There are a lot of insurance agencies to choose from today. Some are owned by national carriers. Some are backed by private equity firms. Others operate primarily through call centers and online platforms.
On the surface, they may all look similar. But ownership, structure, and culture shape how an agency actually serves you, especially when rates rise, questions come up, or a claim needs to be handled.
We wanted to take you behind the scenes and show you what it really means to work with a local, family-owned agency like Gerety Insurance. So we sat down with our team and asked them what makes working here different.
There are many ways in which working with a local, independent agency differs from working with other types of insurance companies. Some differences are structural. Some are cultural. Some you only notice when something goes wrong.
But one of the biggest differences shows up in how our insurance advisors serve their clients every single day.
So, we asked them:
Here’s how our Insurance Advisor, Missy Hall, answers: “Being an independent agency means we work for our clients, not one insurance company. We have the ability to shop multiple carriers, tailor coverage to our clients’ needs, and adjust when our clients’ rates become high.”
Having this flexibility is especially important right now, as the insurance industry is in a hard market, with carriers raising rates and narrowing coverage.
And, as our Insurance Advisor Jaime Zang points out, not every agency has that kind of freedom to compare options, “Carrier-owned agencies can only offer policies from their company, even if another option might be a better fit for the client. In doing so, the client’s needs are not always first.”
For this question, we turned to Vice President Sully Gerety. He explains, “When decisions are driven by investors, the focus often shifts to volume and efficiency.”
That doesn’t automatically mean service disappears, but it does mean priorities can change. When an agency has to answer to shareholders, growth targets, cost controls, and performance metrics often guide operational decisions.
“In a family-owned agency like ours, decisions are made by our long-term relationships and doing what’s right for the client.”
Ownership may not be something clients think about every day, but it does influence everyday decisions and how we show up for the people we serve.
“At Gerety Insurance, the client comes first, not the balance sheet. We stand by our words of ‘people before policies.’”
At Gerety, we believe insurance works best when it’s personal. We want to know our community, not just as policyholders, but as families, business owners, and neighbors.
To understand how this affects our clients, we asked our team:
Insurance Advisor Keyla Perez answers, “When someone knows your history, your coverage, and your goals, problems get solved faster, and mistakes are avoided. Our team strives to make connections with our clients and get to know them.”
And our personal approach looks very different compared to handling insurance through a call center.
Jennifer Contino, our Marketing and Communications Specialist, explains, “Call centers focus on processing calls, not truly knowing your situation or helping you plan ahead. Clients lose personal understanding, consistency, and responsibility.”
Having good insurance involves more than just having the right policy. Over time, clients need updates, guidance, and support when questions or issues arise.
The way an agency handles those moments affects how confident clients feel in their coverage and provider.
“Insurance works best when real people know you, understand your coverage, and look out for you before problems happen.”
And the longer we get to know clients, the better we’re able to serve them.
VP of Commercial Lines, Cindy Dotson, says, “When you’ve worked with someone for that long, you truly know them. You know their family, their business, and what matters most to them. You’ve seen how things have grown, changed, and evolved over time, which helps you give better advice and support.”
These long-term relationships help us serve our clients better, and it’s also one of the most meaningful parts of the work we do.
“Many of our clients have been with us for 10 to 20 years, and we genuinely value those relationships,” Cindy adds. “Catching up, checking in, and seeing how their families are doing is one of the best parts of what we do.”
Business insurance is built around risk, which isn’t the same everywhere. Risk varies by region, industry, and how a business actually operates in its local environment.
That’s why we asked our Commercial Account Manager, Margarita Rodriguez:
“Knowing the local business landscape makes a real difference in how we build coverage,” Margarita answers. “We’re part of this community, so we understand local zoning, weather patterns, and the risks businesses here face every day.”
That familiarity shapes how we structure policies. It allows us to account for regional exposures and operational realities that may not be obvious on paper.
“We also know how different industries operate in our area,” she adds. “That local insight helps us put coverage in place that actually fits how a business runs, not just on paper, but in real life.”
Senior Business Development Representative Nick Foster believes, “One of the biggest risks is that important details get missed. Policies can be misclassified, endorsements overlooked, and changes not fully understood.”
Commercial policies are often complex. Small errors (i.e., incorrect classifications, missing endorsements, or incomplete updates) may not be obvious at renewal, but they can have serious consequences.
“Oversights can lead to coverage gaps that often don’t show up until there’s a claim, and that’s the last time anyone wants surprises,” Nick adds. “We never want to see our clients in that position, which is why hands-on, local support matters.
Policies, carriers, and ownership structures matter. But what ultimately shapes the experience our clients have is the values our team shares and consistently lives out.
“Being proactive, transparent, resourceful, and relationship-driven,” Insurance Advisor Chris Baur answers.
He breaks down each value:
“We as a team always strive to anticipate our clients’ needs and take action before issues arise, because they deserve to feel supported and cared for.”
“We believe in being honest and clear, especially when educating clients, so they can make confident, informed decisions.
“If we don’t know an answer right away, we are committed to finding it quickly and using all available resources to help.”
“Above all, we focus on building genuine relationships and creating an experience that’s not only professional, but also enjoyable and fun to be a part of.”
We’re lucky to have such an incredible team that shares these values, and we’re proud of the way they serve our community every day: the Gerety Way.
Our President and Founder, Rick Gerety, puts it best, “The Gerety Way is partnering with our clients through honest education, proactive support, and personal service that makes protection feel simple and trusted.”
For more than 25 years, Gerety Insurance has served Maryland families and businesses by putting people before policies. If you want to see first-hand what it’s like to work with a local, family-owned agency, we’d be glad to review your coverage and explore your options with you.
You can request a quote to start the conversation or call 410-803-2600.
