It’s easy for first-time homebuyers to feel overwhelmed by the real estate process because everything about it is new to them, including homeowner’s insurance. With seven years in the business, Champion Insurance Agency’s Nik Champion and his team demystify insurance by educating clients in simple-enough terms that they can explain it to their significant other. “From an informed position, our clients can make the best choice for their families, balancing coverage and budget,” Champion says.
As the nation’s youngest district manager for Allstate prior to opening his own agency, Champion learned from mentor Raj Sidhu that building relationships in real estate was key to succeeding in the insurance field. Today, his success is evident in the agency’s newly purchased permanent location in suburban Geneva and its ranking among the top 75 agencies in the country. Champion also credits the agency’s growth to incorporating a permanent work-from-home policy to its operation post-COVID, something that provided better flexibility for staff and the ability to scale without intense capital investments. The group is highly visible on social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, and uses a variety of photo and video editing tools to produce content, which Champion describes as part “documenting the journey” and part sarcastic insurance humor.
For Champion and his 15-member team, client relationships don’t end when the policy is sold. “We believe that reputation is best earned through delivering on what you say you can do,” he says. “We know how to interpret the policies and work with underwriting and claims to come to a solution that sometimes can only be described as ‘magic tricks.’”
Champion is quick to rate his personal priorities as family first, business second and then everything else. The six-year recipient of Allstate’s highest award, Pinnacle Elite, serves on the board of the nonprofit Superhero Collective and as advisor for Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Northern Illinois University. An avid sports fan, he unwinds with poker, video games and movies.
