Farmers has become a joke. A small house and three average cars, total mileage 25 k annual, now at about $8600 a year. Cars are $7500, perfect driving records etc. Don't continue with them. read more

I can't say enough good things about Scott and his assistant Mimi. Besides answering all my questions (already unusual), getting back to me if they don't know answers (again, unusual), they grease the path for making all things related to insurance easy. I was hesitant to change insurance companies but they have sold me on what a knowledgeable agent and team can do. read more

My trusted Oakland insurance agent for my home, car, and umbrella policy for many years. They are always there for me and advocate for me when it comes to claims. Can't recommend them highly enough. If there's such thing as an "insurance geek," that's Scott. He can answer any question and educate you all about insurance. read more

The best insurance agent and agency I have ever worked with. He is all about community. Scott goes way beyond what is needed. He goes out if his way to make sure you are getting the best possible protection - and not the most expensive. He was so helpful when suddenly no one would cover me because my neighborhood was designated a high fire risk. And when I moved out of state he went out of his way to be helpful even though it meant he was losing me as a client. I never thought about an insurance agent in any way other than a necessity but Scott Halbrook is the essence of community. Thank you Scott, Joanna, and everyone!!! read more

Scott and his team have provided my family with auto and home insurance for about 4 years. We moved into the area and were already Farmers customers, so we just tried our luck with Scott. Boy, did we hit the jackpot! Here we are 4 years later on our way to a new home when we learn that Farmers can't insure the home due to the growing threat of California wildfires. Most agents would say "Thanks for your business, let me know when you find another company to insure your home." Not Scott. Scott was on the phone with me several times a week, explaining the inner workings of how insurances decide which homes to cover, explained things I could do to make my property more insurable, and ultimately made the referral to another company that got my home insured. That's right -- Scott found me insurance with another company, not the 3 brokers I was frantically working with. Yes, Scott works for Farmers Insurance, but first and foremost, he works for you. Thank you, Scott. I hope I can bring my business to you again in the future. read more

The number 1 thing an insurance company really sells is comfort and CONFIDENCE that if something goes wrong, that you will be taken care of. Getting our car and home policy seemed somewhat easy, it was not 100% smooth, but it worked. Then after signing up there were problems. Some guy was knocking on the door unexpectedly wanting to look at the house, a discount was no longer good, then all of a sudden it was good again. Then we had to send in proof of my wife's Masters degree.... Other major / national insurance companies have all taken our word for it. She had the degree, and we proved it, but they didn't like it. There were several other small problems as well. All of this could have been tolerable, but the way the problems were presented and resolved from this company wasn't acceptable. Especially when the receptionist / office admin leaves a voicemail saying that the policy we just signed up for, with lots of double checking and guidance, isn't really correct and the price might go up an indeterminate amount. Then there were problems with features of the house not being listed on the policy, etc. All those issues eroded at our CONFIDENCE. So, we went thru the work, and switched back to our previous insurance provider (paying more for the same coverage) and were happy send this broker to the curb. Sorry for the 1 star, it's just how it worked out for this former customer. ===== Edit 1: Now the owner is sending me nasty direct messages from his Yelp account. read more

Scott Halbrook is the best insurance agent I have ever worked with! Scott is knowledgeable, articulate in his explanations of home insurance options, and provides a clear rationale for each option. He is friendly, patient and truly interested in providing you with the best insurance options available for your home. We have worked with Scott for over 15 years. If you are searching for a home insurance agent, I highly recommend Scott. Sincerely, Rande Webster read more

Scott, Joanne and Mimi has been terrific in meeting all of our insurance needs; homeowners, 3 vehicles, rental property and umbrella policies. We've been with Farmers for an extended period and feel totally confident and comfortable with their office and staff members. Their office has been exceptional in customer service and able to respond to our inquiries with straight to the point answers. Just know you'll be in top notch hands as we are now. Give Scott a call, stop by and see for yourselves, you'll be very impressed. read more

Scott was very interested when he was trying to earn our business. So interested, in fact, that he quoted us prices that he couldn't deliver on. Unfortunately for us, the way Farmers is set up, it wasn't until after we'd purchased the policies that anyone bothered to verify the info he submitted, and the prices went way up. Conveniently, Scott was a lot harder to reach suddenly. When I finally cancelled with Farmers corporate, the manager I spoke with indicated that overeager agents often game the math to try to get customers. If you like pricing surprises, this is your company, apparently. read more

