Billy Crocker
Vice President / Real Estate Practice Leader
Higginbotham, Austin

How did you get into the insurance industry?
I was recruited for the commercial real estate industry by a large national broker to support the development of a niche industry practice specializing in providing broker and risk management services for real estate clients. The CEO told me in my first interview that the goal was to “teach a real estate person insurance, not to teach an insurance person real estate.”

What do you like most about your job?
It has allowed me to learn about many different industries and work with clients located all over the U.S.

What is the most challenging part of working in the insurance industry?
The ability to provide an incredibly technical product and convey the importance of complex coverages in a simple and easy to understand way.

What is something about the insurance industry most people don’t know?
The majority of the industry is in finance and not sales.

What would you tell young people who are considering insurance as a career choice?
No other industry provides as many opportunities for every skill set, personality type, and background as insurance. It is the “O Positive” of industries and is universally compatible with all professional strengths and abilities, allowing any professional the opportunity to be successful and meet their potential.

Bonus Question: What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone?
I was a classically trained musician and toured with a country western band playing the drums as a college job.