From Submission to Solution: How CRC Gets Deals Done—Together

We pull back the curtain on what’s actually happening on the wholesale side when you hit send on a submission, and how we make the first big call: does this risk belong in binding authority for speed, brokerage for flexibility, or a blended strategy that uses both?

We’re joined by CRC Sacramento Office President Wendy Mejia and Port Orange Office President Paul Sipos to explain the real decision triggers retail insurance agents run into every day: minimum premium thresholds, total insured value, tough classes, and specialty wrinkles like dock exposure. They share recent wins and get practical about the “crunch time” moments. Binding authority can move fast, but brokerage can win when you need negotiated terms and conditions. The fastest path is often a better submission and a narrative that tells the story. If you want fewer dead ends and more clean quotes, this is the playbook.

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Transcript

Welcome And What Happens Next

Amanda Knight 0:00

Welcome back to Placing You First, the podcast where we focus on helping you, our retail partners, win more business, navigate challenges, and ultimately serve your clients better. I'm Amanda Knight.

Scott Gordon 0:11

And I'm Scott Gordon.

Amanda Knight 0:12

Today's episode is all about what really happens after you hit submit and how Team CRC works together to get deals done. We're excited to be joined by two of our office leaders who bring both the select binding and brokerage perspectives to the table today. We're joined by Wendy Mejia, office president in our Sacramento office, as well as Paul Saipos, office president in our Port Orange, Florida office. Together, they're going to help break down how binding and brokerage work together to deliver the best outcome for you and your clients. This is the Placing You First Podcast from CRC Group. This podcast features news and insights from a vast knowledge base of more than 5,500 associates who write more than 30 billion in premium annually. Plus, we give you the latest information on what's happening at CRC.

Scott Gordon 1:04

This is the Placing You First Podcast.

Amanda Knight 1:07

And now the hosts of the podcast, Amanda Knight and Scott Gordon. Wendy, Paul, thanks so much for being here.

Scott Gordon 1:15

Thank you. Well, we're gonna start with the baby steps. When a submission comes in, how do you guys decide what the best path forward is? Binding,

Choosing Binding Or Brokerage

Scott Gordon 1:25

brokerage, or both?

Paul Sipos 1:26

It's actually a great question, but there's actually a gray area that can happen too. So sometimes it's actually beneficial for both the brokerage and the binding authority person to look on it, look at it, but it's usually based off of whatever the actual exposure is. So if it's number of units with a certain threshold, or if it's sales, there's usually a certain threshold. But a lot of times it it comes down to minimum premium type deals. So on the brokerage side, majority of my stuff, I can't really get anybody to look at it unless it's you know anywhere between 10 to 15,000 and up.

Wendy Mejia 2:01

When a submission comes in, I do a quick review of it to decide if it's something that I can place quickly with one of our in-house markets. If it's not, then I loop in a broker and ask them about it if they have a market for it before we even go back to the agent. So some of the things that would trigger it to be more of a brokerage play than a select play would be um the type of the risk. So if it's something that's too risky for one of our markets, um, are they a tough manufacturer? Right, are they doing something that is uh has a high fire load, say, right? Or the location could be the location, especially in California. If it's a wildfire issue, then I already know my markets are limited. I know who can do what. I might have to take it to a property broker. Um, the TIV. If it's a $27 million property account, I'm not working on that. I'm gonna send that directly to a property broker. And there could be other factors that that make it go brokerage, but usually it's a consultative approach. I'll usually call somebody if I think it's gonna go outside of our binding markets and we'll decide what's a good strategy for it.

Amanda Knight 3:14

No, that makes sense. The right, the right tool at the right time for the right situation. So, do either of you have a good real life example of a way you've collaborated recently across binding and brokerage and and you had a great outcome?

Wendy Mejia 3:31

I do it every day.

Amanda Knight 3:32

Wendy's like, how many do you want? How much time

Collaboration Stories From The Field

Amanda Knight 3:35

do you have?

Paul Sipos 3:36

Absolutely. I mean, it's a constant, I mean, we're constantly talking with the folks over there in our Altamont office uh on risks, and uh we even had one where a collaborative effort actually was was done between the two where my property guy was looking at the the property because it was about two and a half million, but the building was older, uh so it made it a little tough. And then we also looked at it from the binding side and it ended up going with the binding market, and and they took it and and ran with it. But yeah, I'm like she said, every single day. I mean, we're if you're doing it the right way, you're communicating every day.

