Zhou Agency

What Zhou Agency does

Zhou Agency is a Chicago-headquartered, founder-owned professional services firm founded around 1991 by Justine (Jun) Zhou, providing integrated tax, accounting, insurance, and real estate investment advisory services. The firm operates with 11-50 employees from its 625 N Michigan Ave headquarters and serves clients nationally across the United States with additional international tax expertise for cross-border and non-resident engagements. Its core service lines include tax preparation, proactive tax planning (including 1031 exchanges, depreciation strategies, STR loophole planning, and entity structure optimization), real estate investment advisory, real-estate-specific bookkeeping, business formation, family foundation setup (501(c)(3)), and personal and commercial insurance brokerage.

The firm's go-to-market is sales-led, anchored by a free 15-minute initial consultation, with a strong emphasis on educational content marketing across a blog, YouTube channel, Spotify podcast, LinkedIn, Facebook, WeChat, and live seminars. It targets three primary customer segments — real estate investors, high-tax-bracket professionals (including physicians, software engineers, and executives), and small business owners — with secondary segments in foreign/international investors and short-term rental hosts. The insurance arm operates through eight carrier partnerships (Progressive, GEICO, Root, Travelers, National General, Foremost, Steadily, Safeco) enabling comparative quoting. Revenue derives entirely from professional service fees and insurance commissions, with no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, no API, and no app products. The company has no disclosed funding events, operates as a privately held founder-owned entity, and demonstrates high client retention with relationships documented at 12-19+ years.

Name

Zhou Agency

Legal name

Zhou Agency

Website

https://zhouagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zhou Agency is a founder-owned, Chicago-based professional services firm providing integrated tax preparation, tax planning, insurance brokerage, and real estate investment advisory to real estate investors, high-tax-bracket professionals, and small business owners across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax and Accounting Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Tax, Incentives & Cost Segregation Advisory (BPAJANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tax-Aware Investment Planning (FSAEAAAE), Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)

Keywords

• Tax preparation services
• Tax planning advisory
• Real estate tax strategy
• Bookkeeping services
• Personal insurance brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tax Preparation Services: Tax filing and compliance services for individuals and small businesses. Revenue generated through professional service fees for tax return preparation.
2. Tax Planning and Advisory: Proactive tax strategy development including real estate tax planning, depreciation strategies, 1031 exchanges, and entity structure optimization. Ongoing advisory engagement model.
3. Insurance Services: Personal and commercial insurance products including auto, home, landlord, umbrella, and professional liability coverage. Works with multiple insurance carriers.
4. Real Estate Advisory: Real estate investment advisory, property acquisition assistance, and property management consultation integrated with tax-efficient strategies.
5. Bookkeeping Services: Real-estate-specific bookkeeping services for investors to maintain organized, compliant, and tax-optimized financial records.
6. Family Foundation Setup: Assistance with establishing family foundations and obtaining 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for high-net-worth clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Zhou Agency is a Chicago-based professional services firm providing integrated tax, accounting, insurance, and real estate investment advisory services. The firm specializes in tax preparation and proactive tax planning for individuals, real estate investors, and small business owners, with complementary offerings in real-estate-specific bookkeeping, personal and commercial insurance brokerage (through multiple carrier partnerships), tax-free retirement planning, business formation advisory, and 501(c)(3) family foundation setup.

Product overview

Zhou Agency is a full-service financial advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of integrated financial services. The company operates as a unified offering combining tax services (Tax Preparation, Tax Planning, Real Estate Tax Services, Bookkeeping), investment services (Real Estate Investment Advisory, Tax-Free Retirement Planning), insurance services (Personal Insurance including auto/home/life/umbrella through multiple carriers, Commercial Property Insurance), and business services (Business Formation & Advisory, Family Foundation Setup). Rather than a single product with modules, Zhou Agency provides these services holistically in-house, allowing clients to receive comprehensive financial guidance tailored to their entire financial situation from a single provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Preparation

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved client over $1,000 in tax from California accountant's mistake
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ProgressivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner providing auto insurance options. Progressive is known for competitive pricing, flexible coverage options, and strong support for drivers with various driving histories, including customizable coverage and usage-based options.
• GEICOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNationally recognized insurance carrier partner offering competitive rates, streamlined underwriting, and strong digital experience. Frequently a good option for drivers with clean records valuing efficiency and affordability.
• RootsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner focused on usage-based insurance that rewards safe driving behavior through telematics. Good fit for low-mileage or highly responsible drivers seeking pricing based on actual driving habits.
• TravelerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTop-tier insurance carrier partner with strong financial ratings, broad coverage forms, and robust claims handling. Well-suited for clients who value long-term stability and comprehensive protection. Provides bundled home and auto policies.
• National GeneralcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier partner offering competitive bundled solutions. Often a strong fit for clients who may not meet strict underwriting guidelines of preferred carriers but want solid coverage and savings through packaging.
• ForemostsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier specializing in homes that may fall outside traditional underwriting guidelines, such as older homes, manufactured housing, or properties with prior claims. Provides coverage options for non-standard properties.
• SteadilysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier designed specifically for rental property owners and real estate investors. Offers streamlined underwriting and coverage tailored to landlord risks and investor portfolios.
• SafecosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance carrier providing flexible homeowners and landlord policies with strong optional endorsements and bundling opportunities. Part of the Liberty Mutual group.
• Insurance Carriers and UnderwriterscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs a licensed insurance agency, Zhou Agency shares client information with insurance carriers, underwriters, and reinsurers as necessary to obtain quotes, bind coverage, and service policies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KBKG: A national firm specializing in cost segregation studies, R&D tax credits, and other tax incentives for real estate investors — directly comparable to Zhou Agency's niche specialization in RE investor tax strategies.
• Real Estate CPAs (RECP): A specialized CPA firm focused exclusively on real estate investors — a direct niche competitor to Zhou Agency's real estate investor tax specialization.

Broad incumbents

• CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen): A top-10 US accounting firm serving private businesses, individuals, and real estate clients with integrated tax and advisory services — comparable client mix to Zhou Agency.
• Cherry Bekaert: A mid-market CPA and advisory firm with strong real estate and high-net-worth tax practices — comparable in client segment focus to Zhou Agency but operating at greater scale.
• Andersen (Andersen Tax): A large, multi-service tax and advisory firm with strong real estate and international tax practices; comparable to Zhou Agency in service breadth but at materially greater scale.
• Withum: A mid-market accounting and advisory firm with notable real estate and high-net-worth practices; competes with Zhou Agency for sophisticated individual and SMB tax clients.
• H&R Block: A scaled consumer tax preparation platform with growing advisory and small business services; competes with Zhou Agency at the entry-level tax preparation tier and increasingly in advisory.
• BDO USA: Top-10 global accounting network serving mid-market businesses with tax, advisory, and real estate services — overlapping with Zhou Agency's integrated service model but at a much larger footprint.
• Marcum LLP: A top-20 US accounting firm with deep real estate and high-net-worth practices; competes for the same SMB and individual tax clients that Zhou Agency serves.
• Eide Bailly: A regional CPA and advisory firm serving mid-market clients with tax, audit, and consulting — a comparable mid-tier competitor in the integrated financial services space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ZhouAgency-English
• Facebookfacebook.com/JunZhouAgency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zhou-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zhou Agency