Independent Companies Available Through Aggregators

[pageins]

Increasingly, companies are signing on with aggregators, offering the same products that their long-time independent agent force offers. This may mean that an agency down the street is selling home and auto insurance with the same company.

How do you feel about your companies offering their product line through aggregators?

Do you think it dilutes the idea of a local independent "trusted choice"?

 

[indienoise]

How do you figure? No matter what carrier I write business with, there's at least a half dozen other outfits in town offering the same product, and hundreds or thousands of other agencies across the country are as well. Insurance both is and isn't a complicated business. Yes, there's a learning curve, but anyone with a brain is up to the task. Some always better than other. Even if the agencies are accessing through an aggregator, I'm more convinced that a small or less experienced agent takes more time and care to really understand the product than some dude working in a call center selling a carrier's product direct. And THAT is what really irks me, when a company I represent is selling a different product with different pricing structure but the same branding only because they are paying a crappy wage to some call center geek. (No offense intended if that's you, lol)

 

[1manshow]

Just met with an aggregator this morning to access a carrier that has previously been very close minded to the thought of new appointments. This carrier has a reputation of being very protective of their existing agency force...and now they're opening the door for the competition to come in through an aggregator.

As the competition...I love it...as the agency force...I'd be looking at my alternatives.

 

[nyc2phi]

Just met with an aggregator this morning to access a carrier that has previously been very close minded to the thought of new appointments. This carrier has a reputation of being very protective of their existing agency force...and now they're opening the door for the competition to come in through an aggregator. As the competition...I love it...as the agency force...I'd be looking at my alternatives.

Who might that be??

 

[shawnmwalker]

There are distribution choices every carrier makes. Aggregation is a good choice if carriers are choosing there groups wisely.

 

[insurance1822]

Who might that be??

Well he has Erie (and Donegal) along w/ plenty of other personal carriers so I'm sure he doesn't need any more personal markets based off his website.

I'm therefor going to guess it's Selective or Cincinnati. I'll also guess that he has enough of a background & agency size that these carriers will consider him. I bet not all agents through that aggregator would be considered.

 

[1manshow]

Selective

yep, only want commercial lines

 

[NCSU INS GUY]

I've never seen Selective or Cincinnati as part of an aggregator. Would love to have one of the two to compliment Erie with some commercial stuff.

What aggregator are you talking to? Feel fee to PM me.

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