Wendy Mejia 4:12

You definitely don't want to hold something that you shouldn't. The longer you take to pass it off, the more at a disadvantage the agent is, right? So we want to make that quick decision, talk to the right people, get all the right players in gear. And then we want to tell the agent what we're doing too. So when it's it's that gray area that Paul was talking about, what we do is we bring all the players in line that we think are going to be a good asset to this risk, right? So if it needs a property broker, we'll bring them in. If it needs a casualty broker, a professional broker, sometimes it might need multiple people involved. Um, it could be something that goes professional liability and binding. It could be something that goes property with a property broker, but the GL can stay with an in-house market or um, you know, any any number of scenarios. I do have a few recently that have um we've worked on. One was a distillery where the agent wanted a package product and they wanted the stock covered as well. So that came into both me and a property broker because they know that we work in conjunction together. So they waited for me to check with my markets first to see if they could cover the stock, but they just were on standby in case we couldn't do it. We were able to cover the stock, so it never had to go back. But if we hadn't been able to, it would have just gone right back to that property broker. And the correspondence was between that broker, myself, and the agent at all times so that we knew what was happening. Um, I also have an excess case that came in that got referred to me from a broker because of size, right? It was too small, the minimum premiums were gonna be an issue. But it was over a bop. So going over a bop tends to be a challenge for binding markets. So we checked with our in-house markets on the carriers that will allow for that, but it didn't fit the class. So it had to go back to the casual two broker that referred it in the first place. But the agent was kept in the loop the whole time. I also have an apartment complex that we recently did. We offered a package quote for it, but a broker was able to find a better property quote, better coverage and lower rate than we could do with our in-house markets. So they wrote the property and we wrote the GL. So in the end, you know, CRC still won, which is what we're after anyway. And the agent got a good outcome.

Amanda Knight 6:42

Right. I love that.

Paul Sipos 6:44

And we we actually just found one last night. Um, that was a it's a restaurant on the water down in South Florida, and they have a dock exposure, which a lot of the markets don't like, which because normally this one would have been a classic standard market lines. Uh, but since they had a dock exposure, it came to me for the the GL and the XS, and they also sent over the property. Well, the property was smaller, so we reached out and passed it over to the binding authority, but we ended up you know wrapping the whole thing up. We wrote the GL, we wrote the XS, all brokerage, and then the property went binding. So CRC took the whole thing. So it was you know, we do that a lot, and and that's what we try to do on every single account where we can.

Amanda Knight 7:22

And I assume, like from the agent's perspective, that also makes it much simpler for him or her, right? If it stays all with one wholesaler, even if it goes part brokerage, part select binding, keeping it all in one place has to be simpler.

Paul Sipos 7:36

Yeah, and the way we work it to make it simple for the agent, because the the question is, okay, who do I send it to? Pick one. Just pick one and let us deal with that. You don't ever have to worry about like where it's gonna get handled or who's gonna take care of it. Um, when you're working like this and and you've built the trust, you know, with your teammates, they understand that, hey, when this comes in, you're not gonna be greedy just trying to take the account and write everything you can. We're gonna do what's in the best interest of the agent and the insured. So if we feel like it's a better fit somewhere else within CRC, we're passing it off. It's not because we need the revenue. Um we all need revenue, but in the end, it's doing what's right for the insured. So we tell everybody, just pick one, whether it's me or so and so, just send it. We're going to look at it, we'll determine where it needs to go. That way you don't have to worry about it.

Wendy Mejia 8:25

Well, it's a message that we give every time we go out marketing, we say it to our agencies there. If we go to a conference, we're explaining our approach to things, especially at conferences. There's multiple of us at that event.

Scott Gordon 8:38

Well, you know, when time is tight or options are limited, what drives your decision making and like in crunch time?

Wendy Mejia 8:46

I guess we need to figure out what is the most important, right? Is it getting a quote or getting specific terms? That's what really drives

Keeping It Simple For Agents

Wendy Mejia 8:55

us to figure out what's going to be the best bet. If the time to come back with a quote is gonna be a couple of days, but you don't have that time, then we might be able to get you something sooner, but might not have everything that you need.

Amanda Knight 9:08

Right. So we're prioritizing um as well as not just like uh what is needed, but what about speed or accuracy or client impact? I mean, I guess you gotta like you said, I guess it all comes back to prioritization. What is the what is the non-negotiable here that we really gotta focus in on?

Paul Sipos 9:28

I mean, yes, because I'm buying authority is absolutely faster than going brokerage. I mean, once they get it cleared, they can pull it up and and quote it. I mean, they can even technically give you indications over the phone based on the logistics of things and say, hey, this is what the pricing's gonna be, whereas we're 100% transactional. I mean, I have enough uh knowledge to give you know a rough idea where I can be at or what I think I can do, but we're at the mercy of the carrier and and sending it out and waiting on them to clear it and then waiting on them to respond and go from there. So if it's pure speed, finding authority is it. Um if it's additional terms and conditions that aren't part of what we have in an agreement with a carrier, such as a residential contractor, uh, you know, that's gonna end up coming to somebody like myself because we've got to go out there and negotiate the terms and conditions of the policy.

