced compensation opportunities.
Need to move fast? Our Express Markets team can deliver appointments in as little as 24 hours—while agents keep 100% of commissions from day one.
Direct Appointments with No Fees
When you use Express Markets, your agency is directly appointed and directly paid by the carrier. You own the business, so you get 100% commissions – and there are no fees.
Agents across the country use our Express Markets to quickly find coverage for E&S, non-standard and specialty products with one of our 40+ carrier partners. Of these carriers, 15 will provide immediate appointment access within 24 hours.
Securing direct appointments was important for Brian Strong, president of the Strongs Agency.
“Our state director Olga Ivchenko been very good at getting us access to specialty commercial markets, like ISC and BTIS,” he says. “The carriers walk me through everything, so even the more complex stuff has become fairly simple. Even the secondary market is quite easy.”
In addition to using Express Markets, Brian accesses personal insurance carriers like Safeco and Allstate through other Smart Choice programs.
Your Book, Your Business, Your Commission
Your clients want to secure coverage quickly. You want to receive your commission quickly. Smart Choice helps with both objectives.
With Smart Choice, you retain your book of business. You can also secure business via a direct appointment instead of having to use a subcode. You’re paid directly by the carrier, and that means you can get your money faster. With fewer steps between your sale and your payment, there are also fewer opportunities for things to go wrong.
Holden Smith leveraged Smart Choice to get his agency, Lennox Insurance running. “It's been fantastic. You hear some agents talk about how they’re going to leave their aggregator,” he says. “Not us – we're going to stay. We are happy here.”
You Choose How to Place Business
Once you have direct access to a market, you can choose how to place your business – and you don’t have to place it through the Smart Choice channel. Nevertheless, many agents still choose to place their business within the Smart Choice system.
Why? Because, as a large network, Smart Choice has the leverage to negotiate higher commissions on behalf of our agencies than they can typically get on their own. Some agents do the math and realize they earn more by placing business with Smart Choice partners – but the choice is up to you. Smart Choice’s depth and breadth also comes with some carrier clout, which means you may receive faster response through Smart Choice channels, than you might receive independently. Brittany Olson, owner of the
Brittany Olson Insurance Agency, places business both inside and outside Smart Choice channels. This flexibility has allowed her to grow her agency and maximize her earnings, even during challenging market conditions.
Leandro Rodrigues, president of Rothier Insurance, has had a similar experience.
“With Smart Choice, I’m totally free to operate, compete and grow my agency in the ways that I feel are best. This freedom was a major deciding factor when I made the decision to work with Cindy and Smart Choice,” he says. “Smart Choice was able to give me access to the companies that I couldn't access through my agency alone.”
The Land of Opportunity
Agents who win business are usually the ones who quickly deliver quality quote options.
Cole Smith, a commercial account manager at the Stuart Smith Insurance Agency switched from the captive model to the independent model for precisely this reason – he wanted to bring his clients a broader solution suite.
“As an independent agency, we can find a solution faster – especially with Smart Choice,” Cole says. “For me, Smart Choice has been a land of opportunity, and it's exciting to be able to have that.”
Vance Whitwer, Director of Insurance Services at LFG Insurance Services, has used a combination of direct appointments and Smart Choice’s Smart Start program to solve coverage challenges for his clients. “It's so much easier to find a niche that suits each client,” Vance says. “With so many choices, you can actually be a trusted advisor and guide them through the options.”
Ready to Sprint Ahead with the Fast, Direct Smart Choice Advantage?
If you’re even a little curious, it’s time to lace up and explore the many advantages available through Smart Choice. You’ll find that it’s easier to accelerate past the competition and across the quote finish line with these smart options paving the way:
- Express Markets for Hard-to-Place and Specialty Risks >
- Personal Lines Market Access >
- Commercial Lines Market Access >
When you partner with Smart Choice, you have access to all types of carriers with some of the most affordable and flexible terms available in the industry.