Quebec brokers build aggregator to benefit the broker channel

Quebec’s broker association has built a new online quote aggregator system by brokers for brokers.

“Some insurance companies would call it an aggregator, but I would say it’s more like an online rocket,” said Mathieu Brunet, vice president of MP2B Assurance and past president of the Quebec broker association, Regroupement des cabinets de courtage d’assurance du Québec (RCCAQ).

The initiative, called Demano, currently has four participating carriers and 12 provincial brokerages, and is owned by the RCCAQ. More carriers and brokerage are expected to join the initiative soon.

“The system is used to get online quotes from different carriers for automobile, and for personal lines property such as home, condos and apartments, for example,” as Brunet explained. “So, the quote is offered to the consumer, by directly passing the opportunity through the broker system.”

Basically, the aggregator assigns a brokerage to the customer requesting the online quote. The broker contacts the consumer and double-checks the data entered by the client online. And then, assuming the consumer wants to continue with the quote, the broker can finish the transaction and hopefully make the sale.

The RCCAQ’s aggregator has several criteria built into it, to help determine which brokerage will get assigned to the online lead.

First, the hours of operation — the brokerage has to be open to be able to get the lead. Second, language — the brokerage must offer service in the language of the consumer’s choice. Third, the region — if the online customer calling for the quote comes from Montreal, for instance, the system would look to hook that person up with a brokerage located in Montreal. Fourth, the brokerage must work with the carrier that provides the best quote. If the quote comes from Wawanesa, for example, the brokerage must have Wawanesa on their roster of carriers.

Finally, a phone service has been added, so that consumers who don’t want to or can’t close the quote online can talk directly to an available broker on the phone to get the quote and close the deal instead.

The aggregator was conceived as a means to level the playing field for brokerages that might not have the wherewithal to play in the online quoting space without committing significant financial capital.

“A lot of brokerages don’t have the marketing resources to have a substantial online presence, which could require hundreds of thousands of dollars each month,” Brunet commented to Canadian Underwriter. “So, we want to be able to give them this kind of online presence.”

And, since this aggregator is brokerage-owned, the money brokerages pay to procure the online leads it generates stay in the broker channel. That’s because the aggregator is owned by the RCCAQ and is not privately owned.

Feature image by iStock.com/peshkov