Amid the ever-changing landscape of the real estate industry, one truth remains: change is constant. The homeowner’s insurance space is no different; and in 2023, the industry experienced a significant shift, affecting both existing policyholders and prospective homebuyers alike. As the market continues to change, here’s what you can expect and how you can help your clients overcome this challenging environment.

What’s driving these changes?

If you’ve renewed coverage on an insurance policy recently, you might notice that your premium has increased. Insurance carriers are experiencing higher losses though the reasons for this may not come as a surprise. In my day-to-day role leading an independent insurance agency I’ve seen how these changes have impacted our customers trying to purchase a new home:    

• Inflation- The increased cost of labor and goods is increasing the expense related to repairing or reconstructing homes after a loss. 
• Catastrophic weather events- In 2023, the United States experienced a record-breaking number of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, totaling 28 separate events that each resulted in at least $1 billion in damages.
• Regulatory environment- In certain markets, carriers must obtain approval to increase their rates and are often limited to increasing them by more than a few percentage points. The ability for carriers to increase their rates to keep up with the rising costs of repairs on the increased claim events prohibit the carrier from generating a positive return. To limit more losses, carriers are reducing the number of new policies they are writing to limit their risk.
• In addition to these three factors, some carriers did not increase their rates during the pandemic to align with the macro-economic changes. These carriers are starting from a deeper gap in pricing which will take them longer to be able to generate positive results in the current environment.   

How is this impacting the homeowner’s insurance industry?

As a real estate agent, you’re aware that that selecting a suitable homeowner’s insurance policy is a crucial part of the process of purchasing a property. Many carriers are requiring the underwriting of a property before they will insure. Some are event limiting insurance options for properties that have older roofs, heating systems, or plumbing.

• In some states, insurers are exiting the market altogether. 
• Many states are requiring inspections of properties before they will insure making insurance approval a 7–10-day process. 
• The cost of insurance is significantly higher and, in some instances, affecting the buyer’s ability to qualify for a loan
• Carriers are looking closely at a consumer’s prior claims history
• Carriers are increasing minimum deductibles and/or requiring the consumer to place multiple lines of insurance with them (Bundling Home/Auto)

How can a real estate agent help a buyer navigate this new environment?

Despite these realities, there are things you can do to help your buyers navigate this new environment successfully:

1. Encourage the buyer to start the insurance process as soon as the contract is fully ratified.
2. Know the age of the roof, heating, and plumbing to flag potential insurance challenges the property may face.
3. Look for overhanging trees on the property that may present a challenge.
4. Educate the buyer about the insurance process.
5. Set the expectation with buyers that they may have a higher deductible or need to bundle the home with auto to secure insurance
6. Work with an independent agent that can shop multiple insurance carriers to save your client time and money

Is this the new normal?

From a consumer price perspective, I believe the rates will remain higher to cover the inflation costs and increases in weather related losses. Overall, we at Anywhere Insurance, do anticipate that as insurers obtain approval to increase their rates the insurance market will normalize with less underwriting requirements and a faster approval time.