The National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) has decided to survey brokers about insurers’ performance several times a year in future.

Traditionally NIBA has carried out just one annual survey – which leads to the presentation of the Insurer of the Year award.

That survey has become an essential piece of market intelligence for insurers, who pay NIBA handsomely for brokers’ perceptions of comparative performance in the market.

But it says it will now also carry out smaller surveys throughout the year to more closely “monitor developments in the market”, including claims performance.

NIBA CEO Dallas Booth told insuranceNEWS.com.au the results of the surveys are supplied to subscribers and not made public.

“We are working with Nielsen and this was their suggestion,” he said. “We are going to do a couple of follow-up surveys just to see how things are tracking.”

Mr Booth says brokers should be aware “insurers are listening keenly” and are eager to hear from them.

He also says the main Broker Market Survey has been refreshed this year “to better understand a holistic view on the broker-insurer relationship”.