Smart Homes: Potential to Transform Insurance? - 2023 Focus Series
The growth of smart home technology is beginning to generate interest from the homeowners insurance industry. Already, insurers are partnering with smart device manufacturers and providing incentives to policyholders to use those devices. Some insurers have gone beyond partnership to invest in those smart device manufacturers. Looking ahead, smart homes may fundamentally transform the relationship between insurer and policyholder. What effect could that have on the market for homeowners insurance, and what would transformation look like?
True transformation will require insurers to further develop robust data analytics. The good news here is that this effort is well underway. With data analytics, the scope of the insurance agreement could even be expanded. Risks to the home owner that were once excluded could now be added to the homeowners insurance contract. If so, then home owners benefit from better coverage, and insurers benefit from higher premiums and reduced risk.
However, transformation will also require a shift in the relationship between insurer and policy owner. At a fundamental level, smart homes transform the insurer-policy owner relationship from one of post-event loss payment to an ongoing risk management partnership.
Table of Contents:
A Smart Home Transformation
The Smart Home Future is Within Reach
- Smart Home Growth Attracts Insurers
- Smart Devices’ Impact on Insurance
Smart Home Insurance Incentives
- Insurer/Smart Device Partnerships Reducing Ownership Costs
- Insurers Putting Skin in the Smart Device Game
- Innovation via MGAs
Will Smart Homes Transform Risk Management?
- Smart Homes Improve Risk Management and Pricing
- The Connection Challenges
- A Question of When, Not If
Introduction
This Focus Report reviews what makes a smart home and why insurers are now focusing on the impact those homes will have on their business. It identifies how leading insurers are already engaging with owners of smart homes to offer new products and services. Finally, we look ahead at how smart homes could transform the homeowners insurance business.