Don’t Treat Insurance as a Commodity

Insurance professionals often say insurance is not a commodity and shouldn’t be treated as one. Unfortunately, we don't always see the passion among some insurance brokers and carriers to educate consumers and businesses on the differences between insurance policies.

With insurance contracts, "one size fits all" may not apply. Purchasing insurance is a risk management process that should be examined on the individual risks of the situation. And of course, price is important too. The good news is that spending time reviewing insurance needs in detail will help consumers and businesses obtain policies at a fair price with the right coverage.

Consider these questions for the types of insurance customers often need:

• Insurance for rental properties: Does the property offer short-term leases? If so, will the policy cover them?
• Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance for real estate brokers: Are all your services covered? Is property management included?
• General Liability for builders and developers: Does the policy cover uninsured subcontractors? This is a key exclusion that we often see.
• Lawyers Professional Liability: Are you an attorney that handles real estate transactions? Make sure your policy does not exclude coverage if your practice only handles a certain percentage of real estate-related services.

We all want to save on insurance premiums and get our coverage as quickly as possible – but overlooking important details can be costly in the long run. Take time up front to get the right coverage for you or your customers – you may save time and money in the future.