Insurance agencies are a dime a dozen it seems nowadays. You got State Farm over there, Farmers down that way, and The Harrin Group up the hill. But with so many agencies waving their arms for your attention, who do we go to?
Let’s first take the example of a “captive” agency (ie. State Farm). To keep it simple, when one goes to an agency like this, they have to settle for only the products that this insurance carrier can offer, and at their price point. It would be like going to a car dealership and you can only purchase from them, without doing your due diligence of shopping around for deals on cars. Not too smart huh? While this agent at State Farm may be a nice guy/gal, they do have to keep their employer (State Farm) in mind the whole time they are talking to you, and will do their best to ensure you fit in their “box” per say, so being convincing is part of their job.
On the other hand, you have an “independent” agency (ie. The Harrin Group), that is able to offer products from a plurality of insurance companies, not just one, like with State Farm. So lets say you are searching for a term life insurance product, and the price is just too high with Mutual of Omaha, the insurance broker can offer you a more affordable option, perhaps from AIG. Sounds a lot better, huh?
Now, that being said, both captive and an independent agencies have an advantage over calling the 1-800# or going through an insurance aggregator like Policy Genius, because they are local and are folks you can create a relationship with, something important to many people during the already socially isolated times we live in currently. Here at The Harrin Group, we truly value all of the relationships we have built with the local community here in San Antonio, Texas, statewide, and in Florida and California. As such, when we receive communication from a client whether by text, email or phone, we drop what we are doing and get back to them as soon as possible to address their needs. We try to live by the Golden Rule in business “treat others as you would want to be treated”.
So the next time you or someone you know has a need for an insurance product, remember the distinction between “captive” and “independent” when it comes to looking at insurance agencies, get a feel for how they do business, ask questions, read verified reviews or testimonials from their clients, and then make your decision. Hopefully that decision leads you to the Harrin family, via The Harrin Group, where we will always have your best interests at heart, not our own. Reach out to us today to start your journey.
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