NIBA / Special Feature
9 in 10 brokers service clients in the eastern states of Australia
Commercial insurance dominates the product mix, representing 52% of policies written
85% pursuing growth and opportunistic growth
Ensuring the role of the broker evolves in step Of course, it’s one thing helping client businesses manage risks and facilitate growth, but brokers are often business owners too – and whereas once upon a time, ‘broking’ the deal was the key role an insurance broker played, today that placement is only a small part of an ever- growing story, in which more and more brokers are playing advisory roles for their clients. “I call it the rise of the super broker,” says Leach. “Risk advisors with superpowers. And what are the superpowers? It’s mastering the trade tools they use; mobile phones, laptops, and modern tech, that can elevate and improve the service brokers are delivering.” And that’s important, because the key now is to accelerate that growth, and become even more valuable to the broader Australian business, finance and risk landscape – and tech is a critically important component of that, enabling the brokers who move quickly the opportunity to really capitalise on the growing need for specialist advice.
The reality, says Leach, is that the growth in businesses using insurance brokers has been achieved with only a relative base level of technology – and the latest technology now enables them to increase efficiency and capacity, too. “Some brokers aren’t using technology to their full advantage – they spend a lot of time on their book of business, and still spend a lot of time on manual tasks that can be automated,” says Leach. “By using technology well, they can get a huge productivity boost that gives them more time back in their day, their week, and to help them engage their client base better for upsell.” Using tech to grow and evolve service However, while it’s not an either/or by any means, there’s another side to the tech coin – and that is doing things better. How can technology help brokers provide better advice, share a better understanding of risk and help clients better manage their risk.
Because, if we do that part of the equation, the fewer claims, the better coverage, the more valuable the service being delivered – and the stronger the impact on the country’s business world and economy, too. “There are serious gains to be found in using more assistive software that can provide recommendations and suggestions to the broker so they can elevate the quality and speed of the advice that they’re giving their clients,” says Leach. “By using data, software can provide more insights, not only into each client, but into the entire client base so they can spot gaps and trends, and where they should be offering additional policies.” The time to act is now, however. The starting pistol has been fired – some competitors have begun moving, others are at the racetrack but haven’t heard the ‘bang’. Others haven’t even got out of bed.
Leach says, “The AI powered super broker has a competitive advantage
46 / INSURANCE ADVISER APRIL/MAY 2026
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