Last year when we were buying our house, I decided to shop around for new insurance. Our previous insurance company wasn't bad to deal with, but I heard less than stellar things about their hazard coverage and wanted to do better. I first read about Scott Halbrook on Yelp and was impressed by the feedback, and when our super fantastic Realtor suggested him too, I gave his office a call. Calling Scott was easily the best decision regarding insurance I've ever made. After he gave us a quote, I explained to him that my (now) husband and I were in the middle of the most stressful month of our lives-- buying a house, getting married, going on a trip and moving-- and how I might be a bit difficult to hunt down at times. He took it right in stride-- Scott and his office manager Char got our hazard insurance lined up, coordinated with our Realtor and title, and got everything we needed in place, all with almost no participation from me. Several weeks later, when we were finally settled in our new house, he gave me very detailed explanations of different coverage options, got our cars on a (much better-- and cheaper-- than our old company) policy, and was totally helpful and easy to deal with. Until we met Scott, insurance was one of those unpleasant necessities-- a monthly bill to a faceless company that always put me on hold when I called an 800 number. Now I can honestly say I don't mind dealing with insurance because I know I'll be talking to Scott, who is right down the street and is honest, fair, responsive and interested in getting things done right for his clients. Do yourself a favor and give him a call. read more

Spoke with Scott at length about auto and home insurance. While he wasn't able to offer the lowest rate he was nonetheless very helpful and honest in his recommendations. Also his coverage quotes were the most detailed and comprehensive that I've seen. No high pressure sales tactics and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for Insurance. read more

I'm sorry I didn't remember to post this review sooner but better late than never, right? :) Just wanted to take a moment to say that Scott Halbrook is the best & most knowledgeable insurance agent I've ever found in the Bay Area since I moved here the day of the earthquake in 1989! When I first transferred both my home & car insurance to him in early 2015, he spent more than two hours in our first office visit reviewing my policies in great detail. He patiently and generously answered all of my questions and made valuable suggestions about modifications, additions, subtractions etc. that would protect me and my home & my vehicle but also save me quite a bit of money. He is very willing to make home visits and always responds within 24 hours to any questions that I have. I can't recommend him and his office strongly enough. read more

i cannot stand this guy. does nothing but jack up rates without justification.

I've been with Scott for several years now, since he took over old timer Norm Young's clients. He's always been very responsive, helped me get very good rates and has provided excellent service. As an example, I literally just emailed him from a flight to New Orleans and asked for a copy of my insurance certs for my rental car (forgot them at home) - I had a response w/ attachments in 5 minutes. That is awesome service and saved me a lot of hassle on the ground. Use his services! read more

My wife and I finally got it together enough to get our much need life insurance policies. I looked into Scott because he had great Yelp reviews. I asked Scott if he would be willing to remind me from time to time to get my wife and myself in there to start the policy process. His reminders kept me on task and we eventually got the process started. After our medical exams, we got our policy rate. My wife's was really high and we were quite upset. Scott was very kind to us during this very upsetting circumstance, he looked into the details of the underwriting, obtained more accurate information from us, and persuaded the underwriters to reconsider the rate and they did. My wife and I are insured at a rate we can live with. Scott not only followed up during our concerns but acted like a person who was concerned about our circumstance. We are fans of Scott Halbrook. P.S. I also like his office. Its a tasteful and transparent setting where I am not bombarded by noisy franchise branding nonsense. read more

I will start this by saying I have NEVER written a negative review on yelp, nor been compelled to do so. However, my experience this past week with Scott Halbrook has led me to write this. I have been insured through Scott Halbrook since 2004. Last week was the first time I had to call to actually use my insurance. I was being denied by the claims adjuster for water damage that my contractor said is normally always covered by insurance. I truly thought Scott could help. However, I found him resistant to the idea that he should/could even call my contractor or the adjuster to speak to them. He ultimately said he would, then he didn't, even though time was of the essence. Only when I called back after finding out he had not called anyone, did he actually make the calls. Ultimately, I was denied insurance. I do not feel in any way that Scott Halbrook had my back on this. As soon as I am out from under this project, I will be changing insurance brokers. read more

Scott has been our insurance agent for almost 9 years and insures our home and vehicles. He provides good counsel on coverage (including helping clients weigh pros and cons on earthquake insurance vs earthquake retrofitting) and seems to genuinely have his customers' best interests in mind. He never pushes to have more (or less) coverage than needed. Nearly 3 years ago we had to file our first claim when a run-in with a deer totaled our SUV. The claim was handled incredibly quickly, efficiently, and with no hassle. We couldn't have asked for more from Scott or Farmers. Additionally, we had an upstairs waterheater leak and collapse an interior ceiling just after we moved into our home. While the home warranty covered the expenses, we needed a contractor to manage the work and relocate the water heater. Scott referred us to the best contractor we've ever worked with. Lastly, he has never failed to quickly return a call or email, even with matters that are not time-sensitive. A rarity in the service industry these days. I highly recommend Scott Halbrook. I think the bulk of the experiences and ratings for him and his agency indicate that MANY others agree. read more

