By: Joshua Finley
The insurance industry is constantly changing, with coverages and qualifications changing. Tim O’Rourke and Herb Dorow, founders of Condo Insurance Pros, aim to use their decades of experience to provide expertise and education to condominium associations and property managers.
Tim has spent over 15 years specializing in condominium insurance in Michigan. He and Herb decided to start their own business to do things differently than traditional insurance agencies. “We wanted to expand outside of Michigan—Texas is a huge market. We’ve got some connections down there. We’re starting to build an ecosystem—a system in Texas not only for our clients but to help them connect with attorneys, restoration companies, and roofing companies,” Tim explained.
Texas’ condominium and apartment market is four times the size of Michigan’s, which provided a natural next step for expansion. Tim and Herb have become a major presence in Michigan condo insurance, taking care of clients and providing an experience beyond typical insurance agencies.
Navigating Constant Changes
Insurance is a continually changing landscape, with qualifications tightening up. “Stuff used to be easy a couple of years ago. Now, all of a sudden, it’s tough to place with carriers, whether electrical panels, the age of roofs, or the age of buildings. If you had a 1970 building two years ago, nobody balked at it. All these carriers have different requirements they want to ensure,” Tim explained.
Tim and Herb provide significant value by staying on top of these evolving requirements through their focused expertise. “We’ve developed deep expertise in our line of business, which is why we’re becoming the trusted insurance agents in this specific market,” said Tim. He emphasized their approach to educating clients about better coverage options that may be available beyond what carriers initially offer. “If your rate has gone up and the carrier is no longer offering this coverage, we want to show condo associations that there’s a different way forward,” he explained.
Bringing Education and Value-Added Service
Tim and Herb focus heavily on education for their clients, whether it’s property managers, condo boards, or anyone needing insurance education. “Educating and empowering managers so they can educate their boards—that’s a success. It generates a client and adds value,” said Tim. Equipping property managers with the expertise to pass onto boards adds value beyond just securing an insurance policy.
“Our goal is to make property managers’ lives easier. Property managers are overworked and underpaid. They’re a bustling segment of the working population. We have a checklist of everything that we need from that property manager to give an adequate quote,” Tim explained. Rather than requiring managers to communicate back and forth repeatedly, their expertise compresses the process.
Looking Ahead to Rounding Out Texas
With an existing Texas office already writing policies, Condo Insurance Pros plans to continue expanding methodically based on strategic relationships. “We’ll naturally move to other states. But again, it’s a support system. I don’t want to move over to Alabama and not be able to provide a support system – that ecosystem – because I’m just like every other agent,” Tim explained.
By first focusing on developing their roster of preferred attorneys, contractors, and other specialists in each new state, they strive to provide a comprehensive experience beyond securing a policy.
If you’re an agent seeking focus and direction because your current agency manages various activities, consider contacting Tim O’Rourke for guidance by visiting his website or LinkedIn profile.
Published by: Holy Minoza
