BROKEN BOW — Brent Custer said he felt both surprised and grateful after being named the 2025 Nebraska Agent of the Year and receiving the Life Star Award.
Custer said the honors were the result of hard work from his staff and continued support from clients across Custer County and central Nebraska.
“I felt really blessed,” Custer said. “Hats off to our clientele who support us and my staff who have worked really hard to achieve the award.”
Custer said the awards are based on several factors, including growth, retention, and profitability. He said being recognized by a smaller community makes the honor especially meaningful.
“It’s a badge of honor to come from a town of 3,500 and be able to do that when you’re competing against agents from Omaha and Lincoln and much bigger towns,” Custer said. “You can do it from a small town.”
Custer said community relationships have played a major role in the success of the office. He noted that since 1974, only two people — Dave Snyder and himself — have served in that role locally, creating continuity with clients and families in the area.
“That continuity, and then clientele supporting us and sticking with us, that means the world to us,” Custer said. “That’s the only reason we could achieve such a goal.”
When it comes to serving clients, Custer said his office focuses on honesty, professionalism, and helping people through difficult situations. Whether it is a fire, tornado, hailstorm, accident, or smaller claim, he said the goal is to walk beside clients and help them through the process.
Custer’s recognition also earned him a trip to the Conference of Champions in Vienna, Austria. He said the trip is valuable not only as a reward, but as a chance to learn from other successful professionals.
“This business is very isolated. We’re kind of on an island, and I don’t get to talk to my peers that often,” Custer said. “It’s a great opportunity to be around other successful people and see what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”
After 22 years in the business, Custer said one of the biggest lessons he has learned is the importance of patience, consistency, and doing the right thing.
“You don’t go look for the next best thing all the time,” Custer said. “The grass is not always greener. Just put your time in, do the right things, work hard, and it’ll work out.”
Custer said the recognition is not just about him, but about the entire office and the community that has supported it.
“This is not a Brent Custer award,” Custer said. “This is truly a Shelter Insurance of Custer County award. It takes a village to create this type of deal, and Custer County has supported us.”
Custer said he and his staff plan to continue pushing themselves to improve and serve more people across the area.
“We truly appreciate that,” Custer said. “We look forward to doing it time and time again.”
You can listen to the full interview with Brent Custer down below.