Amanda Knight 10:19

Well, and uh, you know, our audience obviously is primarily retail insurance agents, right? The ones that you're working with. So from your perspectives of both brokerage and select binding, what can our retail agent partners do on the front end to help you

Crunch Time Priorities And Tradeoffs

Amanda Knight 10:35

get a better result faster? Especially when time is of the essence. This is your time to tell them this is what I need.

Paul Sipos 10:44

This is a b this is a big one, and it's very important, especially on the brokerage side. Uh a full, complete submission is and especially now with this market and the market we're in, the better the submission, the better the story, the more complete information that we have, the quicker the response. If you give me a bad submission, you're gonna get a bad response. I can use my relationships and still get you a quote, but it's still not gonna be the best quote. So accord applications, supplemental, five years currently valued hard copy loss runs. And one of the things that the real good agents do is a narrative. They provide a narrative that tells you a story that, hey, this is what's going on with the account, here's where it's currently placed, here's the pain points, what can we do to get it fixed? If you have all of that and you're working with a talented broker, they should be able to get anything done for you.

Amanda Knight 11:40

Right, yeah, absolutely. Wendy, what do you think? Anything to add to that?

Wendy Mejia 11:44

All the same things he said. Um, we might be a little bit more um lenient on the loss runs because we could quote subject two if we're doing it in the house. As long as you can tell us if they're clean, if they're not clean, we absolutely need the loss runs and the story, what happened, what has been done to prevent future similar losses. Um, that's one of the biggest things we don't get, but very crucial. I would say also a target premium, because that'll help us decide where it should go. It'll help us quickly analyze if what you need is better suited on brokerage side or binding side, that along with specific requirements. So if you tell me that you need a 5k premium, but you don't want a habitability exclusion on an apartment in California, those two don't go together. So I can easily tell you that you're gonna have to pick between one or the other. So if you tell us that up front, we can help you get to the right place.

Scott Gordon 12:43

So this next one is a little bit of overlap from that. We talked about what they can do to help, but if I'm a retail agent listening to this, what are two to three things that you would have me take away from this conversation?

Wendy Mejia 12:56

We're a one-stop shop. You pick the person you want to send it to and we'll figure out where it goes.

Paul Sipos 13:02

I couldn't say it any better.

Wendy Mejia 13:04

Simple.

Amanda Knight 13:06

Yeah. I a couple others that I think of just based on what I've listened to you guys share today, is would be use CRC early, right? Jump jump in with us as soon as you can. And don't assume there's just one path. There could be multiple options to your or multiple pathways to your end result. Um and then I heard you both clearly say that communication is key, and that when you are determining the best path for a risk, that you are communicating

How To Submit For Faster Results

Amanda Knight 13:35

with all parties in real time. Um and those are all those all sound like fantastic assets to me.

Paul Sipos 13:42

Don't be afraid to pick up the phone. The phone call conversations are not quite a lost art, but the the folks that do pick up the phone and have conversations with us about a risk, we're usually more successful on those than the ones that just hit the sun button and say please quote.

Amanda Knight 13:58

Right. Well, I'm sure you can ask follow-up questions, dig in a little deeper, get more insight in real time, as opposed to going back and forth because everyone needs more email, right?

Scott Gordon 14:11

Well, the other thing uh uh this goes with what Wendy said about us being a one-stop shop is and I always tout this, is it's not just that, but our knowledge bench is deep. Like we've got a lot of people that really know their business. So yeah, that helps.

Amanda Knight 14:27

So at the end of the day, really it's about helping retail agents save time, create better outcomes, and make their book more efficient, right? Placement of that business more efficient. Um and it sounds like we have the go-to team, right, to get it done, brokerage and binding together.

Paul Sipos 14:44

We do, 100%.

Amanda Knight 14:45

All right, Scott, you're up with rapid fire.

Scott Gordon 14:49

Oh, is it that time? It's that time. Oh man. Well, if you guys want to have a little fun with us.

Amanda Knight 14:54

Unless, unless Paul and Wendy have any anything else just burning that they need to do.

Scott Gordon 14:59

Yeah, yeah. Anything else we want to tell the uh the masses out there?

Paul Sipos 15:03

Communication, like you said. I mean, uh I emphasizing the communication is is super important these days, especially uh this market's in a crazy spot when it with property with it being soft and the casualty, where it's in that weird transition, kind of like what property was a few years ago, your renewal carrier still is trying to get an increase, but they'll write the same account for cheaper when it's new business. So we're all playing that game. So communication is way more important than it's ever been. So I did that just needs to be emphasized is communicate, communicate, communicate.

