Realtor, Brady Quinn, on how he brings added value to homebuyers as a Brightway Agency Owner

Quinn (right) and Danny Gonzalez (left) opened a Brightway Insurance Agency in Salt Lake City, in May 2021.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – When Brady Quinn of Salt Lake City, Utah, started selling real estate three years ago, insurance wasn’t on his radar. After selling real estate for a few years though, he noticed a trend in questions he was receiving from clients. They didn’t understand their insurance policies or what they were paying for. Some were paying excessive premiums. Quinn wanted to add value to his clients and the community, so in May 2021, he and his partner, Danny Gonzalez, opened Brightway, The Quinn Agency in Salt Lake City.

“I got a call from a client one night. He had a sewer back-up issue, and he had contacted the insurance company that said this is not something we cover,” said Quinn. “He had no idea that was something the insurance wasn’t going to cover.”

“I kept seeing this trend with my clients and I thought, ‘There has got to be a better way to do this.’"

Understanding the gap between homebuying and insurance and how he could better serve his clients and other homebuyers in his community, Quinn said it made sense to open an insurance agency.

“In exploring options as far as ways to better serve the community, that was extremely important to us. It wasn’t about simply opening an insurance agency or simply about opening a business period. We wanted to add value to the community.”

Quinn shared that he and Gonzalez were approved to open a captive insurance agency with a few popular brands, but they didn’t sit well with them.

“Being a captive insurance brokerage was not the way that we were going to add value. We wanted to be able to provide the best product for the best price to our clients and we knew if we were captive, we wouldn’t be able to do that as well as providing an array of insurance products. It’s not simply about being a well-known brand. It’s about having the option to provide well-known brands or not-so-well-known brands and giving people options.”

Quinn shared that he has helped several clients save significant sums of money and get the proper insurance policies to protect their homes, but said his focus remains on education.

“A major part of what I do as a Real Estate professional is educate my clients. They should know what they’re getting into. They should know what their policy is. They should know what coverages they have on their home.”

He added, “I know my clients have appreciated it. I get messages from them frequently saying, ‘Thank you so much. We had no idea what we didn’t know.’ It’s making a big difference for us.”

Quinn added that becoming a licensed Insurance Agent has helped him become a better Realtor.

“As I’ve learned more about insurance, it has helped me learn more about homes in general. I’m now a licensed insurance provider. While I don’t produce insurance full-time--Danny has a huge focus on that--we cross-refer and help each other out where necessary. Having that background knowledge of the insurance industry really does help me guide my clients in the right direction when purchasing a home.”

Quinn said that while he’s knowledgeable and involved with the Brightway Agency, it’s Danny who primarily runs the day-to-day operation of the agency. The two work together to ensure clients get the protection they need.

Hearing how Quinn and Gonzalez work together, we spoke to Brightway’s Vice President of Sales, Chip Hyers.

“Opening a Brightway Agency is a great opportunity for professionals in the real estate business,” said Hyers. “Whether you’re a Realtor, Lender or Mortgage Broker, you can provide complementary services to your clients when you open a Brightway Agency. And, because of the new models we introduced last year, you can co-locate your Brightway Agency with your other business.”

Hyers added, “The Agency must have a licensed, Insurance Agent operating the day-to-day business. Brightway provides training, a sales manual and a full host of other resources to set up new Agencies for success.”

Quinn said that what he and Gonzalez appreciate most about Brightway is the support they receive and the commitment to their long-term success.

“The team at Brightway has been absolutely phenomenal -- the Onboarding team, the Recruiting team. Everybody we’ve worked with has been amazing. They’ve held our hand every step of the way. They’ve educated us on everything that we need to do.

He continued, “Brightway is extremely invested in our long-term success, and that’s very important to us. We wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s one of the reasons we chose Brightway over other franchise models. We looked at other companies, and Brightway was far and beyond more family oriented and more invested in our long-term success than others seemed to be.”

Quinn shared that he is happy with the decision to open a Brightway agency and that if he had it to do all over again, he wouldn’t do anything differently.

“I, 100% absolutely, would (recommend opening a Brightway agency to other real estate professionals). There’s a lot of opportunity, and not just in Utah. Nationwide, if you’re a real estate professional and you’re looking to add value, Brightway is the way to do it. And I don’t know why you wouldn’t be looking to add value if you are a real estate professional.”

Watch an abbreviated video of Quinn’s interview on YouTube.

Quinn’s No. 1 advice for Realtors or other professionals considering opening their own business is to make a plan and do it.

“I’m always an advocate for growth, so my advice is to make a plan. Prepare yourself. Don’t just jump in. Make sure you have a long-term plan, a growth plan, a financial plan to make it happen. Planning is the key to success, so once you’ve done your research and created that plan, jump in and do it, 100% just do it.

“I talk to so many people on a regular basis who want to get into business for themselves or want to expand or do something different or whatever the case might be, but they’re afraid to pull the trigger. They’ve been talking about it for years. Create a plan and do it. The only person who’s holding you back is yourself.”