Smart Choice®, a leading network of independent insurance agents, today announced that it has crossed a new threshold in the number of signed partnerships with independent insurance agencies – with over 12,000 and climbing. 
The network’s annual recruitment target of 1,000 new agencies was achieved in early June – making it statistically possible to double their annual recruitment goal for this year.
“We are seeing an acceleration of new agent agreements far beyond what was projected given the softening market,” said Andrew Caldwell, chief executive officer of Smart Choice. “For the past few years, we have placed increased emphasis on creating thought leadership content on our website to help agents make an informed decision on the right network to choose – and their due diligence is leading them to Smart Choice.”
A growing number of captive agents, as they experience disappointment with their compensation models and the challenges they face trying to deliver world-class customer support, are in discovery phase with networks.
“As a 3rd generation State Farm captive agent, it was a major leap to transition to the independent role,” said Greg Meinberg, owner of Meinberg Insurance Agency. “As I explored my options, I found that many networks charge steep fees but even worse, some demanded a lot of control over the agency, which defeated the entire purpose of opening an independent agency. Smart Choice had a good commission structure with no fees, and it provided a rare combination of support and autonomy.”