Most people buy insurance for the car or house and never look at it again. Southeast Regional Insurance owner Richard Cleri urges that re-shopping insurance is something people should do every year, as it can end up saving them a lot of money.
After eight years of owning CCS Insurance in Connecticut, Cleri knows through trust, loyalty and determination, this method of re-shopping brings success and keeps customers happy. As an independent insurance company, agents at Southeast Regional Insurance shop different carriers to find their customers the best, most cost-effective insurance for their needs.
“We pay our employees to annually find better deals for our customers, essentially lowering the amount of premium they pay and ultimately making us less money,” said Cleri. “Most agents just don’t operate in long-term thinking like that.”
While their office is across town, Cleri and Karren Nash, his fiance and general manager of Southeast Regional Insurance, are FishHawk residents and can be seen out in the community networking at the Valrico Fishhawk Chamber of Commerce and the local BNI chapter.
After a few years of investing in real estate in the area, Cleri decided to make it a permanent home earlier this year when he opened Southeast Regional Insurance. “We absolutely fell in love with the area; we are excited to become residents and are exploring every nook and cranny,” he said.
Southeast Regional Insurance can provide insurance anywhere in the state of Florida. Cleri explained that nearly 100 percent of business is done over the phone, and his face-to-face meetings are usually at a local coffee shop.
His agency in Connecticut, CCS Insurance, is much larger than the average insurance agency, according to Cleri. “I brought the same business model down here,” he commented. “Our annual re-shopping is what sets us apart from almost everyone.”
“Most insurance agencies will not re-shop for the customers annually unless their renewal increases by a certain percentage,” he said, adding that this model of re-shopping works extremely well in Connecticut. “Our customers love it.”
When questioned about the property insurance crisis, Cleri said that his company works tirelessly to find new homeowners’ insurance for those that have been displaced, often at better prices. “It’s not easy, but we will be here to fight it out with our customers,” he added.
Southeast Regional Insurance is located at 4230 S. MacDill Ave., Ste. E223. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit www.southeastregionalinsurance.com or call 813-699-5446 for more information.