Wendy Mejia 15:37

I mean, as Paul is talking about the soft market or the transitioning market and casualty, that's definitely what we're seeing on the specialty side or the select side. So I would say having a good conversation about your renewal strategy with us will help us help you keep your renewals. We want to keep them, you want to keep them. So let us know what it is that you want. Do you want them further out? Do you want them with less time so there's no time to shop? Just help us understand what your strategy is in this market.

Scott Gordon 16:07

Fantastic. Well, let's have some fun. We're now to the point of our show that we like to call rapid fire, and we're just gonna throw questions at you and you throw answers back at us. So here's the first one. Guys and gals, if you could outsource any annoying task in your life, any annoying task in your life, what would it be?

Wendy Mejia 16:29

For me, it would be it would be helping my kids get out of the house on time. Yes.

Amanda Knight 16:36

If the if AI can create a robot for that that will literally like

Key Takeaways And Market Reality

Amanda Knight 16:40

push them out the door, I'm I'm down. I could live with that AI robot.

Paul Sipos 16:45

Folding clothes and putting them away. It's just uh yeah. It's a task that I don't think anybody likes to do.

Amanda Knight 16:55

But here's the thing: there are no laundry police. So if you fold them but don't put them away, I don't care.

Scott Gordon 17:02

Yeah.

unknown 17:03

I'm not sure.

Scott Gordon 17:04

Well, and I ran out of good surfaces. I used to have a table in a laundry room that I did it on, and now I'm just folding them against my chest. It's ridiculous.

Amanda Knight 17:12

See, I thought I solved this problem for myself because I made my minion children do it, but they are capable of folding clothes.

Scott Gordon 17:19

They folded triangles, yeah.

Amanda Knight 17:21

I'm like, that looks like you didn't even try. So I don't know. I need to play a V.

unknown 17:26

Yep.

Scott Gordon 17:26

Oh.

Amanda Knight 17:27

All right, Scott. Question. All right, next.

Scott Gordon 17:31

This question is Amanda's favorite of the three. How long would you last in the zombie apocalypse?

Amanda Knight 17:42

I mean, come on, did you watch The Walking Dead? Some people go out early, some last a long time.

Paul Sipos 17:46

Where do you last a long time? I'm a big outdoors guy, so uh I have no problem. And I live on the water, but also have about 17 miles of woods right next to me that I can go run and hide in. So I'd be just fine.

Amanda Knight 18:02

All right, my dear. What about you? Are you gonna you're like, I'll be fine if I can get DePa in Florida.

Wendy Mejia 18:07

Yeah, that's what I was thinking because I am the complete opposite. I am the California girl. I do not camp, not even glamp. I don't do weapons. I'm gonna last as long as I can run and hide.

Rapid Fire With Paul And Wendy

Scott Gordon 18:25

Yeah, I would be a I would be a round one elimination in a zombie apocalypse. Um with it.

Amanda Knight 18:32

I think I'm okay with it. If it's a zombie apocalypse and I go out early, I don't know.

Scott Gordon 18:36

No, when I don't have access to video games, I've I it's over for me. So all right. So our third question. What's the final one and not Amanda's favorite, that would be the previous one, but still a good one. What's the worst thing you've stepped on in the dark? This is my favorite.

Wendy Mejia 18:59

It's it's gotta be Lagos.

Amanda Knight 19:01

Oh, those hurt so much.

Paul Sipos 19:05

Dogs throw up.

Amanda Knight 19:06

Oh, that's awful. Yeah. And there are other associated smells and sensations with that one, Paul, that are like it's not okay. It's not good.

Paul Sipos 19:16

Yeah.

Scott Gordon 19:17

The other night I stepped in jelly that my wife had dropped on the kitchen floor.

Amanda Knight 19:21

Oh.

Scott Gordon 19:22

And you know, when you step in something like that and you don't realize it, it's now all over the kitchen floor.

Paul Sipos 19:28

So oh no.

Amanda Knight 19:30

Somebody's gonna mop.

unknown 19:31

Probably.

Scott Gordon 19:32

Yeah, I know. I immediately got the little Swiffer jet out and went to it.

Amanda Knight 19:36

Paul and Wendy, thank you both. Thanks for being good sports. This is a great look into how uh brokerage and select binding teams can work together to get deals across the finish line. Um, and to our listeners, if there is one thing we want you to take away, it is this. You don't have to figure it out alone, whether it's brokerage, select binding, or both. Team CRC is here to help you find the best path forward. Thanks for listening to Placing You First. We'll see you next time.