Coluld State Farm be moving its HQ to Atlanta? (Sandy Springs: real estate, 2013)

[Airforceguy]

State Farm responds to HQ relocation speculation - Atlanta Business Chronicle

[ThreeSides]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

State Farm responds to HQ relocation speculation - Atlanta Business Chronicle

I've been with State Farm since I was 16. It has been my experience that the closer I was to Bloomington, IL, the better the service was. I was born and raised in IL, moved to Memphis, back to IL, then here. I'm not counting my time in the Army.

I recall that an agent in Peoria, our previous location, inquired about the names and birthdays of our three children. We felt that the inquiry was peculiar. It wasn't until our next visit to the office that the inquiry made sense. The agent spoke to all of our children by name and gave the oldest an early birthday gift. Of course she gave all three the same thing: a piggyback and a fireman's helmet. My wife and I received a post it notepad, calenders, keyring, etc. Of course, my wife and I would receive a birthday card every year, without fail. Nothing doing in Memphis or here.

I'm all for them relocating to GA. However, I do wonder if the amenities will increase. I am not saying that our former agents in Memphis and our current agent have been rude. However, after years of extraordinary service, mediocre service seems inadequate.

What has been your experience with State Farm?

[ATLTJL]

I've kind of had the same experience.

I have also been with State Farm since I was 16. It seems like they used to reach out a lot more. Also, I am part of the mutual company (if it even still exists) and every once in a while if they collected more in premiums than they sent out in claims, I would receive a check.

I haven't been very happy with my agent lately because every time I have called her office, I have only spoken to staff or her husband who works for her but is not a registered agent. I can't even remember the last time I spoke to my actual agent. I'm not a very needy customer, but talking to the actual agent once every few years would probably be nice.

I'm thinking of switching agents to someone closer by as my agent is left over from when I first moved to Atlanta and is clear on the other side of town. But I've just been lazy and nobody seems to stick out as being a great agent. Besides, when push comes to shove, you're really dealing with the people at State Farm HQ and not your agent anyway.

[ThreeSides]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I've kind of had the same experience.

I have also been with State Farm since I was 16. It seems like they used to reach out a lot more. Also, I am part of the mutual company (if it even still exists) and every once in a while if they collected more in premiums than they sent out in claims, I would receive a check.

I haven't been very happy with my agent lately because every time I have called her office, I have only spoken to staff or her husband who works for her but is not a registered agent. I can't even remember the last time I spoke to my actual agent. I'm not a very needy customer, but talking to the actual agent once every few years would probably be nice.

I'm thinking of switching agents to someone closer by as my agent is left over from when I first moved to Atlanta and is clear on the other side of town. But I've just been lazy and nobody seems to stick out as being a great agent. Besides, when push comes to shove, you're really dealing with the people at State Farm HQ and not your agent anyway.

Greetings,

I appreciate your reply. However, I must clarify something. I constantly used the word agent in my initial post. I've rarely dealt with the licensed agent at any location. My dealings have mostly been with the "proxy." However, I don't make a distinction between the person out front and the person in the back. After all, it is the person out front that set the tone for the office.

I don't know what kind a training a licensed agent must obtain. However, most are rather cocky. Not in a bad way. Cocky, nonetheless.

I forgot to say in my initial post. We have not switched agents. However, our agent has relocated to Sandy Springs. I'm not getting on the loop to see my agent! He was literally down the street from us. That's fine. However, a postcard notification would have been the professional thing to do. That said, we will probably switch agents soon. Of course, there is another office literally within walking distance from us.

[JoeP]

They are a horrible company. I hope to God they aren't.

[Atlwarrior]

Feb 28, 2013, 3:54pm EST
State Farm eyes Terraces for huge lease



[IMG]http://assets.bizjournals.com/atlanta/real_talk/terraces*304.jpg?v=1[/IMG] Enlarge


State Farm is considering taking anywhere from 200,000 to 300,000 square feet.










Sponsored Links

company.SurveyMonkey.com






Douglas SamsCommercial Real Estate Editor- Atlanta Business Chronicle Email | Twitter
State Farm Insurance has recently been eyeing the twin 11-story buildings known as The Terraces for the latest in its string of big office leases.
State Farm would take at least 200,000 to 300,000 square feet, if it can reach an agreement with Terraces owner RBS Securities Inc., according to commercial real estate executives familiar with the process.
If State Farm and RBS complete the deal, it would mean the insurance giant will have committed to lease about 900,000 square feet in office buildings dotting the Atlanta Perimeter over the past year, including 64 and 66 Perimeter Center East (400,000 square feet) and Hammond Exchange (about 200,000 square feet).
It would also mark a huge win for RBS Securities, which had foreclosed on The Terraces’ two towers for $140 million last year, according to DeKalb County records.
State Farm has played a big role in the 1.2 million square feet of absorption the Perimeter office market posted last year, and office landlords in North Fulton and Buckhead have enjoyed the positive ripple effects of all that activity.
State Farm has taken huge chunks of vacant Central Perimeter office space off the market, forcing companies that would have considered those buildings to look at Buckhead and North Fulton.
It also wouldn’t be a surprise if building owners in northwest Atlanta saw more activity.
Buckhead is an interesting submarket to watch. Vacancy in the top-tier office towers has already fallen below 15 percent, typically the point at which developers begin talking about the possibility of new office buildings.
If the ownerships behind the buildings near Lenox Square mall — Resurgens Plaza and Atlanta Plaza One — can fill their largest blocks of vacant office space, it’s possible that Buckhead could see class A vacancy start to fall closer to 10 percent.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

State Farm would take at least 200,000 to 300,000 square feet, if it can reach an agreement with Terraces owner RBS Securities Inc., according to commercial real estate executives familiar with the process.

If State Farm and RBS complete the deal, it would mean the insurance giant will have committed to lease about 900,000 square feet in office buildings dotting the Atlanta Perimeter over the past year, including 64 and 66 Perimeter Center East (400,000 square feet) and Hammond Exchange (about 200,000 square feet).
It would also mark a huge win for RBS Securities, which had foreclosed on The Terraces’ two towers for $140 million last year, according to DeKalb County records.

State Farm has played a big role in the 1.2 million square feet of absorption the Perimeter office market posted last year, and office landlords in North Fulton and Buckhead have enjoyed the positive ripple effects of all that activity.

State Farm has taken huge chunks of vacant Central Perimeter office space off the market, forcing companies that would have considered those buildings to look at Buckhead and North Fulton.

It also wouldn’t be a surprise if building owners in northwest Atlanta saw more activity.

Buckhead is an interesting submarket to watch. Vacancy in the top-tier office towers has already fallen below 15 percent, typically the point at which developers begin talking about the possibility of new office buildings.

If the ownerships behind the buildings near Lenox Square mall — Resurgens Plaza and Atlanta Plaza One — can fill their largest blocks of vacant office space, it’s possible that Buckhead could see class A vacancy start to fall closer to 10 percent.

Whoa, that is a a monster! Go State Farm!!!

[lastminutemom]

What is significant about this is that State Farm did not ask for, nor did they receive, one cent of incentives from state or local governments in this move. That may be because Insurance is a highly regulated industry or it may be just because they are ethical... Who knows?

[JoeP]

That may be because Insurance is a highly regulated industry or it may be just because they are ethical... Who knows?

They are not ethical.

[erick295]

Originally Posted by JoeP

They are not ethical.

Can you expand on that?