Scott and his office have always been incredibly helpful and attentive throughout the many years that I have been one of his clients. When my daughter had an accident and Farmer's handled the claim, his office was always available to answer any questions, even though there was an adjuster handling the case. Whatever changes I need to have made they are handled quickly and efficiently. If we purchased a new car, the insurance was quickly and accurately handled. I can't say enough good things about the service that I have received from Scott personally and from his office staff. Even if the mistake is mine they call me back to make sure that everything is ok. I recommend Scott to everyone I know, and have never heard a negative experience. read more

At a moments notice and under extreme crisis and distress my mother needed insurance. I saw Scott's great reviews and immediately called and he invited me over for an appointment. After providing him the basic information, he calmed me down and had a policy for my mom written up within, literally, minutes. He not only saved me further anxiety he saved me time and money, I got a great deal for my mom and placed my own auto insurance over to his office. This man is terrific --I offer my fullest recommendation. read more

Everything was great until oh 9-10 years in I actually filed a claim for a toilet disaster which damaged a nice carpet drywall and some things in storage in my daylight basement. Farmer's (not so much Scott) told me sooooo many times that I was absolutely free to use whatever abatement company I choose... BUT (they kept saying) THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD USE OUR RECCOMENDED GUYS!!!!!! It was tiresome and clearly a sales pitch. Now months later when I sat down to look at the numbers, their recommended guys got a nice paycheck and after my 2500 deductible I've got about $100 coming to me to rebuild. For "sheet linoleum"??? and drywall and painting just the areas of the drywall that were cut out. Sigh, I could go on. read more

I'm a Realtor, and I regularly recommend Scott and at least one or two other insurance agents to my new homebuyers. Invariably, Scott gets their business. He is consistently competitive on pricing, he is responsive, and he anticipates other needs. He is also local, knows the homes in the area, and is well-versed in the market, which further adds to his credibility. The professional referrals I make are a reflection on me, and it's important to me that I pass on good people to my clients. I'm pleased to continue to recommend Scott's services. read more

I just have to add my (almost) five-year update. Scott's office takes the cake on customer service. His office manager, Joanne, is so incredibly friendly and helpful. (I hope I'm spelling her name right.) A million stars. read more

I have to add my praise for Scott. It's hard to believe, but Farmers Insurance actually beats USAA's rates and coverage, at least for us, and by a significant margin. Scott is professional, gives excellent advice, and is quick to tell you if he thinks you can do better elsewhere. Don't be put off by the answering machine you reach when you call him: you'll get a prompt call back and he'll take care of your needs. We've had no problem seeing Scott almost immediately when we've needed an appointment. read more

Scott is great. Very helpful and funny to boot. His rates were the lowest I could find . . .considerably lower then other agencies who wanted to increase our cost of insurance for a fix it ticket . . .even though the cop said it wouldn't affect our insurance. Thank you Scott! Anyway we now have auto, life and home with Scott and he is truly great. read more

We really enjoy working with Scott. He's personable, friendly, thorough, and diligent. Insurance is one of those things that you just gotta do right and with Scott I know that we have the right coverage in the right places at the right price. I would recommend him in a heartbeat! read more

My much-loved SF Farmers insurance agent retired recently and I thought it was time to bring my insurance business over the bay to a local office. I am so glad I did. Scott Halbrook and his assistant are wonderful -- friendly, professional, thorough, efficient. As it turned out, my home and auto policies needed some updating and Scott was able to get me better coverage for a bit less money. We put our teenage daughter on our auto policy, and he was a great help with that as well -- he even offered to talk to her about driving safety. He knows the neighborhood and is very responsive to his clients. And he's a 3-block walk away from our house! All good. read more

Scott (and Joanne) really, honestly, absolutely go well beyond what I'd normally expect of an insurance company. They are super quick to respond, always on the lookout for ways to help me save money and make sure I am well covered. It's been 8 years now and I couldn't be more satisfied. - oh and they are really nice people! read more

We just closed escrow on a home purchase. We found it difficult to deal with the realtors, the title company, the banks. Arranging for the insurance through Scott was the ONLY EASY part of the process. Scott was prompt, efficient, and provided good pricing on the homeowner's policy. read more

Scott breaks all stereotypes of someone in insurance - he is personable, extremely helpful and looks out for the best interests of his clients. We went to him for our home insurance and ended up purchasing our life insurance plan with him without any pressure from him. He even hand delivers paperwork to our house because we live in the neighborhood, work full time and have a baby. I can't imagine much better service than that. read more

