Better Broker Network

It’s 6:30pm. Renewals are stacking up, a client’s claim has been sitting unanswered since morning, and that prospect follow-up is still in your drafts. For most sole operator brokers, this isn’t an exceptional day. It’s just Tuesday. The instinct is to treat it as the cost of doing business. But every hour spent in this

SME buying behaviour is shifting Three trends are reshaping how Australian SMEs approach insurance in 2026, each with direct implications for how brokers structure their service. The signals are visible across the industry, including in commentary from rural and contractor markets. Trend 1: Bundled policies and their limits More SMEs are gravitating toward bundled business

ASIC flags AI as a dual-edged risk ASIC’s 2026 Key Issues Outlook puts artificial intelligence and cyber-enabled scams directly on the agenda for Australian financial services – and general insurance brokers are squarely in scope. The regulator acknowledges AI’s potential to improve efficiency and personalisation across product design, pricing, marketing and claims decision-making, but its

For most small broker and AR businesses, the first non-broker hire is the most significant structural decision they’ll make after going out on their own. It changes the fixed cost base, the risk profile, and – if done well – how the principal spends their time from that point forward. Most brokers get to this

Compliance gets a bad reputation in broking circles. Ask most small broker principals what their biggest operational headaches are and compliance will sit near the top of the list – time-consuming, documentation-heavy, and stubbornly disconnected from anything that feels like revenue. An Insurance News survey of Australian brokers found a significant portion admitting they’d deliberately

At some point, most capable employed brokers ask the same question: would I be better off running my own book? It’s a reasonable question. The AR model gives you more control over your brand, your clients, and how you build your business. It creates an asset, not just a salary. And the broader market is

The 2025 loss picture Aon’s 2026 Climate and Catastrophe Insight report puts Australian insured losses from natural disasters at approximately US$2.9 billion for 2025, driven by storms, floods and cyclones. The headline event was Ex-Cyclone Alfred, which caused extensive damage across multiple states and regions. Three findings carry weight for broker conversations. Individual catastrophe years

Most small brokerages aren’t stuck because there’s no work. They’re stuck because they can’t absorb the work they already have. The Australian insurance labour market has made this worse. Skills shortages are well-documented, recruitment timelines for experienced brokers run long, and the shallow talent pool for specialist roles means that filling a gap quickly usually

Ask most brokers what makes a strong client relationship, and you’ll hear the same answers. Being responsive. Being helpful. Being there when clients need you. All true but none of them are actually the foundation of trust. The brokers who generate the best retention and the most consistent referrals aren’t necessarily the most available. They’re

Open any AR network’s website and you’ll find the same words. Boutique. Tailored support. True partnership. Flexible model. Every network says it. Most don’t mean the same thing by it. The reality is that AR network propositions span a wide range from highly standardised, template-driven licensees designed for throughput, to smaller, broker-built networks with genuine