Fighting fact with fiction on what it means to partner with Keystone

Myth #1: Keystone buys your agency and makes you change your name and brand identity.

Fact: Keystone does not want to buy your agency. Our goal is for each agency to perpetuate internally or to merge/sell to another Keystone agency, which is why we provide the resources to help strengthen an agency’s independence. These resources include perpetuation planning, agency valuation, and mergers and acquisitions assistance. We do have a backstop should an agency not have an internal perpetuation option or wishes to sell outside of the Keystone network. Rest assured our primary goal is strengthening independent insurance agencies – it’s how we began in 1983 and we carry that same passion and spirit today.

Myth #2: Keystone is just an aggregator or cluster; anyone can get in.

Fact: We offer exclusive and unique competitive advantages that help our agencies grow and prosper. Aggregation is simply a by-product. We only work with established agencies that have seasoned operations and aggressive growth plans. We help our agencies build niche expertise and effective sales teams, improve operational efficiencies and manage client risk, and perpetuate. In fact, our agents say this expertise and shared intellectual capital is unparalleled and the main reasons why they join – and stay – in our community.

Myth #3: Keystone forces agencies to change their operations and move their books of business.

Fact: We don’t interfere with our agencies’ day-to-day operations, require them to move business, or sell specific products. We seek to provide a wealth of resources that enable our agents to provide service on a national scale locally to their customers. Our agencies can compete on a much larger scale than solo with our resources, such as loss control, risk management, and global business development. In fact, agencies typically increase their staff by almost a factor of 200 when they partner with us! We empower our partners to compete with any account of any size with any firm in the world.

Myth #4: It’s been claimed that Keystone is like “The Hotel California” – once you join our community, you can’t leave without steep penalties.

Fact:  We don’t own the rights to our agencies…just like we don’t own the rights to the song! We do not hold them “hostage,” or subject them to punitive financial costs if we’re not a fit for them. If an agency wants to withdraw from Keystone, why should they be penalized for us failing to meet their expectations?