Buyer Spotlight - Jason Crespo
Private insurance agent Jason Crespo, owner of a UTAZ™ office in the Sun Lakes UTAZ Professional Village™ in Chandler, never planned on a career in helping people meet their insurance and financial needs.
“I always tell people no one goes to college believing or wanting to be an insurance agent,” said the Ocotillo resident who recently opened his practice in Sun Lakes. “I kind of fell into it.”
Having started in the business 19 years ago, he spent 11 years in the Valley working for the Atlantic Insurance Group Financial Services specializing in claim litigation. His contact with the public inspired him to become an independent agent.
“I found I enjoyed helping people out,” he said. “When people are in accidents they need a lot of help. I learned compassion for people in bad situations. I learned compassionate-customer service skills and found that I really cared for our clients.”
He brings that compassion and care into his business.
“I wanted to do something as little different,” he said. “My purpose is not to open my doors and hope for business to come in. I care about the individual needs of my clients. I put a lot of energy and concern into meeting those needs and providing the best service possible.”
He said a trend in the insurance business, where more often than not people are being referred to an 800-number rather than a personal agent, is lessening the quality of customer service in the industry.
“People have gotten away from having their own insurance agent,” he said. “People are going online in hope of saving a little bit of money. What they get is a different customer service representative who quotes insurance rates each time they call an 800-number. Sure, they save a little bit of money but they lose the personal relationship one has with their own agent.”
He said those who use the Internet to get coverage lose out in the end.
“When you have your own agent we help you review your family portfolios and identify appropriate coverage. Without a personal agent one is at risk of not having such coverage. When you have a personal agent, you have someone who knows you, whose hand you can shake and who you can meet face-to-face. I would like to see people get back to having an insurance agent who understands their needs. If I could do that and save them some money as well, then they stand to be at an advantage in today’s market.”
Mr. Crespo had more than as few good reasons for opening his business in the Sun Lakes UTAZ™ Professional Village.
“Ocotillo and Sun Lakes anchor a very professional and progressive community,” he said. “The demographics include young-professional families and retirees who themselves were professionals. That is the reason I moved my business from Mesa to Sun Lakes. The lower commute time is also a big plus.”
He said the location is perfect for the type of service he provides.
“I offer property and casualty insurance, life and health insurance and I use the top companies like Met life, Hartford and Progressive,” he said. “By representing many companies I have opportunities to place my clients where their needs are best met.”
Another plus is he has family in the community.
“My parents live in Sun Lakes,” he said. “They moved from the east coast. They strayed in Arizona for a few years and decided to stay here permanently.”
Married, with a 6-year-old daughter, he still has time for his main passion.
“Wakeboarding,” he said! “I love to wakeboard. Whenever we get a chance we take advantage of a local lake, bring our boat and have a great time.”
His keen sense of business and value were key in his choosing to purchase and locate in a UTAZ Professional Village™.
“On the business side, purchasing an office proved to be a much smarter investment than leasing,” he said. “Leasing would have cost more per month than buying. The investment will pay off in the long run and it doesn’t put stress on our monthly overhead. It is more cost effective. And not only was it more cost effective, I was able to afford more space.”
He also appreciated the design opportunities a UTAZ™ building shell provides.
“I have a real nice office,” he said. ‘A real plus was the ability I had to design my own space. I’m real proud on how it turned out.”
Another factor was the quality and workmanship of the UTAZ™ office shell itself.
“When you look at an office shell built by another company, most developers do not include costly items like built-in cooling and heating systems, solid dividing walls and concrete-slab floors. UTAZ™ provided these as part of the package. In all, the location, the value, the advantage of owning rather than leasing, the design opportunities and getting more square footage for my investment all helped in making my decision to purchase a UTAZ™ office.”
