Nick Pembroke

Agent, Vice President
McClain Insurance
Everett, Washington

How did you get started at your agency?

I took a desk job at the agency during my senior year of college. It was not going to be a long-term position, but I grew to enjoy it, got licensed and kept growing. I’ve gone on to get a few professional designations, and I’ve grown through the agency to where I’m now a team leader and was named vice president in November 2018.

Why RV insurance?

We’re surrounded by mountains, water and forests. We live in a beautiful area where camping is just huge. RV purchases are one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. right now. Year after year, the production of new models and the sales of used models of RVs is just crazy. So it’s a really good niche to pick up.

Biggest RV insurance changes?

Companies are coming out with more coverages. For example, they’re starting to cover water damage caused by roof leaks. One of our companies picks up on on-site damage, so they’ll actually send someone out to the campsite to fix your awning.

Biggest RV insurance challenges?

Some customers don’t see the value in purchasing a specialty policy. The majority of our customers take it, but there’s still the price-conscious customer that just doesn’t see the value.

Another big challenge is identifying customers. They think, “Oh, I need to insure this thing? I thought my homeowners covered it.” It’s a practice of contacting all your renewal customers to see if they’ve added anything to their household in the last month or so.

Future of RV insurance?

It grows as the economy grows. Over the past six or seven years, the economy has bounced back and people have felt like they have the money to invest in these kinds of things. It’s kind of a bonanza for our agency. If someone calls and says, “Hey, I’d like coverage for my RV,” it gives us entry to the rest of their policies and helps us develop accounts.

RV insurance advice for a fellow agent?

Always offer the specialty lines coverage and offer as many coverages as you can. The customer is looking to be protected and you’d be surprised about how much people are willing to pay. When they buy their RV, they’re really proud of it, so they want all the bells and whistles. If you just stick with the straight auto options, you’re not going to be protecting that customer.

Also, because you’re an independent agent, you have access to multiple companies to give your client all the available options. You’re going to wow them compared to the captives, because all the captives can do is add it onto the auto policy.

Favorite RV success story?

Two years ago, I went to a specialty lines refresher day on everything that one carrier’s product could do compared to the typical auto or homeowners policy. I brought that information back and did a 45-minute training with the other agents in the office. That following year, we were recognized by the carrier as the fastest-growing specialty lines market in the Northwest region.

Will Jones is IA assistant editor.