I first contacted Scott when I was writing my business plan to get an idea of what insurance would cost. From the beginning, he was friendly and helpful. He explained the types of coverage I might need and gave me some preliminary estimates. Other agencies I spoke couldn't be bothered because I wasn't ready to buy. When I started the business, I called Scott and he put together a policy for me quickly and efficiently. Whenever I have a question for Scott, he gives me a thoughtful answer because he is conversant and up-to-date in business issues and needs. After I opened, Scott even took the time to visit my shop and see how things were going. That's what I call an excellent customer experience. read more

I have been living overseas in New Zealand for the past 8 years and Scott has been handling all my insurance needs long distance. He has been a great help in keeping me updated on any new information and getting my premiums paid to the correct office on time. He has been a strong advocate when needed and made my living out of the country and still owning property in California much easier and pretty much stress free. Thanks Scott read more

Scott is a very professional and responsive Insurance Agent with Farmers Insurance. I have all my policies with him--including homeowners, earthquake, auto, liability and umbrella liability. He continues to optimize each policy with me in terms of both coverage details and price. Two years ago we had a liability claim to file that was very complex. Scott and the claims/legal team at Farmers handled it from the very beginning reducing our time requirement and stress. The case was just settled and paid this month successfully from all angles. What a pleasure to work with Scott and the Farmers team. read more

I first met Scott when I worked for Farmers Insurance Corporate Home Office. He had already earned an excellent reputation within the company and regularly received great reviews from his clients. I have always been impressed with Scott's professionalism and knowledge. In fact he is one of the reasons I switched careers and became a Farmers agent myself. read more

This review is specifically for the Farmer's claims department. I recently had my truck stolen. I was immediately contacted by the claims department. They were very compassionate, and actually encouraged me to start the claims process, even though I wanted to wait to see if the truck was recovered. I was little unsure if I'd bother with a claim, since it was an older vehicle the Blue Book value wasn't much, and I had a high deductible. While I waited, they repeatedly reached out to see how I was doing. After a week and a half, I had to buy another truck (I use my truck for work, and I couldn't wait any longer). Hours later i had a settlement amount, which was fairly generous considering the age of the vehicle; instead of going strictly Blue Book, they shopped local dealers for the asking price for a truck of similar age and mileage. I thought this was a very fair way to value it. They gave me a Fedex label to send the title, and the next day the payout showed up in my account. The whole process was surprisingly easy and stress free. I was always treated with the utmost kindness and courtesy. I felt like they were on my side. read more

What a joy to work with Scott. After years of being forgotten and pushed aside by previous agents, Scott followed through with me and provided excellent information, customer service, and care. Thanks, Scott! read more

We were so fortunate to have found Scott. Our carrier refused to renew our policy since we were in a "high-fire zone." Scott wrote our policy and we ended up switching our other home's policy to him, too. We found out we were over- insured by our previous carrier. Scott gave us the information we needed to make informed choices. We ended up with better policies and we reduced our insurance premiums by almost half which was a bonus since we were originally just scrambling to find a replacment carrier. Even if the rates weren't as surprisingly competitive, we would gladly have paid extra for the exceptional customer service exhibited by Scott and his staff. What a relief to find good old- fashioned customer service! read more

If you are looking for an insurance agent who is on top of his game and gives great service I suggest you check out Scot Halbrook. He responds to your needs quickly and efficiently. He is personable and communicative. I use him for my personal business and well as professionally. He has never let me down. When I find myself close to a deadline and don't have time to mail a payment, he'll come and pick the payment up from me, if I ask him to do that. You will be doing yourself a favor by checking him out. read more

Scott is great. He is attentive. Very responsive. One time I had to pick up some documents from him to sign, I had just picked up my boys from daycare. Instead of dropping into his office on my way home sign the documents (it would have taken me 5 minutes) I just went home figuring I would go when I didn't have the boys. He must have seen me drive by, because he knocked at my door a couple minutes later to get my signature. He really goes out of his way to provide excellent service. read more

My husband and I recently purchased a house 500 miles away from our primary residence and Scott Halbrook was highly recommended to us by our real estate broker. We have found it to be very stressful purchasing a property so far away, but Scott most definitely did not add to our stress. Scott has been willing to answer all of my questions clearly and concisely, even if that meant being on the phone one time with me for one hour. He even called me back on the weekend and has answered all of my emails promptly, too. Scott mentioned that he "likes to sleep well at night"; I think that this is the kind of person I want taking care of my insurance needs. read more

Scott Halbrook is a true professional in the insurance business. I have used him for years for auto, home and life insurance and he has always been there for my family, as well as always having our best interest in mind. He has saved me lots of money through the years but at the same time provided me with the proper coverages to protect our assets. Scott is an a outstanding individual who you can trust in helping you make those important insurance decisions. read more