Brokers are battling heavier workloads as the hard market persists and claims from record-breaking climate catastrophes are worked through, the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) Convention heard. 

NIBA Vice President Nicholas Cook told attendees at last week’s Gold Coast event that in recent years more work has been pushed towards brokers. 

“If you have a look at the transfer of work that has moved now from insurers or MGAs onto us, as distribution providers, it’s getting more and more,” he said. 

“Data entry, claims management, keeping clients happy when you have got those events and you can’t get a response from an insurer. That transfer of work has really accelerated to the broking distribution channel, and we need to be recognised for that.” 

NIBA Past President Di Phelan agreed that the “administrative burden” is challenging, and says brokers should be driving discussions with technology providers and insurtechs to find solutions. 

“We need more time to spend with our clients to work on the solutions for them,” she said. 

“Because it takes a long time sometimes to even find a market. It’s not easy to do. 

“Technology can’t do everything, but we can certainly have those discussions about what it can do and work towards it.”