Guide: how to choose software for insurance brokers

The essential criteria (short answer)

1. Check the core features: policy management, client CRM, claims files, policy issuance and commission reports.
2. Check how policies are entered: complete data (number, insured, premium, expiry, insurer) should be easy to enter and correct, without parallel spreadsheets.
3. Test the renewals list: can you quickly see which policies expire in the next 30, 60 or 90 days? Renewing on time is the most important factor for client retention in brokerage.
4. Check commission reporting: commission fields on each policy and aggregate reports reduce settlement errors.
5. Check whether the platform keeps a record for each client (CRM), linked to their policies and claims files.

Key features of insurance broker software

• Policy management: centralised portfolio with complete data per policy (number, type, insured, expiry date, premium, company).
• Client CRM: complete relationship history, active policies, open claims and renewal follow-up.
• Claims files: open, track and resolve claims files, with attached documents and a status history.
• Policy issuance: drafting new policies, with the insured's, the insurer's and the product's data.
• Commission reports: commission fields on each policy and aggregate commission reports.

Comparison: dedicated software vs. spreadsheets

Broker software vs. spreadsheets

Common mistakes when choosing software

• Prioritising price over renewal features — losses from unrenewed policies exceed any saving.
• Ignoring data structure — entering the same policy by hand, from different sources, multiplies errors and wastes time.
• No claims module — tracking files by email creates confusion and dissatisfaction.